Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-09-11

ike plIdte, puS az ei'"e No SN~FD
doesn't know the grade the children
are in, doesn't know their teachers
doesn't have any complete knowledge
of the school except that the building
is located here or there on Some street
and bears a name.
That's a little hard on the children,
isn't it? Also a little binding Tor
teachers. Down in his factory he knows
everybody. At the club his acquain-
lance is thorough. He knows all about
Soandso's business, whether he Is do
ing well or running behind: but then
Soandso has an account with him. SO
have the children. So have the teach
ers He knows all about the ability
and studies the character Of the mon
who work for him and to whom ne
pays direct wages. Seems like he ought
to know more about the way that man
and woman factory is running, how the
management is and what the workmen
are doing. He knows the cost Of doing
business in his own store or whatever
he runs He adds the cost to his
prices. yes and figures his percentage
of profit afterwards, but all he knows
about the costs Of the finished prod
uCt of the human being dry kiln
wouldn't help the bookkeeper to make
up the trial balance.
Now Il used to be different in that
elder day when school for the most OF
us began after completing and ended
about the time 10 break stalks in tine
spring. Dad took notice. Especially
Of the arithmetic. He sprung hard
ones" on US and encouraged us to get
the teacher to help US. Perhaps there
was a sly hope that the teacher would
be bothered and couldn't work the
sum but he knew a lot about how
we were making it in arithmetic"
Mother leaned more to the spelling
book and reading aloud. She was in
terested in grammar also and could
diagram" splendidly. She knew how
many times we had left off head inE
the A class. Also both knew just what
punishment had been meted out 10 MS
and for what offense. And punishment
had exact definition then. Mother shut
her mouth pretty tight that time when
the ridges showed along her sons back.
Shed heard of it before he got home
and insisted on physical examination, |
but dad merely said If you behave
yourself he won't lick you and Il you
don't III do il myself after YOU get
home" No canning" from study halls
then. First. there were no study halls.
Second. Old Wales wouldn't have
thought OF it anyway if there had
been He knew more swift and GER
tain method Of reprisaL And II must
be confessed that the Wales method
had it's peculiar advantages as being
Immediately convenient and al hand
and also as leaving a lasting impress
sion. But all that is another story
the point is that father knew and
mother knew how we were doing al
school.
They used to come in of Friday
afternoon and hear US speak pieces !
and watch us spell down" Mostly
mothers on Friday afternoon. But the
fathers came on spelling school nights
and the ltteraries and the like and
their criticism and praise were based on
understanding. There was a universal
interest in the school. Most OF them
wanted a good school. Nothing raised
a row and brought on a fight at the
next election for directors easier than
for the directors to hire stick because
he was related 10 one or more Of them.
Indeed. nepotism was so severely con- |
denned that the teacher who had an
uncle on the board was seriously han |
dicapped whatever his, abilities and
sincere desire to excel In that elder
day when readin' ritin' and 'rithmetc
were an education the folks knew all
about the school and a few gossips
knew a lot more that wasn't so.
Perhaps they were not much as
schools compared to our schools. bu-
they made the most OF them They