Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-06-09
HIGH SCHOOL CLASS
GRADUATION BRINGS
ALLSALEN TO ARMORY

The most popular home entertain
ment CT the year is that of the annual
graduating exercises of the Salem high
school held at the armory. Last even.
ing with POO in the building fully
800 were turned away. And with the
new form of commencement in which
the pupils will have place on the pro
gram, the chances are that building
twice the size of the armory would
hardly accommodate the crowds,
In an Introductory address, Princi.
pal j. c. Nelson told of the program in
which six members of the class were
to appear, two selected on a scholar
ship basis for the past two years
Alice Welch and Hugh Walker; two
elected by the class-Florence Scheurle
and Paul Pierce, and two elected by
the faeulty-Helen Hogue and Harold
Asp'nwall.
The orators,
In his Grafton, "Schools for Citizen
ship" Harold Aspinwall claimed that
something had been wrong in former
years with the school system from the
fact that many pupils were not inter
ested in school work and had dropped
out shortly after entering the hign
school, OF the $50 members who were
in his class ON entering the high school
in 1913, only Is were graduated He
endorsed the proposition of taking up
a vocational course in the high school
next year and referred to the Gary
school system where the student has
one hour study and then the next hour
in shop work or in domestic science.
The foreigner and the negro problem
he thought were two of the big things
confronting us, especially the foreign
er. The foreign population, he claimed,
could be made good citizens by night
schools and referred to Portland's IL
schools with 5000 students, all study
ing ut night and in all grades.
Miss Alice Welch won the approval
of the audience in the piano solo,
Scottish Poem'' by Mcdowell She
prefaced her solo by explaining the
ideas the composer wished to convey,
Hugh Walker, who was chosen on ac-
count of his high scholarship the past
two years, spoke on EOur Flyers"
He told the story of the early flying
machines and how the Wrights had
finally solved the problem. He fig
ured that on account of the great war,
more advancement had been made IN
flying the past three years than
would have been made in 100 years of
peace. He predicted that within few
years, aeroplanes would be in regular
service not only for travel and the
carrying of mail, but for regular trans
portation of merchandise.
Florence Scheurle, whom the class
selected, showed unusual elocutionary
ability in the recital of the poem,
1.-THE Littlest Rebel This poem re-
quires speaking talent of high grade
and Miss Shcurle was equal to the
occasion.
Helen Hogue, elected by the faculty,
chose to appear on the program in
three songs. These were all especially
adapted to singing before a general
crowd and the large audience expressed
its emphatic approval by prolonged
encores
Paul Pierce, who was ON the program
because his classmates wanted him
there, spoke on "Safe for Democ-
racy.u The last decade had brought
forth wonderful inventions, he said.
In the discussion of the great war, he
claimed that submarine warfare was
war against mankind. He thought
this was as much our war as If every
gun was fired on American soil. The
German autocracy he claimed had tried
to turn back the clock of civilization
and also expressed the opinion that be-
fore peace was declared, we would be
tried morally and industrially.
Officials Talk.
James w. Palmer of the Portland
Y. NJ. C. A. addressed the graduates,
and A. A. Lee, chairman of the school
board, presented the diplomas. In a
few minutes talk, Mr.. Lee, who IS
Just closing his ten years of serves
on the board, stated that notwithstand-
ing the falling off in the valuation Of
in the school district, the mill
levy had been lowered each year and
that through the careful management
of the board, school buildings had been
built. bonds had been paid off, the
school brought to the highest standard
in the northwest and on top Of all
this. the cost of education was less
than in Portland or any of the neigh
boring towns. And what is more i'm
portant, @yhile the salaries of all the
urinary teachers and others in the
school system had been materially in
creased. the expense of the schools for
the coming year viii be only $225
- 4bo, Gov +ha mast wear.