The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-10-11
COUNTY SCHOOL NOTES

crossing fine, good enrolment and
everybody working. We are going to
give an entertainment once per month
and the amount cleared will be spent
for War Savings Stamps and Liberty
Bonds"
Supt. J. U. White of the Flat River
schools reports that the boys in his
High School are being given course
in military training by Gather Rain
ney, instructor in manual training.
Mr.. Ranney has had quite lot of mil
itary training and the boys of the Flat
River High School will have an excel
lent opportunity under his leadership.
In recent circular, the State Su-
perintendent writes that the total
days attendance IN Missouri fell off
100000 days during the year ending
June 30th, 1918. This Office is very
glad to report, however, that the
school attendance in st. Francois coun-
ty showed an increase of 1858. In
view of the fact that since the decla-
ration of war, the government has re-
peatedly urged that school authorities
do all within their power to keep up
school attendance, the showing of st.
Francois county when compared with
the showing of the State of Missouri,
as whole, is particularly gratifying
and rightfully ought to be regarded as
about as good advertising as the coun-
ty has ever had.
In respect of the paragraph above,
it is deemed peculiarly appropriate to
| here publish recent letter sent out
to school officials by the United States
Commissioner of Education, Hon. P
p. ClaXton. The letter from President
Wilson to Secretary Lane, of the In
terror, referred to by Commissioner
Claxton will be published in this col
umn next week. Commissioner ClaX-
toms letter follows:
81 am enclosing a copy of recent
letter from President Wilson to Sec
rotary Lane. The policy expressed in
this letter has been the policy of the
Administration from the time of oul
entrance into the war. Last year il
was fairly easy to keep the schools
up to their normal standard both as
to work and as to attendance, but fol
many reasons it will be more difficult
this year and until the war ends
Millions more of men will be called in
to the army; many hundreds of thou
sands, both of men and women, will
be needed for munition plants, ship
yards and other industries connected
directly or indirectly with the war
The burden of supplying food and raw
materials of various kinds for our AL
lies will continue to increase. Fedora
taxes must be increased largely, ant
there will be continued calls for sub
scriptions to loans. The cost of liv
ing is much greater than it was befort
the war. With the decrease in tn
purchasing power of money and tn
increase in the need for labor wage
have increased to such an extent tina
the temptation becomes ever stronge
for older boys and girls to leave schoo
and work for wages, and for teacher
to leave their work for other form
of employment in which the pay i
larger. Many good teachers will re
main in the service of the schools il
the face of temptation of larger pa,
elsewhere, but we cannot hope to kee
the schools up to their full efficienc
without large increase in school rev
enue, which again must mean an in
crease in taxation. But for tn
strength of the country in war and TO
its welfare and safety after the wa
/ is over the means and processes of ed
ucation must not be neglected nor al
lowed to become less effective tina
they are now. No boy or girl mus
have less opportunity for educatio
, because of the war.
If the war is long we shall nee
, very large numbers of men and VIC
. men with scientific knowledge an
trained skill for the higher grades q
service which cannot be rendered b
| the millions of men and women of
\ lower grade of education and withou
= which the efforts of these million
would be of little value. When tn
q war is over and the days of recor
f scruction have come, the call upo
' this country for men and women {
the highest and best training for hel
v in rebuilding the world will be larg
/ and insistent. For our own good an
for the good of the world, we shoul
5 be able to respond generously. Cor
, ditions in this country and our pos
1 ton among the peoples of the worl
!. will require of us a higher level {
v intelligence and civic righteousne:
' than we or any other people have eve
4 yet attained. This must be insure
e largely through the education of OF
schools.
r am therefore writing to you and
several thousand teachers and scho
officers in all parts of the country ash
Il ing your assistance in a nationwide
campaign for keeping our schools {
i all grades and kinds up to their flu
measure of efficiency, and to prevei
O as far as may be possible any fallin
n off in attendance. Will you not writ
v one or more letters on this subject fc
your State and local papers and ASST
in the promotion of this campaign
!. other ways as opportunity may offer
There are now for us as a peop
r just two tasks of supreme Importance
e To win the war for freedom and d.
s mocracy; and to fit ourselves and o.