The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-10-29
BETTER RURAL
SCHOOLS Meeting
A BIG DEMONSTRATION HELD
IN MADISON YES
TERDAY

The wave of the statewide drive
for better schools reached this county
yeserday and at the mass meeting in
the high school auditorium last night
enthusiastic speakers presented con-
vincing facts regarding deplora BILE
conditions now prevalent in our state.
The speakers for the evening were
State Historian Doane Robinson, the
county superintendent of the schools
of Cook county, Illinois, and Fred l..
Shaw, state superintendent of public
instruction. The one thing most
noticeable at last nights school pro-
gram was the conspicuous absence of
many of our citizens who, no doubt,
are interested in the movement for
better schooling facilities, but fail to
manifest their support by their pres
ence. The attedance was light.
The educational parade at AIS
yesterday afternoon reflected the in
terest the faculty of the Madison
state normal and the Madison public
school teachers are taking in support
ing the movement for Characters
tically better educational advantage
for country boys and girls. The gaily
bedecked automobiles carrying the
school children and headed by the
municipal band were indeed attrac-
tive. but the slogans they bore all
aptly set forth the needs of our state
in the way of more practical and
more progressive education. Such
sentiment as "The Nation Depends
on Education" which? Better Hog
Houses, or Better Schools?" Poor
School House; Sick Children; Weak
Nation" Children First" etc, aptly
suggested each citizens duty along
the line of country school advance
ment
A short program was interspersed
with the addresses given at the audi
torium last evening. On the stage
conspicuously displayed were sus-
pended two American flags, one on
either side of a large service flag that
contained numerous stars represent
ing the eight hundred and sixteen
soldiers, sailors and nurses who went
from Lake county to safeguard the
interests of civilization and educa-
tion everywhere
Supt j. w Ault first introduced
Fred l.. Shaw, state superintendent,
of public instruction, who objective
illustrated his remarks from a well
compiled chart setting forth glarins
facts and statistical information 60
ing to show that the biggest prob
lem in this state today is better
schools. Preceding his address q
class of girls from the normal train.
ing school sang the doieful lay OF
Hiawatha mourning over the death
of his beloved Minnehaha Follow
ing this a clever dramatization of the
story of Rip Van Wrinkle was giver
by number of boys also from tht
normal school. Miss Anna Peters re
What Constitutes a SCHOOL," Mr.
Shaw, before speaking from the
chart, mentioned that education |!
the most important thing since tn,
war and that the country school i:
our biggest problem. He deploret
the building up of immense cities anC
using school agencies to force chill
dren into the school rooms for thu
reason that present day education |!
not attractive. is not popular in that
it faces the child away from the farm
and does not properly deal will
country problems.
We are proud of South Dakota be
cause our state ranks first in banl
deposits, first in new annual wealth
first per capita in farm products
fourth in the production of gold
fifth in cattle, twelfth in hogs
twelfth in corn production, but WI
do not advertise it before the worlt
that we rank but twenty-second il
education.
Comparative tsatistics show tha
per child Washington spends annual
ly $107.52. while our state expend
but s62.09; Montana, $63.17 70
each child enrolled. South Dakota
$42.S5. California pays teachers al
average of $1,327; South Dakot
$725. The children enrolled in tn
state of Washington are 98 per cent
while in our own state they are bu
60 per cent; 90 per cent of the pu
pills in Washington reach high school
in South Dakota only 5.4 per cen
attain such success.
The speaker last evening present
ed the following facts that are in
deed suggestive of what ought to b
done to better country school train
ing: Enrolment in schools OF stat
cities, $4,000; country, $500. Ar
nnal expenditure for educational pun
poses: in cities, $500, 600; in cour
fry districts 81 2OO. 900. Tax lev