The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1919-01-02
TO BETTER SCHOOLS
STATE SUPERINTENDENT SHAW
TO APPEAL TO LEGIS-
LATURE.

l.. SndW, state superintendent Oh euu-
cation, goes through South Dakota's
rural schools will be put upon an en-
tirely different plane. In a letter TO
the county superintendents Mr.. Shaw
outlines a comprehensive program,
which will improve conditions a hun
dredfold and place the rural schools OF
the state on a par with any in the
country. In hi sletter Mr.. Shaw says
while two-thirds of the grade school
enrolment of the state is found In
country schools less than SO per cent
OF the money spent for education is
expended in rural districts. Such a
condition, he declares, should be rem
edied, and he says his department will
ask the stale legislature to make an
appropriation for this purpose. Mr..
Shaw is Of the opinion that wherever
possible country schools should be
consolidated and standardized. He
will ask the legislature 20 make some
provision whereby those one-room ru-
raj schools which lie near enough to-
gether be consolidated. Another mat
ter which will be laid before the state
~ NV ~ wiz SAihnN a
responsive chord in the heart OF every
rural school teacher, is a plan fostered
by the department for the erection of
teacheragcs. Mr.. Shaw in his letter
sets forth that under existing condi-
lions country school teachers are
forced to board around" first with
one farmer and then another; that
they do not have a real home during
the entire school term. and that conse-
gently their work naturally suffers.
Under the plan a building would be
erected in connection with the school
building in which the teacher might
have a home OF her own and a fit
place to work.
The fallacy OF theoretical as com.
pared with practical workings OF ideas
is found in the leasing OF state school
lands for agricultural, purposes. When
the constitutional amendment was up
for consideration granting this privi.
lege it was confidently asserted that
by such a change the leases for agri-
cultural purposes would bring enough
revenue from the school lands in
many counties to pay the entire cost
OF operation of the schools, while the
leasing for hay and grazing purposes
brought only a small revenue. In
practice very lew leases for agricul-
tural purposes have been taken out,
and where such have been made the
lease has been allowed to lapse i'm q
few years, and the tract to grow to
uraadS Ia nny,,;o- ,-Lo,o .,.L r....
have been made the past yea some
Of these tracts had no bidders, wllle
the grazing lands in the same neigh.
bOrhood leased up as high as So an
acre per year. The experience of
North Dakota with leasing state lands
for agriculture was pointed out as in
opposition to the theory when it was
up for consideration. but had no ef:
feet, and the state is not only not a
gamer, but in fact practically a loser,
by the adoption Of such a system.
The old frontier postoffce OF Seim,
which was one of the first to be estab-
lished in northwestern South Dakota,
this being some years before this part
of the state was occupied by home
steaders, who supplanted the cattle
kings, has been discontinued and the
name will disappear from the postal
map. It's place will be taken by Shade
Hill postoffice, which has been estab.
lished at the Grand River crossing.
just east Of the location of the former
p~ostofhce OF Seim. The Seim post.
office was established in 1896.
Mrs. Peter Bothum, wife of a Rob.
srts county farmer, did more than her
share of work in behalf OF the soldiers
and In other ways. This year she,
as a part of her activities, raised more
than 100 ducks, chickens and turkeys.
took care OF a big war garden. did
the cooking for a large crew of farm
hands, took care of the family sew.
ing, perfoTmed other household duties
and, in addition, knitted twenty-three
pairs OF stocks for the boys "oyer
there"
Preliminary arrangements are being
made for the annual exhibit of the
Day County Poultry association which
will be held in the opera house during
'' "N-1 SSbsttihS JdIudIy -, pID-
yiding the influenza epidemic shows
a big Improvement by that time. More
attention than ever before is being
paid to the poultry industry through.
out Day county and it is expected that
the approaching poultry show will be
the most successful ever held in the
county.
II is estimated that at least 100, 900
bushels of wheat will be shipped from
Oelrichs. a Fall River county town.
this year. Eight years ago farming
was just beginning in that locality.
At that time few ranchers MIXED even
one oow. Now Oelrichs has a coop
erative creamery. the stock all being
owned by farmers and business men
OF the vicinity. which does a good
volumne OF business and supplies but
ter to many towns in this and adjoi1.
ing counties.
Representative Royal G.. Johnson, of
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