Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-01
ELECTRIC FRUIT LINES
Possibilities Of Saving Millions to
Philadelphia AnnuaIly-pr. Fine.
san's Educational Plans Working
out-Pennsyivania's Low
Standing a Disgrace
BY GEORGE NOX MCCAIN
MTIJLIAM T. DONNELLY cherishes

| by GEOHGE NUN MCCAlN
| WILLIAM T. DONNELLY cherishes the
w dream Of converting our inland water
ways into transportation network as
potential ms our railway systems
| He Is an electrical engineer and inventor.
lie went down the Schuylkill with his
two boats. hitched tandem and electrically
equipped throughout, on recent day. One
boat carried the power plant and crew. The
other was houscboat luxuriousy furnished.
The powerboat pushed the housebos
ahead of 1t. In that fashion Mr.. Donnelly
and his family have travelled all the way
from interior New York to Florida and
| back.
The important feature has not TO do with
the pleasure seeking houseboat phase Of his
invention. Quite The contrary.
| TNllE Donnclly idea proposes the develop
l. ment of the South along lines parallel
| to the development Of the West.
Millions Of dollars worth Of fruit and
| vegetables are lost every year along the
Southern Coast line alone for lack of trans
| portatOn.
The Donnelly electrical powcrboat is de-
signed to tow not one, but a fleet Of barses
| through canals and coaStwise channels. 1t
| Will perform the work of dozen steamboats,.
| At intervals along the entire Eastern sea
board fruit and vegetable shipping stations,
| after the manner Of grain elevators Of the
| West, will be established. They will be
There are 5000 miles of inland water
ways available.
On time schedules approximately as exact
as railroad freights, they could be mnde to
| serve large territories with high efficiency.
They would save millions Of dollars worth
OF products from loss. while the system would
reduce costs to Northern consumers. Pbila-
delphia particularly.
That the engineering and scientific moth
ods of using the inland waterways will keep
abreast 10 Nr
Donnclly's idea.
THE Fincgan plan for improving the cdu-
Il cational system Of Pennsylvania will
show development the coming year to an
appreciablc extent.
It's progress will be noticeable first in
what is known as the index number for
State school systems.
This is collection of data of unique
value. 1t shows at a glance in any one
year just what the standing Of any State
is with respect to education.
It is the same statistical device used for
measuring changes in wholesale and retail
prices and rates of wages over periods of
time.
by this compilation the index number for
the cost Of living compiled by the United
States Bureau of Labor Statistics takes the
1913 price as 100
It fixes the figure from month 10 month
on that basis.
u
this index number had shot up to 100
It is a complicated system to the lay
mind. but 1t shows results and besides is
Of universal adoption in this country.
nR. FINEGAN, Superintendent OF Pub
IL lie Instruction. plans to restore Penn
sylvania cducationally, not only to her old
standing, but in the course Of years to force
her into the position occupied by such States
a. Montana, California. Indiana, Massa-
Chusctts and New Jersey. !.
This State today. ! regret to note, stands 1
twentieth in the list of States.
1t ranks about half down the list. with
Montana heading the column as No. I, and
mississippi bringing up the rear as No. A..
Pennsylvania, rs compared with other
States. makes the following showing:
III percentage of school population at
tending school daily her rank is twenty
fourth
Average days attended by each child Of
school age. twenty y-One;
Average number Of days that the schools
were kept open, ton
Percentage of total attendance in high
school. twenty nine;
Percentage of boys attending high
school, eleven:
Average annual expenditure per child
attending school, twenty four;
Average annual expenditure per child Of
school age, twenty five:
In expenses per teacher for salary our
rank is thirteenth, which IS a very credit
able showing.
COMPLAINT recently has been directed
~ against the so-callcd extravaganza Of
the new school system.
II will require Il liberal outlay by the
people of this State to get their educational
system into the fifth or sixth class among
the States. much less the first.
The situation today almost reaches
scandal when one considers that New Mex
leo, Idaho. South Dakota. and even Utah,
are 90 far ?hcad of Pennsylvania in the
money spent for the education of their chill
drcn that they are almost out of our sight
The only point IN which there is anything
like a meQsurabe comparison Is in the aver
age number Of boys attending our high
schools, and the expenses per teacher for
salary.
Every other great Statc-Indiana, New
York. Ohio and New Jcrsey-leads Penn
syvania up I" 4 dozen points. This Is how
the figures run:
Montanu. |: California. .: Arizona, 3;
Now jersey, 4; Washington, >; Iowa, O.
Utah. :: Massachusetts, s: Michigan. o
Connecticut, 10, and Pennsylvania, 20.
A Bon containing some earth from Valley
"A Forge was shipped South last week.
It is 10 play its part in beautiful bit
of sentiment that is to find cxemplilcation
down in Georgia on ArmStice Day.
The Pennsylvania department of Tor
cstry is lending its aid 10 the project
The Daughters Of the American RcvoIu-
ton in Millcdgcvillc. Ga. will plant Lib
crty tree there on Armst!cc Day, Noyem-
Der II.
At the roots il 10 be placed n small
quantity Of soil from Valley Forge which
was collected at the direction Of Governor
Sproul.
The tree is to be planted ''To remind the
youth Of our country that sectional es-
trangcmcnt no longer exists; that in place
Of it We have Union Of States no one can
seve-."
While the season for
Johnny. Watch water fowl, enipc and
Your Gun w0odcock has been
open for some time, the