Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1922-10-19
IN THE NAME OF PROGRESS.

The little slips that are now being received by the citizens o
supposed substance from the various treasurers of public funds
bring to the front the cost in actual cash to the individual for the
privilege of living and supporting his government. 1t is the one
time of the year that we all pause to figure out Just what we are
getting for our money As a rule, that is about as far as we gel
in the matter. though in the past year or two quite a yoclferous
yell has been heard, loud enough in some instances to reach even
the ears of those who draw salaries from the public treasure box
and possibly of a little stronger display of energy and industry in
public office. STILL we don't assume that the limit of either has
been reached yet. AS we lnger over the items OF our tax bill, we
are quite sure of il, in fact.
We note that the item of the public schools cuts quite a large
figure in our tax bills, as it properly should, but at the same time
it seems to us that the standard of our schools carries a rather
reduced in the present condition Of the country at large. In a great
many instances we fail to find that the quality of the finished
product of our public schools is up to the standard we have a right
to expect when compared to the cost. We have turned out hun
dreds, perhaps thousands of expert "farmers-excuse us-agricul
turists, but are they running our farms? Does the boy who takes
the complete agricultural course and finishes up at the univer-
siy go back on the old farm and show EN- how to lift the mort
gage? Not noticeaby. He generally gets a JOB teaching the next
generation what he knows about farming, or else drifts into some
other white collar Job. We are probably wrong, but it looks to
us as though we had cheapened education until it is worthless, the
same as anything else that is acquired without effort. Our mod
possibly produce its Washingtons, its Lincolns. is Rooseyelts or its
Edisons, but they are not greatly IN evidence at the present
silent as to whether they ever wore a sweater indicative of athletic
ever induced to acquire an education by the granting Of special
prizes, or that the way was made specially easy for them.
The question is asked often-what good is an education? And
why is this question asked? 1t is that it has often been observed
that men with but the rudiments of a public schooling have forged
a full university training. Our modern system has made learning
easy, we admit. The teacher knows his business and the system
AR90 4 WV lAeAAEA $3.50 IAkhA O2hAlRF NAIA A(I ABAA has Nv III
cenhve 10 use his brains. On the other hand the one who starts
the battle OF life with his own brains and the rudiments of an edu-I
cation is obliged to work out his problems himself, and in conse-
acquires an education that sticks, and one that he finds use for
acquires an education that sticks, and one that he finds use for
every day. If he feels that he must get a finished university
schooling, he finds the way to do it himself. He has got his by
hard knocks and sacrifice, and he has learned its real value and
makes it pay for its keep.
The boy or girl that secures a finished education is consid-
cred fortunate and in reality has something Of great value, but
too often they have no realization OF it themselves because it came
too easy. Too often they feel untitled to accept an inferior posi-
ton and If lucky enough TO get a Job in keeping with their own
estimate of their abilities, advancement quite often takes the re-
verse English, and they work down instead of upward. :
Probably the greatest cause Of extravaganza in the conduct
and building up of our school system is the rivalry between I
settled communities, especially in our western states. One COM
munity will build a high school, bonding the district to its full
limit. The nefghboring community, not to be outdone, will follow t
suit, perhaps straining the bonding limit a trifle, and so on from
to community, until in Montana today there are hun
of high schools that have no real excuse for existence and h
can only be operated at ruinous cost to the taxpayers. All sorts IS
schemes in the way of entertainments, subscriptions and what
not are worked and the public sandbagged to keep them going in
the cause of education while special levies and all kinds of fund b
Juggling are resoTted to to get by. Members of school boards ac-
cept a large responsibility and while there is little cause for criti- $
cism in the physical conduct of school affairs, there is certainly a
an imperative need for drastic retrenchment in the financial de- =
partment. Progress is a fine word, but it takes real money to t
it effective, and keep it at work. Il