The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1922-09-15
LEXINGTON, TENNESSEE. FRIDAY. SEPT. is, 1922
CITY SCHOOL HAS
FINE OPENING.

and improvement over former ef.
forts than was evident in the City
School opening last Monday morning
Principal Miss Fay Houston was al
her post as Mistress of Ceremonies
full of vim, Tin the vernacular of the
day, "Pep") encouraged for the term
Just opening by unprecedented sue.
cess of the school term of 1929
and receiving from all concerned
promise of CO. operation which can not
fail to make the future of the City
School even better than its satisfac'
tory past.
Some Of the old standby speakers
were there and their talks were sc
well worth hearing that the children
as well as TIE grownups gave the
best of attention. America" was
sung and DR.. H. B. Johnston, after
the invocation, made some not only
good but very good remarks-closely
linking practical Christianity and in.
tellectual advancement. He said that
the people who oppose Christianity
are liars, the unjust, the unholy
things that have no virtue-and add.
ed that sin has no business in this life
and in the homes of this country
that we have too many slackers; anC
then he pointed out better way.
Judge T. A. Lancaster, who has
been on the school board for 25 years
was called for by Miss Houston as Q
man who is always on the battle line
ready to fight for the good of the
children of Lexington and the 80O,.
600 school children Of Tennessee
Judge Lancaster spoke of the magni.
tude of the financial outlay to carry
on the education Of the children Of the
State as compared with the oppor.
tunities of the time wher
probably only The county site had 9
good school and that only accessible
to those who had money to send their
children to the towns and pay heavy
expenses. Now the schools, while YET
to be improved, are excellent all over
the county, well equipped to fit pu-
pills for the high school course, which
is also available to them. Judge Lam
caster said our school board had al
ways been and is now on-political
and non sectarian-that the political
and religious beliefs Of teachers are
not inquired into.
Hon. E. w. Essary was on hand
as usual, and said that if he were as
old as Judge Lancaster, he would
have attended as many school open
ings; he said that the school is the
most important business of the town,
of the country, for there the children
are fitted to follow other avocations,
and asked "Are we going to make a
success of this great industry in
which each and every man and wo-
man are stockholders? He estimated
that every man who has a child in
school has a million dollars stock in
this great industrial, professional and
institution-the school.
He called attention to the pitiful
proportion of illiteracy which was
shown by the operation of the selec-
tive draft by which the American
army was raised for the World War.
He said the teachers should have less
'donts" and more "Do" for the boys
and girls--to keep them busy.
County Superintendent Robert +.
Powers was commended by Principal
Houston for his efforts to bring the
schools of Henderson county up to a
higher standard and called on for
talk, which he made, tlling of his eff
forts in behalf of the county schools,
the efforts needed for their upbuild-
ing and referred to the compulsory
school attendance law which applies
to all under II years and up to 21 to
those who have not finished the Sth
grade. He wondered at the need of
a compulsory school law-and got his
explanation from Judge w. II. Deni-
son. who followed him in remarks ad-
dressed to both adults and children.
Judge Denison said the matter of en-
forcement of the compulsory school
attendance now being considered by
the Board of Mayor and Alderman
was simply to reinforce the State
aw, as all corporation ordinances
are. Judge Denison's little talk was
one of the best made. He referred to
The two classes of children and adults
-one who do because they love to
10 and the other made to do because
t is necessary for their wellbeing.
w. III. Montgomery, for Is years
he Secretary of .he City School
Board, made an interesting talk and
yave out valuable information. An
item is the way in which |
,hildren in the country can come to
school in town-the payment of sl.00 |
Der month tuition and the transfer OF |
he fund of the pupil, s4.26 covering |
he term of nine months. He referr- |
d to voting the 30c school tax six
Tears ago and how the school was run
,efore that.
The Progress man was there, Of /
curse, and being no public speaker
'esented being called upon after the
lights of the town had
aid everything possible-but he did
ay that the Lexington City School
and the Henderss.I County High
school for that matterl belongs to
very white man, woman and child
n Lexington and that We should
tand BY and support that which is
)URS.
Miss Houston said the only speech
he wanted 70 make was this: KEEP +
HE CHILDREN IN SCHOOL" !,
hose reaching the school building
ater than $40 in the morning viii be
II. =. \ LII