The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1922-05-19

. SIduSu SCuOOl, DIS 1t is ludluIdluSu IL
Tennessee at the present time, cal
in no way compare with the CRANE
, old system Of few years ago.
| Penmanship is becoming lost art
1t is no longer taught in our public
schools, except in rar instances
Now and then you will find teacher
with "old fogy' ideas who still be-
lieves in teaching the three IRIS,
but his tribe is almost extinct.
Our school courses are mapped out
and Planned for the benefit of the
boy who expects to go to college
and not for the boy who finishes his
education in the common schools of
the State. Not, over five per cent of
our boys go to college. Most of them,
when they finish the public school, go
into the agricultural, industrial and
business life of the country.
l am opposed to this plan of max
ing our public schools feeders" for
the colleges. Let them give a young
man the fundamentals of an educa-
ton, and give it to him thoroughly.
Teach him to write, and write, and
write legibly. Teach him to spell,
and spell correctly. Teach him how
to punctuate Teach him how to
read, and give him a we'll grounded
and sensible course in mathematics
There are other important subjects,
of course, but we are neglecting now
the very subjects that should require
the most attention
If the man who wants to go to
college demands some special train
ing on some subject not taught in
the public schools, let the colleges ar
range for it, and don't put this bur-
den on our public school system.
Some of you will think l am an
extremist. That is your privilege to
think so, and it is my privilege to
think as l do l believe l am right,
and l am so thoroughly convinced as
to the correctness of my position,
that l am handing it out to you
straight from the shoulder without |
hope of reward or fear of punish |
ment.
The most powerful lobby that ever
gathered under the capitol dome at
Nashville is the school lobby. They |
talk in millions, and when they talk |
every little top-water in the State
who aspires to some place above the
grade of town constable is afraid to |
open his mouth in protest Any
thing, everything done in the name
of education, whether right or
wrong, must go unquestioned. The
has voted millions in
taxes ON the people of the State with
out batting an eye," without ask
ing question, all because it was
asked in the name of education
There are too many school teach
ers in Tennessee. This grading sys-
tenn now in use requires more teach
ers, shorter hours, and less work
Since the teachers have LINED the
union" they have doubled the taxes
for school purposes on the people of
the State.
Tennessee is literally swarming
With incompetent teachers who could
Mt earn half the salary they now
iraw in any other line of business.
twenty years ago one teacher ham
lied twice as many children as a
,eacher does to-day and did it better.
they worked harder then and they
worked longer hours.
The 1928 Legislature of Tennessee
should devise some means of cutting
Town these big school appropria-
ions, some means of getting value
eceived for the money they pay out.
The people of he State must think
or themselves on these questions
md instruct their representatives.
aetrenchment in appropriations and
in Tennessee is peril
'usly necessary, and 1 am trying to
Joint out to you the best place to
tart.