Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1924-04-17
Annual Meeting Of.
Boards Of Education

ton of Morgan county, was held at
the high school auditorium here.
Thirty seven members were present
which is about half the number in
the county.
An interesting and instructive ad-
dress was given by Mr.. W. B. Bliss,
Assistant superintendent of Public
Instruction. He spoke of the cost of
public instruction today as compar-
ed with such cost in 1890, genera
ton ago. He said that in 1890 the
cost of public education in Ohio was
about $9,00O,000 year and in 1920
it had increased to about $50, 0,000,-
900 a year While the cost of oper-
ating schools had increased during
the 80 years from 1890 to 1920, the
increase had not been so great as
the figures would seem to indicate
because of the decrease in the pur-
chasing power of the dollar from
1890 to 1920.
There are various reasons why the
cost of instruction should be greater
in 1920 than in 1890. First, the
school term has been heightened
In 1890 the average length of school
term was 40 days while in 1920 it
was 172 days This increase of
more than 2O9o in the length of term
would cause an increase of cost over
that of 1890 of approximately $2,-
900, 900, figured on the same pur-
chasing power of the dollar as the
costs of 1890.
Second. the enrolment in 1920
was approximately so per cent more
than it was in 1890. This increase
in enrolment would cause the cost
Of operating the schools to be high
er than it was in 1890. The per
cent of increase in the high school
enrolment has been greater than in
the elementary enrolment; and,
since it costs more per year to edu
cate high school pupil than to edu-
cate an elementary pupil, the per
cent of increase in cost should be
greater than the per cent of Increase
in the enrolment would Indicate.
The increase in cost due to the
greater enrolment would probably
be as much as $4,000,000 figured on
the same purchasing power of the
dollar as the costs of 1890.
Third, a great deal more is being
offered in the schools now than was
offered in 1890. The public demands
more. Since 1890 many changes in
our standards of living have come
about by reason of the telephone,
the automobile, the radio, the flying
machine, and many other inventions.
These changes make it necessary
that more be taught in the schools.
Whenever new subjects are intro
duced into the schools more room,
more equipment, and more teachers
will have to-be provided, and thus
the cost of operating the schools
will be increased.
Taking into consideration these
changes which have been made since
1890, and taking purchasing pow
er of the dollar of 1890 as the basis
of comparison, the sAI pis of Ohio
would have cost more than $15,
100000 in 1920 if there had been
nothing else to cause an increase in
cost.
Statistics show that what could be
bought for 81 in 1890 would cost
$293 in 1920. Therefore, to make
the comparison on the basis of the
purchasing power of the dollar of
1920, it would be necessary to null
tiply the cost of the schools as
shown above by 2.93. This then
would account for approximately
$45, 100000 of the $50,000,000
which the schools of Ohio actually
cost in 1920.
About $5,000,000, then. must be
charged to the increased efficiency
of the schools of 1920. Let us see
if there is any evidence of increased
OFF inin nd LOT pS Il
reading first. Three times as many
papers and magazines We're sent
through the mails in 1920 as in
1890 Business men place adver-
tisements along the railroad for peo-
pie to read as they go by on the
train at the rate of from 80 to so
miles an hour. This would indicate
that the business men believe that
the people are able to read rapidly.
And the people do more writing to-
day than they did a generation ago
as is evidenced by the greater num-
Der of letters which are sent through
the mails And even in arithmetic
the instruction in 1920 was more
thorough than it had been in past
A few years ago set of test ques-
tions in arithmetic with the manu-
scripts of the pupils who took the
examination was discovered in
certain city in Massachusetts. This
examination had been given to q
class of 9Th grade pupils in 1916, and
the average grade made by these pu-
pills was 29.6. 1t must have been a
pretty difficult examination. This
same test was given to an eighth
grade class in the same city in 1920,
and the average grade made by this
class was 65. The same test was
later given to an eighth grade class
in Ohio, and the average grade made
by this class was 50. 1t would seem,
then, that the fundamentals of an
education, the "three RS" were be-
ing taught better in 1920 than they
had been in the past and that the
increased cost of the schools in
1920 might properly be charged to
the increased etficiency.-XX.
Ernest Beckwith Moves To Dayton
Mr.. Ernest Beckwith who has
been in the shoe business at Mans
field, has sold out there and moved
to Dayton where he has purchased
the Hubb shoe store. Mr.. Harry S.
Walker purchased the BeckWith
home in Mansfield.
Returns From oklahoma
Miss Eva Burfield arrived in Ath-
ems, O., last Thursday, from Sa-
pulpa, Okla, where she spent the
winter with her sister Mrs. T.. p.
Haines and family She expects to
in Athens a few days before