Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1925-05-07
KEEP YOUR HANDS
OFF FITZGERALD'S
FREE SCHOOL BOOKS.
Fitzgerald Started With This System
and Reached its Biggest Place
Through Its Schools

About every so often there is an at
tempt made to make an issue of our
tree text book system as being OPP
posed to fair salaries for teachers.
Such a fallacious argument should
not be allowed to stand without con-
tradiction The question does not in
volve salaries of teachers at all but
revolves around the cost of books to
the individual patrons and the COM
munity. The point is whether the
slight increase of $1,000 the maximum
sum required fo- free text books on
four and one half millions dollars
worth of taxable property is worth
fuSsing about or is it to be compared
to the amounts that must be expended
by the patrons and hence the COM
munity by the rental or purchase plan,
The fact is that the average annual
cost per pupil for books is 81 or less
by the present system and this in
cludes the colored schools, whereas
cost of 81 is the estimate on the
pay plan.
The Greatest good to the greatest
number" is the underlying principle OF
our democracy and Our public school
system is or should be the most dem
ocratic institution our country boasts.
The whole principle of taxation is
built up on this idea-that a commun-
ity provides as far as possible the
public benefits that will improve its
citizenry, through utilities, roads,
schools and moral influence.
Speaking of salaries there are work.
| ing men many times over, the number
ct teachers in our community who are
renting homes and supporting families
five and more in number, on monthly
wage less than our school teachers
are now getting. They too should be
considered and in the matter of ex-
penses. There are still good teachers
10 be had who hold their love of the
! profession and their service above the
pay check and there may yet be school
authorities who can so wisely admins
ter the free book system that some
losses entailed by present carelessness
and waste can be eliminated. The
promiscuous carrying of books back
and forth between school and home
is the greatest loss incurred at the
present time. The place for school
| books is in the schoo1room and that
too is the place; for the teaching to be
dOlC. LII NdoCo VI llldl hC0 DdShWdl
ness in certain branches special per-
nit from the teacher might allow the
books removed from the school room.
The present vogue of hearing classes
only, instead of supervising study and
teaching children how to get the
thought from the printed page is one
that poor teachers especially are fol-
lowing. The hardest task-master. for
pupil and parent is usually found to
be the most inefficient teacher. Parents
test this out!
There is too much of the college
system in vogue in our public schools.
The quizz system of college profess
ors and the study of text books by
college students in the seclusion of
their own rooms does not work out
practically with children in the grades
of public schools. Children have first
to learn how to gather the thought
from the printed page and it should
be the teachers business to supervise
their study by day and not the par
ents job at night. With more study
in the school room, there would be
less occasion for the handling and dam
aging of books, that are really school
property and should be so respected
by teachers and pupils, regardless
of the insurance paper the parent Signs
for the use of books. How long would
the reference books of our city Ii
brary last, if they were subjected to
the wear and tear of our school books?
Fortunately our librarian is not lax in
this regard and reference helps are
sought in the library, the proper place
just as the school room is the place
for study.
Let us pay our teachers an ade-
quate salary; let us also serve our
patrons interests and our community,
in the matter of free text books, not
falsely charging a lack in the one to
the prone economy in the other.