Seward daily gateway., 1925-07-30

to the Indianapolis Star, which fol- | lows:
 Although it has had depart ment of education only since 1917, Alaska today ranks fourth in Amer ican states and territories in the perfection of it's school system.
 Since the office of Commissioner of Education for Alaska was creat- ed eight years ago, it has been held by L. D. Henderson, native of Iowa, who has been in Indianapolis attending the sixty-third meeting of the National Education Association. MT. Henderson, who was accompa- nied to Indianapolis by w. H. Evans, superintendent of schools at Cor doVa, the Alaskan delegate assem- bly of the association, left last night for New York, where he will enter the teachers college of Columbia University. He will return to Alaska late in August
 MT. Henderson was appointed Com missioner of Education when the of flee was created, having been super intendent of school at Juneau where he now has headuarters, from 1914 to 1917. The office was created by the Territorial Board of Educa- tion
 Teachers of High Rank.
 Contrary to the popular concep- tion of education in the farthest north possession of the United States the schools of Alaska are manned with teachers who rank with the best of instructors of the States in training and experience. There were 199 teachers in the seventy seven Alaskan schools last year, in which 4,500 pupils, 500 of them high school students, were instructed.
 Under Mir. Henderson's supervis- ion, the white children and those of mixed blood receive their educa- tion in the same school rooms, with the Indian children attending schools operated by the Federal government under the direction of the Depart ment of the Interior.
 "The teachers without exception must pass requirements similar to those of the state educational de- partments, and all are graduates of American colleges or normal schools. Seven of the high schools of the Territory are accredited at the Uni versity, of Washington and other higher educational institutions along the Pacific coast.
 Spares No Expense
 Alaska is sparing no expense in the education of her youth, accord ing to MT. Henderson. More than half a million dollars are spent each year for education, with the annual cost per capita averaging about $115.
 We are not bothered in Alaska with the problem of keeping the child in school, after he completes the eight grades" MT. Henderson said. Ninety per cent of the com mon school graduates continue their education in the high schools, with only a smaller percentage continuing to higher schools.
 This may be attributed to a large degree to the absence of large man. ufacturing concerns in our territory. The opportunities to enter industry and labor are not so numerous as in the states.'
 MT. Henderson is proud of the record of the Alaskan teachers in membership in the N. E. A. The Territory ranks sixth in the percent age of teachers holding membership in the association, he said.
 "The consolidated school, the pride of Hoosier educators, is prac- tically unknown in Alaska, accord ing to Mir. Henderson. Rural life is absent there, the schools being located in mining or fishing towns, the next town and school in many directions being as much as 100 miles away.
 The average American also has a mistaken idea of climatic condi- tions in Alaska, MT. Henderson said. Juneau seldom experiences zero wea- ther and it is infrequently all over Southeastern Alaska. Only Nome, which came into the public recently because of a diphtheria epidemic and the race with death of dog teams carrying serum, is ice-bound in win ter.
 "Mr Henderson and his compan- ion, Mir. Evans, made the trip from Juneau to Indianapolis in less than seven days, marine traffic being op- en the year round at Juneau.
 Despite the prevalent idea of frigid weather, there is no dearth