The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1925-12-04
THE DEVELOPMENT
OF A PROGRAM

Tor farmers, and IN par
ticular, the one from D. ]. Hannah of
Big Timber.
Mr.. Hannah suggests three strong
points to be included in a program,
and discusses WHY we need them,
rather than HOW they may be put in
to practice.
His discussion of the educational
situation in this state, is interesting,
and, without doubt, a statement Of
fact; but a discussion from him en-
the point of HOW he proposes to
change it, would be more interesting
STILL
We all remember the disturbance
caused in North Dakota, when tine
n. P L. administration attempted Co
interfere with the educational system
of that state. To the large majority
of our citizens the established order
of things in our educational system
is as sacred as their pet system of
religion; and to suggest a change in
it is to stir up opposition with the
spirit of the hive, or a hornets nest,
and resulting only in the refOrmer
getting so thoroughly stung that he
is glad to drop his program and sub
NIT to the powers that be.
With this danger in mind, let us
have a definite idea as to the HOW
Of what we wish to change. There
is no question but that the policy Of
our school system is controlled by in
tereSts whose economic views are dia-
metrically opposed to the interests of
the farmers. Not only have these in
terests control over the subject matter
of school text books used, but over
the instructors who teach them. I
think the most of us are aware of
this fact, but so far as I know, nc
plan has yet been devised likely to
change it.
At this point I wish to suggest
that Mr.. Hannah read the article
printed on the first page of The Pro
ducers News of November 20, en-
titled: "The Public Library A Factor
in Education" This takes us again
to the County Unit Plan which sug.
gested in my first letter, published II
the issue of November 20 of the Pro
ducers News. In my opinion the
/ farmers of Sheridan County are head
ed in the right direction on this edu
cational question. They are not try
/ ing to interfere with the present sys.
tenn, faulty as it is, the building VI
a public library which will neutralize
to a large extent, the faults to be
found in cur public schools. The pub
lie library will do this in a wonderful
way, so long as the farmers keep con
troll of its management. A circulat
ing library, county wide, under the
management of a board Of directors
elected by the farmers, would go {
long way in removing the evil!
pointed out by Mr.. Hannah. TIKI
circulating library would take it!
place beside the public school library
giving the young opportunity to alb
sorb the ideas of all classes of oul
present day society.
The idea could be still further ex
tended by empowering the board Il
organize each school district into
literary group under the supervision
of local manager, the object O.
which would be to hold public debate.
and give educational programs a
stated times Substantial prize.
could be offered to stimulate effort il
debate and recitation. If farmer
really wish to gain control of the, edu
cation of their own children, I cal
see no other hope than that in som
effort of their own, along similar line
to those suggested. 1t is up to them
/ A great deal may be done in tn
home. I have two grown children
graduates of the Sidney High Schoo
of Sidney, Montana; one valedictcrial
of the Glass Of 1921. They are ais
graduates of the Haldeman-Juliu
publications, including hundreds 0
his Little Blde Books, which afford
universal education for anyone VIII
reads them. They are five cents eacl
cheap enough for any one to posses
them. There is no excuse for an
farmer, in this day and age, allowin
his children to grown to manhood an
womanhOod with a lop-sided educs
ton, no matter how many hig
schools and colleges he may attenC
So 1 say, it is mostly up to the pal
ents in the home, as to the kind c
education with which their childre
go through life The County I'm
Plan with the Public Library, will
a tremendous aid to many parent
: now out of touch with the literar
world
I wish to send this message of er
enlargement to the farmers Of Shel
idan County. You have done n
greater thing than to carry on vol
= library plan with the idea eff impro7
ing every man, woman, and chile
mentally, morally and spiritually, liz
ing within the boundaries of yOJ
very progressive county.
You are now applying the Count
, Unit Plan to your Library, LabC
> Temple, and to your Producers New
all bearing en- the educational pOin
3 You are to be congratulated on yOl
ability to recognize the important
of the point, and I am sure the ds
{ viii come when this plan will eXpaT
; to include your economic industri
as well.
1 I hope to see the day in the ne;
future when other counties viii pr
] fit by your example and fellow
your footsteps.
f Another suggestion I wish to max
before this letter is too long, is
+ make the second page of the Produ
ers News an Open Forum, for Il
&c discussion of the various points su
gested by the writer's. This, it seer
. to me, is more practical than to c;
an assembly or convention as su
p gested by Mr.. Hannah. We are
v uncertain now as to what we wal
Let US settle on a program of poir
threshed out in print before calling
g convention. Too few can after
while so many more can read a
~ write.