The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-07-16

to build expensive additions to the
already overly large centralized build
ings we now have.
If Mr.. Rathbun can dispose Of the
rural buildings he will then be in a
better position to demand two or
three hundred thousand dollars from
our County Commissioners to build ad-
ditional housing room at the consol-
idated centers, but during the last two
years his requests have been refused,
and when he complained of the over
crowdd school rooms he has been
properly reminded that there are many
empty school buildings in the county.
By hook or crook he plans to force
our taxpayers to bear the outrageous
costs that must inevitably be incurred
if he is permitted to dispose of our
rural school facilities.
He has forced the closing of many
of our rural schools over the strenu-
GUS protests of the patrons concerned.
In some places first grade children
are being compelled to get up as
early as seven o'clock in the MORN
ing and walk a mile and one-half to
be hauled another sixteen or eighteen
miles to the consolidated schools. The
first grade room became so overcrowd-
ed in our Accident school last winter
that they could hardly crowd them all
in.
Now let me tell you how the school
authorities proposed to remedy that
condition. They proposed to go to Key
ser's Ridge and get the most dilapi-
dated old school building in the county,
perhaps, and drag that into Accident
and plant it on the school grounds
behind the main building and then they
intended to transfer the first grade
children out of the good building into
this cold and poorly heated room.
Little tots six and seven years of age,
mind you, were to be shuffled out into
this old building after they had suf-
fered to be transported sixteen or
eighteen miles through the cold, to
freeze all days and perhaps contract
pneumonia and die.
I call attention to the above Incl
dent merely to show that we dare not
trust the health and welfare of our
small children entirely in the hands
of our present constituted school au-
thorities. In this l do not mean the
members of our local school board,
for whom l have the greatest respect,
for 1 know their authority is greatly
restricted. Regardless of this they
are the ones we must look to for any
relief that is to be had, for they are,
in a sense, the representatives Of the
people in educational affairs. They
stand squarely between the state oil
garchy and the people, and in this
matter especially they will be COM
PEELED to take stand either with US or
against US.
There can be no immediate neces-
sity for disposing of the rural school
houses right now. The amount realized
from the sales would be negligible,
and the small amount received would
fall into the hands of the County Su-
perintendent, and not into the general
county fund. The County Superinten-
dent does not require that money to
help run the schools, for the Com
missioners have already made appro-
pirate provisions for the county's
share of the finances to run the schools
for the coming season. No worthy
purpose can be served by such course.
Let US hold on to our rural school
buildings by all means, for the day
may not be very far distant when the
country school house may again re-
sumo it's rightful place in the lives of
our rural communities. / believe that
the day is close at hand when even