USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Hatfield > Hatfield Annual Town Report 1891-1911 > Part 17
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Norwood Engineering Co., 30 service boxes, 57 00
W. H. Riley & Co., stand pipe, 30 70
Surveying land at Running Gulter Brook, 2 50
W. H. & Angelina W. Dickinson, 720 acres of land, 550 00
Edward A. Beals, 2 168 acres of land, 110 00
Recording Deeds, 1 00
Cash on hand, 32 60
$3,338 29
We have purchased for the the town a strip of land five hundred feet wide, lying on both sides of Running Gutter Brook, containing about ten acres of land. This, we believe,
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will afford a needed protection for the stream, and would ad- vise the purchase of the land northerly of the same width the entire length of the brook. The Town now holds twenty three acres in connection with its water system, at a cost of $817.
We have the past year laid 830 feet of one inch pipe to extend the service. The entire cost of the water system to March 1st, 1902, is $50,983.12.
CHARLES L. WARNER, DANIEL W. WELLS, M. J. PROULX,
Water Commissioners.
Hatfield, March 1st, 1902.
I have examined the books and accounts of the Treasurer of the Board of Water Commissioners and find them correct.
C. L. GRAVES, Auditor.
Hatfield, Feb. 27th, 1902.
Collector's Report.
J. S. Wells, Collector, in Account with the Town of Hatfield.
DR.
To uncollected taxes, 1900,
$1,565 40
Interest collected, 8 59
- $1,573 99
CR.
By cash paid Treasurer,
1,427 62
Assessors' order of abatement, 46 00
Uncollected taxes, 100 '37
1,573 99
DR.
To Assessors' Warrant for col'n, 1901, 15,147 15
Interest collected, 44 56
15,191 71
CR.
By cash paid Treasurer, 12,951 97
Discount, 196 51
· Uncollected taxes,
2,043 23
15,191 71
Assessors Report.
Total value of Assessed Estate, $1,163,888
Value of Assessed Real Estate, $886,447
Value of Assessed Personal Estate, 277,441
Buildings, $438,103
Land, 448,344
Number of Residents assessed on property, 333
Non- " 86.
Total number of persons "
66
assessed on Poll Tax only,
285
419
Number of horses assessed,
547
COWS
326
sheep
16
swine
27
neat cattle other than cows assessed, 150
Amount committed to the Tax Collector for collection is as follows :
State Tax,
$ 682 50
County Tax,
· 1,902 04
Town Tax,
11 979 00
Overlayings,
486 29
Northampton and Amherst Street Railway Co.
Excise Tax, 95 32
Total, $15,145 15
Estimated Bank and Corporation Tax, 1,200 00
Rate of Total Tax per $1,000, 12 00
male polls assessed, 546
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Value of property exempt from taxation under Chapter 11, Section 5, Public Statutes:
Literary institutions,
66,395 93
Church property,
24,000 00
Assets of the Town as reported to the Tax Commissioner.
Schoolhouses, 15,000 00
Other public buildings,
12,000 00
Cemeteries, 1,000 00
Water Works,
50,000 00
Fire Apparatus,
1,500 00
Sinking Fund (Water), May 1, 1901,
3,897 90
$83,397 90
Liabilities of the Town as reported to the Tax Commis- sioner:
Water Works,
47,000 00
Note against the town,
2,000 00
19,000 00
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM D. BILLINGS,
LEWIS H. KINGSLEY, JOHN VOLLINGER,
Assessors of Hatfield.
TOWN CLERK'S REPORT.
The vital statistics for the Town of Hatfield, for the year 1901, are as follows :
-
BIRTHS BY MONTHS.
NO.
MALES
FEMALES
January,
4
2
2
February,
5
5
0
March,
3
1
2
April,
4
3
1
May,
4
2
2
June,
3
2
1
July,
2
1
1
August,
4
3
1
September,
4
1
3
October,
2
1
1
November,
6
5
1
December,
5
2
3
Total
46
28
18
BIRTHPLACE OF PARENTS.
FATHER
MOTHER
Born in the United States,
21
23
Poland,
16
16
Germany,
4
4
Hungary,
2
2
Ireland,
2
1
Sweden,
1
0
46
46
-29-
BIRTHS FOR THE FIVE PREVIOUS YEARS.
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
34
27
28
37
36
MARRIAGES BY MONTHS.
NO.
January,
1
March,
1
April,
5
May,
1
July,
2
September,
1
October,
10
November,
5
December,
2
Total, 28
First marriage of both parties, 27.
First marriage of groom and second of bride, 1.
The oldest and youngest grooms were 36 and 21 years of age respectively.
The oldest and youngest brides were 40 and 18 years of age respectively.
Average age of grooms, 27 years.
Average age of brides, 24 years.
BIRTHPLACE OF PERSONS MARRIED.
GROOM
BRIDE
Born in the United States,
19
20
Poland,
6
6
Germany,
3
1
Canada,
0
1
Total,
28
28
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MARRIAGES FOR THE FIVE PREVIOUS YEARS.
1896
1897
1898
1899
. 1900
12
14
15
20
20
DEATHS BY MONTHS.
NO.
MALES.
FEMALES.
January,
1
1
February,
1
3
March,
1
1
0
April,
3
0
May,
1
1
June,
1
1
July,
2
1
September.
2
1
1
November.
3
0
3
December,
5
2
3
Total.
33
16
17
AGE.
NO.
MALES.
FEMALES.
Under 1 year of age,
13
7
6
Between 1 and 5 years,
3
3
0
1
0
1
20
" 30
1
0
1
6.
40
50
1
1
0
50
"' 60
0
0
0
60
70
2
0
2
70
66 80
1
?
2
66
80
"' 90
1
1
3
Total,
33
16
17
5 66
10
66
10
20
3
1
2
30
40
. .
1
1
0
1
2
August,
1322333 3 2 ? 3 3 3
2
1
October,
66
Age of oldest person deceased (female), 87 years, 5 months.
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BIRTHPLACE OF PERSONS DECEASED.
NO.
MALES.
FEMALES.
Born in United States,
29
14
15
Germany,
2
0
2
Ireland,
1
1
0
Poland,
1
1
0
Total,
33
16
17
. DEATHS FOR THE FIVE PREVIOUS YEARS.
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
18
23
19
26
31
CAUSES OF DEATH.
Classified according to nomenclature adopted by the State Board of Registration.
ZYMOTIC DISEASES.
La Grippe,
1
Cholera Infantum,
2
Alcoholism,
1
CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES.
Cancer,
2
Phthisis (Consumption of Lungs),
3
Hydrocephalus,
1
Mortification,
1
Tumor,
1
LOCAL DISEASES.
Pneumonia,
3
Nephria (Bright's Disease), Cystitis,
1
1
Diabetes,
1
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Disease Liver, Disease Heart, Convulsions, Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis,
1
1
1
1
DEVELOPMENTAL DISEASES.
Stillborn,
7
Premature Birth,
1
Debility,
1
VIOLENT DEATHS.
Fall,
1
Injuries from a horse,
1
Total, 33
-
NAMES OF PERSONS DECEASED.
Parmenus L. Strong,
Miss Katherine Merrick,
Mrs. Vilena R. Chandler,
Roxanna Jubinville,
Maria B. Stearns,
Stengslana Notowicz,
Eliza W. Smith,
Miss Mary C. Billings,
Flora F. Dwight,
Balbina Kawakuta,
Sarah B. Stenglein,
Katherine L. Breor,
Elizabeth W. Stoddard,
Frederick D. Wheeler,
Coney V. Stenglein,
Arthur J. Labbe,
Sarah L. Belden,
Edward N. Flynn,
Joseph Winter,
Henry Wilkie, John Chapla,
Joseph Karakula,
Francis Saffer,
Frederick Novack,
Michael Gould, John Kiley,
Seven Stillborn.
-
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DOG LICENSES.
The number of dogs licensed during the year ending November 30, 1901, with the receipts and settlement of the account with the County Treasurer, is as follows : 115 male dogs at $2 each, $230 00
3 female dogs at $5,
15 00
Less fees, 118 dogs at 20 cents each,
$245 00
23 60
221 40
Amount paid County Treasurer June 1 and Dec. 1, 221 40
for the five previous years :
1896
1897
1898
1899 1900
167 40
169 00
129 00
286 60 204 60
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM D. BILLINGS, Town Clerk.
Report of Sinking Fund Commissioners.
We have the following amounts deposited to the credit of the Sinking Fund :
Amherst Savings Bank, $1,209 84
Northampton Institution for Savings, 1,099 17
Nonotuck Savings Bank, 1,079 93
Haydenville Savings Bank, 1,000 00
Florence Savings Bank, 535 44
$4,924 38
M. J. RYAN, R. M. WOODS, C. S. WARNER, Sinking Fund Commissioners.
I have examined the vouchers of the Sinking Fund Commissioners and found them correct.
C. L. GRAVES, Auditor.
Hatfield, March 1st, 1902.
Report of School Committee.
To the Citizens of Hatfield:
We submit to you our doings for the school year ending June 21, 1901, and the fiscal year ending March 1, 1902. As the law in regard to reporting for our schools has changed we report the school work from Sept. 1900 to close of spring term in June 1901, the school year, but the expenses we re- port from March 1901 to March 1, 1902. We placed a new heater in the school building at North Hatfield. Cost $90. The schoolhouses on the Hill and Center will require more than ordinary repairs the coming year as both need painting on the inside.
HENRY S. HUBBARD, SAMUEL H. FIELD, FRANK J. SAFFER,
School Committee .
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SCHOOL EXPENSES.
Mary J. Breor, teaching school, 360 00
Mary E. Breor,
312 00
Katherine Day, 66
312 00
Margaret Allaire,
360 00
Carrie Warner,
66
288 00
Elizabeth Gilson,
288 00
Susan Casey, .
256 00
Louisa Billings,
90 00
Mrs. Fannie E. Bixby, 66
184 00
Clara Tuttle,
8 00
Susan Casey, sweeping,
17 80
Anna Day,
12 00
Mary Coffey, 66
8 75
Mary J. and Mary E. Breor, sweeping,
18 00
A. Wickles, sawing wood,
1 25
F. J. Saffer,
7 25
F. G. Bardwell, wood,
2 00
Martin Choler, sawing wood,
3 50
S. H. Field, wood and sawing wood,
18 00
Claude H. Hubbard, janitor, 27 70
Joseph Levitre, 8 00
Hilary Levitre, 22 00
Mrs. A. Hilbert, janitor and sweeping,
31 00
A. L. Strong, 20 93
Kimball & Cary, coal, 135 69
Boston & Maine Railroad, freight on coal, 68 08
G. H. Danforth, coal, 20 75
Michael J. Graeny, teaching, 8 00
Katherine Day, 66
15 20
Transportation, 8 00
G. H. Danforth, coal, 20 78
S. H. Field, drawing coal,
2 75
Annie Merrick, sweeping,
6 00
Carlton Harris, janitor,
4 00
$2945 43
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SCHOOL SUPPLIES.
Geo. S. Perry & Co., supplies, 20 81
C. B. Beach & Co., 17 00
J. Hammett Company, 138 78
Public School Printing Co., 6.
2 25
Boston & Maine Railroad, freight, 4 71
Milton Bradley & Co., supplies, 31 43
W. E. Lane, maps, 11 84
G. W. Winslow, supplies, 4 00
Clara E. Fay, 3 20
H. S. Hubbard, expressage and freight paid, 6 03 3 20
W. H. Cummings, supplies,
American Book Co., 5 43
Ginn & Company, 66
85 47
Winner School Book Co., " 4 80
Houghton Mifflin & Co.," 9 18
Silver, Burdett & Co., [“
27 66
Edward E. Babb & Co., " 3 00
$378 79
TUITION SMITH ACADEMY.
Rev. R. M. Woods, treasurer, 500 00
DRAWING IN SCHOOLS.
Clara E. Fay, teacher, 51 10
Lepha N. Kingsley, “ 60 00
Mrs. L. H. Kingsley, carrying teachers,
42 00
$153 10
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SCHOOL HOUSE REPAIRS.
John H. Sanderson, desk, 4 00
Edgar. P. Lyman, repairs, 3 50
Harry N Hunt, 20 55
Henry S. Hubbard, cash for repairs, 4 40
Henry S. Hubbard, clock, bells and supplies, 9 04
Frary Bros., furnace N. Hatfield, 90 00
repairs, 11 62
Samuel H. Field, repairs, 12 05
Frank J. Saffer, 66 4 65
trimming trees W. Hat.S. yard, 16 25
A McCallum & Co., settee W. Hatfield,
4 80
S. W. Kingsley, repairs, 2 50
Shumway & Riley, 4 90
Luther A. Tabor, cleaning clocks, 3 40
J. H. Danforth, shovel, 85
M. J. Ryan, Mdse.,
4 51
J. H. Howard, Mdse., 6 13
$203 15
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
William A. Reed,
$ 80 00
W. H. Cummings, 400 00
$480 00
MUSIC IN SCHOOLS.
Thomas Charmbury, $150 00
TEACHERS AND SALARIES.
NAMES.
WHERE FITTED.
SCHOOL.
TIME.
PAY.
Margaret A. Allaire
.
Westfield Normal School Smith Academy
Center Grammar Center Primary Hill Grammar Hill Primary W. HatfieldGram.
The Year.
$360 00
Carrie H. Warner .
288 00
Mary J. Breor
360 00
Mary E. Breor
288 00
Louisa Billings .
270 '00
Elizabeth Gilson
Stoneham High
Prim.
288 00
Susan Casey .
Bridgewater Normal School Smith Academy
North Hatfield West Brook
31 weeks.
248 00
Rita Briggs
.
.
The Year.
150 00
Clara Fay
Teacher of Music - " Drawing
The Year.
90 00
HENRY S. HUBBARD,
COMMITTEE : SAMUEL H. FIELD, FRANK J. SAFFER.
W. H. CUMMINGS, Superintendent.
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5 weeks.
40 00
Thomas Charmbury
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
288 00
Katherine Day,
.
ENROLLMENT, ATTENDANCE, ETC.
Center
Grammar
Center
Primary
Hill
Grammar
Hill
Primary
W. H.
Grammar
W. H.
Primary
W. Brook
N. Hatfield
No. of Pupils between 5 and 15 years
26
50
2I
27
27
24
25
7
I4
2I
38
2I
2I
27
16
enrolled
26
50
22
27
27
24
25
Average Membership Attendance
20.36
45.66
20.8
28.I
22.70
20.66
22.25
22.33
47.73
18.8
28.6
20.13
16.55
20.6
Per cent. of Attendance
90.08
88.67
90.I
92.2
88.59
78
92
No. of Pupils over 15 years -
O
O
I
O
O
O
O
under 5
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
No. Weeks of School
36
36
36
36
36
36
36
.
.
.
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Superintendent's Report.
To the School Committee of Hatfield :
In accordance with your request I herewith present my first annual report of the schools under your charge.
The conditions essential to successful school work may be designated under four heads as follows: The quality of the instruction, the facilities provided, attendance of pupils, and a good general sentiment in the community in regard to education.
These four headings must be sufficiently elastic to cover several subdivisions.
In "quality of instruction " is included not only the intellectual, moral and professional fitness of the teacher, but also a quality too often overlooked, yet very potent in moulding the character of the pupil. I refer to the character and personality of the teacher. Strength of character and a charming personality should be given their true weight when we remember how greatly the pupil is affected by them and that he so often makes his teacher his model.
"Facilities " should include school buildings, school- room furniture and general equipment, and the wages of teachers.
Instead of "attendance," "interest of pupils in school work " might be used, but regular and punctual attendance is the largest factor in promoting such an interest, inasmuch
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as there is, generally speaking, no difficulty in arousing an interest on the part of the child if he is present. Therefore, the shorter term is used, and what it stands for emphasized.
The fourth topic may not need emphasizing, for all understand that it means much and many things, but I would like to accentuate under it the desire that good schools be maintained, good measures for their improvement supported, the schoolroom visited and its work inspected by parents and all who are interested in an agency so important to the future well-being of the town and public, and an effort to get into touch with the teacher, to see her work, and to look at her difficulties from her own standpoint.
The endeavor will be to discuss briefly the school situa- tion in the township of Hatfield on the four-cornered basis given above.
QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION.
In discussing the first topic it may be stated with fair- ness, I think, that the quality of work, generally speaking, cannot reasonably be expected to be out of proportion to the amount paid for it; and it is also no more than just to say that in general the faithful teachers of to-day are earning all they receive for their services, and the teachers of Hatfield are no exception.
The aim of your teachers is constantly to be able to do still better work and the superintendent has met with a uni- formly cordial spirit of co-operation from all of them and a manifest desire for help and improvement.
A thorough and complete high school course and a pro- fessional training are not too much as a preparation for the
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important work of teaching. For one on whom the destiny of our children depends in such great measure needs both to have her powers trained by study and also to possess a knowl- edge of the best methods and devices for training those who are to be the citizens of to-morrow. It is not enough for a teacher that she possess a knowledge merely, of the subjects to be taught and that she teach them as they were taught to her ; and the day has gone by in nearly all communities when a girl may pass from the high school, without special prepara- tion, to the work of teaching.
Recent investigation and study of child nature and men- tal development make some theories and methods of the past no longer tenable. Not that a thing is bad merely because it is old-indeed many of the old characteristics of good teaching are just as good as ever to-day, but it is still true that there are certain fundamental pedagogical principles that must not be ignored, but are sure to be violated by the untrained.
It is true that in many cases there are those who, after due experimenting, have become efficient and successful teachers, but it took time and experience to discover what ought to be known at the start, and the experiments were with the nature of the children delicate material, "soul stuff." There should be no experimenting by novices with the young mind ; ignorant botch-work here may, and too often does, result in mental and moral maiming for life.
The schools of Hatfield are provided with efficient teachers of experience, the most of whom have proven their worth in their several years of service in town.
It is to the advantage of the town to retain a good teacher for a long term of service, but whenever it becomes necessary to fill a vacancy, I strongly recommend that it be filled by one
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who has proven her ability and fitness for the work, either by actual experience in the schoolroom or in a normal school course of training. Superior ability demands higher wages, but in the long run will be found to be more profitable.
FACILITIES.
The arrangement by which its highest possible returns may be had for every dollar invested is a consolidation of the schools in a common center. In this way grading can be pretty nearly perfect, and the teaching force brought to the minimum point, and expense saved.
Where this arrangement obtains the results have been highly satisfactory to all. In this way alone every township may enjoy school privileges equal to any in the country.
To remove the only valid objection to such an arrange- ment a teacher should spend the noon hour in the school- room. All the other objections that are made to the plan of consolidation are found in actual experience not to exist.
This is the ideal arrangement and the one the town may in a few years wish to adopt. But I doubt that such a radical change is as yet a necessity in order to insure good and efficient school work, provided certain minor improve- ments may be made. a
The change most needed should be made in the two higher schools in the village. In each of the Grammar departments at the Center and Hill Schools there are at present the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth grades-an unusual and cumbersome arrangement that is making neces- sary twice as many daily recitations as there need be and robbing pupils of half the amount of instruction that belongs
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to them, besides making the work needlessly difficult and unsatisfactory to the teachers. There may be consolidation here without expense and greatly to the advantage of the pupils in both schools. Let the two classes of the same grade in the two rooms be placed together in one room-all the pupils of the Fifth and Sixth grades in one room and all those of the Seventh and Eighth grades in the other. The classes, which are now small, would then be nearer the right size, and more interest be aroused. But the greatest benefit to be gained from such an arrangement is a recitation period twice as long as it now is. The teachers are doing their best under the present arrangement, but the most capable teacher cannot properly instruct a class in a period of fifteen or twenty minutes-the longest time that can now be given to the most important classes, and many classes have to get along with less.
This is one of the reasons why the pupils of the schools are not well prepared to enter Smith Academy, and for this reason are handicapped throughout the course of that school.
The other reason, in my opinion, is because in the schools of the town the pupils spend one year less than is spent in most other schools of the State. A Ninth grade is much needed to put the schools on a level footing with other good schools. With the arrangement suggested above a Ninth grade is possible, but not possible as the schools are 110W.
Good grading and good instruction are both possible without much additional expense to the town. Good grading and good instruction go far in making schools good. The schools should be so good that when a pupil graduates from the Grammar School he shall have a thorough and practical knowledge of the common English branches to help him
- 46 -
through life, or if he goes further, to be a solid and sure foundation on which to build in further study. It should be the ambition of every pupil to graduate at the Academy, at least. Encouragement from teachers and parents greatly stimulate children in the worthy endeavor to secure an educa- tion. The twentieth century is making greater demands than ever-demands that only the educated and intelligent · can meet, and they are going to the front. With our system of free schools a good education is within the reach of all. Let no one fail of securing it.
ATTENDANCE.
It is of the greatest importance that the interest of the pupil in his school work be aroused and kept alive. He may be a member of school for years, but if he is not interested he will have absorbed but little instruction in the class room, while on the other hand, if his interest is keen, progress is rapid and pleasant. The greatest factor in the promotion and fostering of a proper interest is a regular and punctual atten- dance. Upon this, I believe, depends the success or failure of the pupil in school life and also in later life.
I think that the chief cause of absenteeism is a failure on the part of parents to appreciate the importance and necessity of a continuous, unbroken school attendance, rather than a lack of interest in the welfare of his child. Generally speak- ing, the parent is more interested in his child than any one else can be. When he keeps him from school for what seems to him a necessity, he does not realize that the greater necess- ity is to hold him strictly to his school work. The fault is simply a failure to put a correct estimate upon values. If the
- 47 -
parent should realize that he is wronging his child by causing him to lose his regular lesson, putting him at a disadvantage with his classmates, injuring and perhaps defeating his chances for promotion-if he should rate these opposing interests at their true value-there is no doubt but that he would plan with the utmost care to do the things that are necessary without interfering with what is most essential.
The absentee is not the only one to suffer from a broken attendance. The standard of the whole school is affected, faithful pupils kept back, and good grading made more difficult. It is therefore the business of all citizens and their right to see that the law for compulsory attendance be enforced.
The laws of the State are explicit in demanding that the pupil from the age of seven to fourteen be in school all of every school day unless prevented by illness. The child, to this extent, is in the hands of the school authorities rather than the parent's if he requires or allows him to be out of school, for the State, through the School Committee, has the right to take the child, in spite of parent, or any one having control of him, for any reason that may be given except that of sickness (a physician's certificate may be required) and place him in the school for the whole time of every school day in the year.
The law is as follows: Any person having under his control a child between seven and fourteen years of age who fails for five day sessions or ten half-day sessions within any period of six months while under such control to cause such child to attend school as required by section twelve of this act, the physical or mental condition of such child not being such as to render his attendance at school harmful or imprac-
- 48-
ticable, upon complaint by a truant officer, and conviction thereof, shall forfeit and pay a fine of not more than twenty dollars.
It is a common impression that a pupil who has reached the age of fourteen years cannot be compelled to attend school with regularîty if he attends at all. It is true that such cannot be compelled to enter school, but if once they of their own accord become members of a school they may be compelled to attend with promptness and regularity just the same as pupils under fourteen.
An irregular attendance is working more harm to our schools than any other one thing, and the evil calls strongly for correction at once. All are urged to co-operate in the work.
PUBLIC SENTIMENT.
All desire that the schools be made as good as possible. . All, no doubt, mean to support them in every way, but much loss is caused by the mistaken belief that a school is sup- ported and ought to be gocd when the necessary money has been appropriated and the teacher placed in the school room. This is not sufficient, even when there' are added to this an able and efficient school board, and competent supervision. There are still needed the intelligent and sympathetic co-op- eration of parents and all citizens. Every father and mother ought to consider himself a visiting committee and frequently visit the school room and know as well as possible what is being done there and communicate freely and frequently with teacher and superintendent. Teacher and pupil· will feel a greater degree of interest and do better work. Misunder- standings and unjust criticisms, which frequently make the teacher's work doubly difficult, would be avoided.
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Perhaps enough has been said to show that in order that our schools should be what they ought and every citizen has a right to expect they should be, it is not enough to make appropriations, employ teachers, elect school officers and provide all the machinery of school work required by law, but there is also need that every parent and citizen take an active and sympathetic interest in all the work that is being done and that citizens see to it that every dollar appropriated for the maintenance of schools be well invested and yield a full return in youth well trained to become law-abiding, intel- ligent, useful and happy citizens.
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