510 FARMERS INSTITUTES. 



Mr. E. Davenport: la 1881 I corresponded with the school authorities of 

 21 States on the main features of their school systems, and none of them 

 found any fault with the township system, and many spoke cordially in favor 

 of it. This is no new thing, no mere theory. The first schools in America 

 were established in Massachusetts on the township system. 



It would save at once all the trouble and confusion resulting from frac- 

 tional districts ; it would establish in large measure a uniformity of text 

 books ; it would give better teachers at less aggregate cost ; it would greatly 

 lessen the number of school officers, and, finally, by establishing a central 

 high school in each township it would enable us to educate our country 

 children at home, so that they may grow up loyal to the land of their birth. 



Prest. Willits: If it were proposed to make the adoption of the township 

 district system compulsory upon the counties, I should recommend that we 

 go very slow in reaching a decision; but the best thing about the proposed 

 law is that its application is left optional with each county. The truth is, 

 after all, that our old district schools are pretty good institutions. 



The opinions favorable to the township system, quoted by Prof. Davenport, 

 are all from interested parties, that is, from State superintendents and others 

 who would gain in power and influence by this centralizing process. 



The question arises, why, if centralizing the management of the township 

 schools is good, it should not be still better to continue the process farther 

 and make the county, or several counties, or the State the unit? Where shall 

 we stop? What in the nature of things determines the township instead of 

 the district or the county to be the best unit ? 



In my experience of six years, at the head first of the State Normal School 

 and then of the State Agricultural College, I have found that on the average 

 we received quite as good material from the country district schools as from 

 the village high schools. 



Prof. L. R. Fisk: The teachers of the State are nearly unanimous in 

 favor of the township system. One of the strongest gains as seen by them 

 is that by it a better grading would be made possible. On a recent visit to 

 my old country home in New York State I was much impressed by the rela- 

 tive inferiority of the educational advantages afforded to the country chil- 

 dren as compared with those enjoyed in the cities. No one would think of 

 organizing city districts independently of one another, or of saying that the 

 poorer nighborhoods should only have such facilities as their own taxation 

 would support. Why then should we act on such principles in the country? 

 Why is it wise to have from six to twelve times as many school officers in 

 every township as there is any necessity for? Though it is undeniable that 

 many of our best students come from the country, yet it is in spite of and 

 not because of this poorer schooling. Their other conditions may be favor- 

 able enough to more than balance the deficiency on the whole, and yet the 

 same bright country students do find themselves hampered by the lack of 

 the training and culture which the city children receive. Let us have that 

 system which allows the utmost degree of cooperation and economy. 



Mr. : In the township of Bedford there are 12 school districts and 10 



different readers, 11 different arthmetics, 8 different grammars and 36 

 different officers. The proposed system would do away once for all with 

 such confusion and waste of money. It would give us a better and more 

 responsible management. 



Mr. : I have noticed in farmers' clubs a tendency to disparage country 



