ELEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI 701 



way to something better. Twentieth century schools with eighteenth cen- 

 tury laws do not work well together, and revision of our school laws is 

 now imperative. This may mean some form of centralization, or consoli- 

 dation, and strange to say many farmers are strongly opposed to this, 

 although most of the opposition is based on first cost of building and 

 establishing such a school. Statistics from the state superintendent's 

 office show that last year there were 3,669 schools, having an average at- 

 tendance of ten or less. There were 617 schools with an average of 

 five pupils, 1,612 with an attendance of seven or less, nine with only 

 one pupil, twenty-nine with two, and ninety-one with three. Think of the 

 waste of money to maintain the last three named groups, amounting in 

 all to 129 schools, and yet the report of the Iowa State Superintendent 

 shows that in July, after all the teachers had been paid, there was still 

 $6,000,000 of school money in the hands of somebody. The money need- 

 lessly expended on these smaller schools would support several centrally 

 located graded schools, and with an elimination of arbitrary district lines, 

 having the county as the unit of division, the adjusting of taxes and the 

 expenditure of school funds in order to secure the greatest amount of 

 benefit from the money already on hand, would be a much simpler prob- 

 lem. It is not necessary to dig up the farm and home by the roots 

 and take it to the city in order that country children may have better 

 educational advantages, but for the sake of conserving our soil fertility, 

 for the sake of better agriculture, for the sake of a richer and fuller 

 country life, and above all, for the sake of the boys and girls of today 

 who are the men and women of tomorrow, let us make the best possible 

 use of the means already at hand, and gladly welcoming any improve- 

 ment, let us work hand in hand with our real educators, constantly seek- 

 ing the best methods of fitting them for the active and useful life 

 which is just before them. 



THE AUTOMOBILE ON THE FAEM. 



BEAD BEFORE THE HARRISON COTJNTT FARMERS' INSTITUTE BY MRS. X. G. ROGERS. 



LOGAN, IOWA. 



Just now a great deal is being said about the great number of auto- 

 mobiles sold to the farmers. Richard Croker said the other day that the 

 reason why the farmer could afford to buy automobiles was because he 

 • was not affected with the exorbitant rates for food and rent. I have an 

 idea if Dick had to earn his livelihood on a rented farm and his living 

 to make by the sweat of his brow as do our farmers, he would think by 

 the time he had enough saved to buy an automobile that he had quite a 

 "rarity." It isn't because the farmer gets things so cheaply that he is 

 able to afford such luxuries as the automobile. When the farmer buys 

 an auto, its because he has found it a paying investment. It saves his 

 horses, which are high priced, saves time and labor and these are his two 

 most valuable commodities. It affords recreation for his wife and family. 

 Its a means of keeping the boys and girls on the farm. 



