14 



As early as 1635, our towns established schools, sup- 

 porting them in various ways, by subscriptions, by en- 

 dowments, by grants of income from the common slock 

 lauds, by fishing privileges, b}^ tuition fees, by direct 

 taxation, and they have been steadily climbing to the 

 top. At no time has the work been relaxed. And now, 

 Massachusetts leads the world in educational privileges. 



Of this map the director of education of the State of 

 New York is reported to have said to E. C. Hovey, 

 Chairman of the Massachusetts World's Fair Commission, 

 "If New York State could show a map such as that 

 I would be willing to throw our entire exhibit into Lake 

 Michigan. There is nothing which equals it." 



George H. Martin's descriptive account of our schools 

 accompanying the map shows that from its beginning the 

 State has had a complete system of public elementary 

 schools, secondary schools, and the college. The second 

 century of the educational history of the State is marked 

 by an effort to adapt the school system to the needs of a 

 widely scattered agricultural population. On this map 

 our county stands second to none among the counties of 

 the State. 



When you think of the great farms of the northwest 

 and are inclined to repine because you cannot make such 

 haste to get rich, look upon the other side of the shield. 

 Set your schools against the hordes of foreign immigrants, 

 who, in some of the farming states are controlling legisla- 

 tion against teaching English and against the existence 

 of the common school itself. Your children's priceless 

 privileges weigh down the scale of advantages solidlj^ up- 

 on your side. 



