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CHAPTER II 



DISCUSSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 



There are two alternatives open to the people of Milwaukee County. 

 One is to abolish the school, as has been moved in the Board of 

 Administration. The other is to improve work and lower cost so that 

 the people receive a more adequate return on the investment made. In 

 the following discussion, which embodies the conclusions and recom- 

 mendations of this study, these two alternatives should be kept in mind. 

 If the arguments presented, together with the detailed facts which fol- 

 low, prove to the citizens of the county that the school fills no useful 

 place in the community, or that it can not do so at a cost which is rea- 

 sonable, then the course to follow is to abolish the school. If, on the 

 other hand, it proves that the school fills a useful place and work can be 

 so improved and cost so reduced as to justify its continuance, then the 

 school should be continued. The one course that should not be fol- 

 lowed is to permit the school to run on the present basis. 



The school and the community 



Milwaukee County is not to a very large extent an agricultural county 

 on account of the fact that it includes Milwaukee Wisconsin's largest 

 city. The farming that is done is chiefly dairying and market garden- 

 ing. The place of a school of agriculture in such a community would 

 be to teach this kind of agriculture and to improve this kind of farming. 

 It may be taken for granted that this was the purpose in view when the 

 school was established. For training boys in dairy work and for truck 

 garden work there is obviously an opportunity in this county. Is the 

 school meeting it? Dairy work is stressed more than truck gardening. 

 Neither are made the prime purpose in a boy's course. The emphasis 

 is placed rather on the general educational value of agricultural training, 

 its value as a preparation for life. It is this which led to the adoption 

 of the four year course. It was felt that some incentive was needed to 

 induce boys to stay in school for three years or more. 



Here lies the difference of opinion is it the purpose of the school 



