The Proposed Rural School System 
A VITAL PROBLEM.—A series of meetings ar¬ 
ranged by the advocates of consolidated or 
centralized schools have been recently held in this 
section, and we listened to L>r. G. A. Works, of 
Ithaca, who is one of the prominent members of the 
Committee of Twenty-one which has been holding 
meetings in the cities, and is now presenting its con¬ 
clusions to the rural 
people in the small vil¬ 
lages. It is a problem 
of vital interest to the 
fanners, and would pay 
everyone well for time 
to attend, but as many 
do not. it seems as if It 
would be a good tiling 
to bring the subject to 
r lie attention of the 
rural people by way of 
the farm papers and 
the local press. The 
reason some Assembly¬ 
men ga ve for their votes 
mi the old township law 
was that no one op¬ 
posed it. and. in fact, 
few of the people most 
eonecyned ever heard 
of that law until it was 
passed and about to lie 
put in operation. Then 
we all heard enough. It 
seems as if fair and de¬ 
cent discussion would 
benefit all concerned, 
and I understand this 
is the earnest desire of 
the Committee of Twen- ~ . T . ,, , 
. ' . . ., „ . Swiss I alley Girl 
tj-one and the Depart¬ 
ment of Education. 
PRESENTING the 
CASE.—I)r. Works him¬ 
self is a square man 
and a gentleman, lack¬ 
ing the arrogance and 
egotism of others, and 
is aide to present his 
facts so the ordinary 
man can understand 
what he means. Also, 
no one can listen to him 
without believing he is 
perfectly honest in his 
intention, which is the 
betterment of conditions 
of the rural school chil¬ 
dren. Of course, no 
farmer cares to debate 
off-lmnd with a man as 
thoroughly posted as 
Dr. Works, so that most 
of the discussion is apt 
to be later. There are 
a few things In the pro¬ 
posals of the committee 
that need clarifying and 
discussion. 
THE CENTRALIZED 
S C H O O L.—Now even 
the worst opponents of Grai 
the old township law admit that larger units of tax¬ 
ation were not only desirable but necessary; also 
that centralized schools would be a great boon to 
the villages of the State and to the man (and his 
farm) with a big family on a good road close in. 
Also that the high schools are getting overcrowded, 
more high school facilities are urgently needed, and 
Swiss Valley Girl 7th, Grand Champion Brown Siciss Cow at Xational Dairy Show. Fig. 5S1 
Grand Champion Ayrshire Coiv, Carton's Bridesmaid. Fig. 5S2 
many or most parents like to keep their children 
nearer home on account of health, morals, expense 
and other reasons. Furthermore, it is a gx^eat 
dream in this fine October weather to vision large 
bus loads of happy children rolling over fine roads 
to big sehoolhouses with all modern conveniences, 
community halls, teaeherages. experimental farms 
and manual training, 
gyinnasiurn. football, 
and all the frills of a 
college, right out on the 
hills and valleys of the 
r ea 1 con n t rysid e. 
RURAL FACILITIES. 
—Contrast this with the 
picture Dr. Works and 
his colleagues of the 
Department of Educa¬ 
tion drew of the little 
old rural school, presid¬ 
ed over by some young 
and inexperienced girl, 
the schoolhouse situat¬ 
ed on some bleak and 
barren knoll, absolutely 
destitute of shade, play¬ 
ground. modern toilet 
facilities or paint, with 
little inside equipment, 
and entirely ignored by 
everyone in the district 
except once per year 
when a few people meet 
and wish the trustee 
business on some ab¬ 
sentee or new arrival. 
It is no wonder that 
there is a big desire for 
\ry Show. Fig. 5S1 . . . 
a change. This is too 
true in many eases, also 
that few rural schools 
will score more than 50 
or 00 by Department 
standards, and that 
school attendance for 
some 15 years back has 
been too small in many 
cases to pay to run a 
school. But there has 
been a large increase in 
the birth rate lately, 
and where the schools 
are too small it is the 
plain duty of superin¬ 
tendents to double up un¬ 
til they are reasonable. 
PRESENT PROPOS¬ 
ALS.—As we hear it, 
the proposal, briefly, is 
to leave the old districts 
as they are. each one to 
elect a trustee in the 
usual manner. Then 
these districts are to he 
grouped in community 
units with the nearest 
village school district 
and their trustees, with 
an equal number of vil- 
r. 5S2 lage trustees, to form a 
