27 WESTERN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION Vol. XXIII MEETINGS Bay Section the California Teachers' Association, Supt. C. J. Du Four, Alameda. Northern California Teachers' Association, S. P. Robbins, President, Chico, Cal.; Mrs. Minnie O'Neil, Secretary. Central California Teachers' Association, J. E. Meadows, Hanford, President; E. W. Lindsay, Fresno, Secretary. Southern California Teachers' Association, Mrs. Grace Stanley, President, San Bernardino; J. O. Cross, Secretary, Los Angeles. California Council of Education, E. M. Cox, Oakland, Cal., President; A. H. Chamberlain, San Francisco, Cal., Secre tary. California Federation of School Women's Clubs, Miss Ethelind M. Bonney, Stockton, President; Miss Alma Simon, Stockton, Secretary. California Education Officers, Sacramento, Cal., Hon. Edward Hyatt, Superintendent of Public Instruction; Dr. Margaret Schallenberger-McNaught, Commissioner Elementary Schools; Edwin R. Snyder, Commissioner Vocational Education; Will C. Wood, Commissioner Secondary Schools. State Board of Education, E. P. Clarke, President; Mrs. O. Shepard Barnum, Charles A. Whitmore, M. B. Harris, Marshall De Motte, Mrs. Agnes Ray, George W. Stone. Little Talks by the Way By EDWARD HYATT (Under this head Superintendent Hyatt will try to give some account of what he sees and hears and thinks in traveling about officially among the schools of California. It will be somewhat hasty and ill-digested, being jottings on the road. It will deal with personal experiences, and so may look egotistic. It will be subject to frequent change of opinion, and will seem inconsistent. It is done as a free and easy means of communication between the school people of the State and the central school office. If it provokes retort or comment, that will be printed, too, provided that it be brief and interesting.) The San Joaquin Valley I'll tell you a secret. The San Joaquin Valley is the habitat of the jolliest, wholesomest, most optimistic lot of schoolmasters to be found in the State of California. It's a pleasure and a comfort to go there. It's a treat to meet with them and hob nob with them for a few days. All the leading teachers are so cheerful and take such a cheerful view of life and their fellows and the schools and their work! They all seem so co-operative, so helpful, so uncrit ical! Such a lot of them, too. The counties. are chock full of small towns, and every town has a high school and a grammar school or two. Fresno and Visalia and Hanford are big towns, but between them and among them are Fowler and Reedley and Dinuba and Exeter and Lindsay and Sanger and Porterville and Selma and Tulare and Madera and Clovis and Kingsburg, and others too numerous to mention. Chat with any one of the schoolmasters from any one of these places and everything seems to be well with the world. Speak with him confidently, the result is the same-so far as you can judge by looks and words there isn't a poor school or a bad teacher in the country. Everyone is accepted freely at his own valuation, and it is taken for granted that he is doing splendid work and that he is succeeding and that whatever he offers is valuable and richly worth following. All this makes a most agreeable atmosphere to breathe. Guess the school women are just the same as the school men, but I did not get a chance to hear so many of them express their ideas, and cannot speak so fully from experience. The County of Tulare Several days in January passed away quickly visiting schools with Superintendent J. E. Buckman. One day we spent SAN FRANCISCO, JAN., 1917 in Visalia, the county seat, a handsome city that is on the State Highway midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is very old, and long ago was the only town between Los Angeles and Stockton. It is built upon the delta lands of the Kaweah River, one of the swift streams that pours down the western slopes of the High Sierras, headed for Tulare Lake. As soon as it emerges from the mountains upon the level plain, its momentum, its compulsion to move on and carry its load, is lost. The sand and gravel and mud are dropped and the river divides up into a dozen creeks, which find their way by uncertain channels down toward the lake, but never come together again. The Kaweah has gone and is no more. The Delta Lands This delta land is rich and productive, originally covered with a luxurious growth of valley oaks. It was settled by a kindly, hospitable, comfortable race of stockmen and farmers. Their descendants are still here; they raise cattle, hogs, alfalfa, vegetables and fruits in incredible profusion. No. 1 lot of ground, and is three stories high. Its walls are cracking so as to alarm the people, and it will soon be abandoned for newer structures now building. They tell me there were tremendous rows and quarrels over it when it was built, one party opposing a three-story building, the other favoring it, and favoring it successfully, as the event shows. Thirty years hence, who knows? Will our dominant wisdom by that time gravely pronounce for three stories again, tearing down the ephemeral styles of today? The principal, Miss Carrie Barnett, seems to me a teacher of the highest type. Her outlook on life, her shrewd knowledge of human nature, the helpful sentiments which actuate her, all fit her admirably for the noble work she is doing in the world. I just had a chance to shake hands and say a word of greeting to Mr. Houk, the principal of the Washington School, and didn't get to the Lincoln School at all. Life is short and time is fleeting. I can't even catalogue the score or so of lively, ambitious, and excellent teachers whose rooms. In the early days Visalia got its food and supplies by freight wagons from Stockton, many weary miles to the north, carried there by boats from San Francisco. After goods were thus brought with difficulty to Visalia, they were loaded on pack mules and carried over the great backbone of the Sierras to Independence, a herculean opera No one can appreciate or even understand the labor and time and danger entailed in carrying a sack of flour to San Francisco by ship, loading it upon a boat, changing it to a freight wagon, packing it on a mule over a lofty mountain rangeuntil he goes over the road himself and sees the difficulties with his own eyes, feels some of them with his own muscles. 'Tis simply incredible! The City Schools We visited several of the city schools in Visalia. The high school is a beautiful modern structure, standing in the edge of the town, overlooking the State Highway. It is presided over by Principal A. M. Simons, who is not only a school man, but a business man, and president of the local Chamber of Commerce. The Tipton-Lindsay school is christened from the hyphenated name of one of the early settlers. The building is of brick and is very old for California, having reached the hoary age of thirty. It spreads over a 246884 Saturday night we went out to the dedication of the Woodlake High School, a dozen miles or so toward the big mountains from Visalia. Remember, this whole oak-covered delta region is one of the gateways to the High Sierras, leading directly up to Mt. Whitney itself, the culminating peak of the range. Woodlake is not in the mountains, but in the great valley, sheltered by the outlying spurs of the mountains, where they reach out on the plain. A large part of its tributary territory was from time immemorial considered worthless, hog-wallow land, good only for sparse pasturage. Now it is becoming famous as the choice citrus land of the region, and is developing into beautiful groves of golden fruit. One of the first signs of the coming of a real awakening, a genuine rejuvenation, to any live American community, is a fine school and Woodlake certainly has this early sympton in unmistakable form. A splendid palace of education, costing $40,000, has sprung up, almost over night, in the midst of a ten-acre high school ground. Although the weather was cold, rainy and discouraging, a great audience assembled and filled the beautiful auditorium. Evening Ceremonies The principal, who acted as the master of ceremonies, was C. J. Walker. He has been in charge of the school since its organization, three years ago. Walker is one of the most kindly, genial and successful school men in the State. He was the longtime county superintendent of Tulare, and as such has been often celebrated in these columns. He gave an opening address, describing the aims and ideals of the school. He has four assistant teachers. President P. W. Davis, of the local board of trustees, gave an interesting sketch of the history and cost of the building. J. G. Ropes, editor of the local paper, who can speak in public as well as he can write in private, presented an enthusiastic view of the enterprise from a material and a sentimental standpoint, with a forecast for the future. County Superintendent Buckman was present, and gave a short address, most admirably summing up the educational situation, pointing out the place of the new high school in the community, its duties and obligations to the people, the children and the future of the State. Great appreciation was given by everybody to a public spirited citizen, Gilbert W. Stephenson, who had presented the school its lordly ten-acre site. Best of All The most effective and touching address of all, however, was given by Judge Wallace, the patriarchal jurist, who has been Good Roads the Life of the Community ants of the present day. It was a real human document, appealing to the real human people who were there in person, to their sympathies, their memories, their hopes, their prides. Therefore, it was delightfully successful.. This fine building is one story high, in the mission style, roofed with red tiles, with twin towers and a grand sweep of royal twin towers and a grand sweep of royal steps leading up to them in front. It has its own water system, supplied under pressure by an automatic electric pump. It is unique in being heated throughout by the electricity that comes out of falling torrents in the canyons above. Even the auditorium, a great room seating 600 people, is warmed by heaters set going by pressure upon an electric button. The class rooms and halls, the cooking tables, laboratories, and all that are supplied with heat in the same way. The heating bill for the last month was about $75. The building is fitted with shower baths, French doors, simplex windows, manual training, domestic science, opportunity for moving pictures and all the other latest improvements. Orange Growing Region On Monday we went to the prosperous citrus groves of Lindsay and spent the day in the schools. Professor F. H. Boren was the presiding genius of the place. He took us to the Jefferson School and showed some remarkably expressive reading by Miss Hollingshead's second grade pupils; and to the Washington School, a splendid mission structure with an auditorium, costing $50,000. Here Miss Wright and her assistants showed some interesting feats in reading with expression. In the afternoon we went to the high school, a striking building with classic columns in front, housing nine teach ers. In the evening, all the grammar school teachers, seventeen in number, assembled of Mr. Boren's house for a professional meeting. Everyone reported upon his observations in other schools during the Christmas vacation. Since these included the schools of Santa Ana, Orange, Los Angeles, Hollywood, and other live educational centers, it was an exceedingly lively session. Mr. Boren himself presented a report upon the High School Principals' Convention at Riverside. 'Twas indeed an unusual and interesting experience, to both Superintendent Buckman and myself, instead of passing judgment ourselves, to hear a body of keen and lively teachers do the criticising and the judging. 'Twas putting the shoe on the other foot, and a most illuminating experience it was. It was followed by a little lunch and then a midnight ride a dozen miles to Porterville, in weather like the frozen polar regions of the north. We stumbled into the Pioneer Hotel as stiff as pokers and as cold as icicles, and spent the rest of the night trying vainly to thaw out. The School Teachers' Page Community life means communication. with people, and with other communities. Good roads are necessary for quick communication. A bad road increases the cost of transportation. High transportation increases the cost of living by making goods cost more. Wet land must be drained to make a good solid road. Soft land must be made hard for a good road. Road making in the United States is too Canals are cheaper than road building. Railroads cost much money to build, but steam and electricity by cutting down the time needed for transportation cheapen the cost of goods. The State and the Federal Governments have done much to improve waterways and to give grants of land to railway companies, and to build canals. The railroads in the United States have done a wonderful work in building up our country by opening up new tracts of land, carrying passengers and in transporting the products of the farm and the factory. Electrical railways develop and build up suburban property. Railroad and telephones bring people in closer relation to each other. Eliza D. Keith Rural free delivery and the parcel post system have brought people together. Transportation in cities means good sidewalks, good crossings, good pavements. The streets belong to the people and no one has a right to block the streets, either with building materials, merchandise or automobiles. True Democracy a Product of Education Despotic rulers fear the effect of education on the people. An ignorant people cannot rule them selves. True democracy needs, gives and comAmpels public education for the masses. erican ideals demand freedom of thought and wide-spread information. The State, not the Federal Government, provides the public school for the people. The ungraded country or rural school cannot give as complete an education as well-graded city school. City schools are under the control of the Board of Education appointed by the mayor. The primary school, the grammar school, People learn by doing. First, in teaching the child what has been Second, in teaching the child how to think, and to do for himself, also the schools teach citizenship by training each pupil to be a good citizen in the school community. School is life itself. Failure or wrong-doing by one person hurts the school. Each child should be educated for the good of the entire community. The better the education, the better the work a man can do. Aids to education are libraries, museums, moving pictures, newspapers, lectures and public speaking. Representative Government Sometimes our government does not represent or stand for all the people. Often the people themeslves do not take enough interest in how the community is governed. Often people let others do all the work and all the thinking for the rest. Every citizen should do his share. The best business men are the best ones to manage the government. Patriotism asks men to give up some of their time, even to sacrifice their own business interests by holding office and serving the people. Every man should be willing to do jury duty. Taxes are money paid for the support of government. Every man should honestly pay his taxes. The more property a man has, the more willing he should be to pay taxes to support the government that protects him and his wealth. So. Every citizen should vote if able to do Political parties are the groups into which the voters are divided. Political parties help to secure united action among voters who think alike. No man is greater than his party. The highest purpose of a party would be to secure good government for all the people. The majority, the greatest number of one mind, must rule. The majority must determine or decide what the government shall be; but the majority must remember to consider the rights of the minority. When Leaders are Bosses The Spoils System Leaders are necessary to secure united action in a party. Corrupt leaders are "bosses," their workers or gangs form a ring or a machine. A boss uses the party to make himself powerful and rich. Rich corporations that want favors from the government, privileges that will give them an unfair advantage over their rivals in business, pay the bosses to pass crooked laws. Bosses hold their workers together by paying them money, sometimes by persuading them, or else by giving them office or employment. Formerly the victorious party used to turn all the office-holders out at once and appoint its own men to office. This was called the spoils system. The spoils system was really so named by President Andrew Jackson, who said, "To the victor belongs the spoils." Civil service is a reform of the spoils system. Civil service means keeping men in office until the end of the term for which they were appointed if they are doing their duty instead of using the offices of government as rewards for party service. The Ballot and The Office In colonial days the town was governed by the men at the town meeting. The parish was a part of the town under control of the minister. Counties are a division of the state and have their own officers. In San Francisco, the city and county of San Francisco are united under one city and county government with one set of officers. Our Board of Supervisors administer the affairs of the county, fix the rate of taxation, appropriate or set apart money for buildings, schools, streets, and other needs. Every county has its court of justice. The Sheriff carries out the orders of the court. The Government Of the City In the United States cities have grown rapidly. Cities have to meet serious problems of community life and government. The crowded conditions of city life make men dependent upon each other for comfort and well being. Other problems come from the mixed character of the population. People from all countries live side by side, and often offend each other by their modes or ways of living, their customs, manners or appearance. The problems of transportation or how to handle the crowds in transit, on the streets, in the street cars, how to keep tenement districts safe and sanitary, how to guard against filth, disease and crime, are great problems in all cities. Cities often grow so large and so fast that they spread beyond the original limit. American cities are constantly being made over. Self-Government In Cities Cities, like counties, receive their right of self-government from the state, which grants the city a charter or plan of government. Cities often suffer by being unjustly governed by laws made by legislatures whose members are from the country, or from rival cities. City forms of government are like the forms for the government of the state and The office should seek the man, not the of the nation. man the office. In 1883 Congress passed the Civil Service Laws, and a Civil Service Commission was created by Congress to improve public service. Candidates for appointment to office must pass a competitive examination to show fitness. Office is held during good behavior. Many states hold a primary election to choose candidates for elective office instead of having candidates nominated by a party convention or caucus. Formerly each party had its own printed ticket at elections and it was very easy to see how a man voted. Today voters are protected by the Australian ballot. The Australian ballot is a huge sheet of paper on which are written the names of all the candidates for each office. The names of all the candidates for one office are printed under the name of that office. Honest, capable, good government should be by good people, for all the people. Every citizen should study the laws, know the needs of his community and always vote for the best laws and the best people. ter. Conditions are not getting worse, but bet Government in America consists of a legislative branch to make the laws, a judicial branch to interpret the laws, that is to tell what the laws mean, and how the laws shall be carried out, and an executive branch to carry out the laws. The legislative branch of the city government is the board of supervisors especially in regard to controlling taxation and to spending the city's money. The mayor has the right or power to veto the acts of the board of supervisors. A certain majority of the board of supervisors can pass as measure over the may or's veto. The executive branch of the city government consists of a mayor, together with a number of boards or chiefs and a large number of subordinate officials and employees. Chief city departments are the treasury, the health department, the fire department, the street department, the police department, board of public works, board of education, and other commissions. The Federal Government and Its Relation to the State The United States constitution provides for a government strong enough to protect the common interest of all the states, but yet the United States government is not strong enough to destroy the independence of the states. The Federal government alone has the power to make war and peace, to make treaties and alliances, to send and to receive ambassadors, to regulate foreign and interstate commerce, to coin money, to issue postage stamps, to exercise other exclusive rights. The Federal government and the state government have certain powers to be exercised concurrently, that is, at the same time, such as taxation and borrowing money. There are some things the Federal government can not do, and some things that the state cannot do. The United States government has a legislative branch, an executive branch, a judicial branch. The legislature branch of the United States government is Congress. Congress is composed of the Senate, or Upper House, and of the House of Representatives, or Lower House. United States Senators are now elected by the people and hold office for six years. The members of the House of Representatives are elected by the people of the state, according to their districts, and hold office for two years. Both houses of Congress are divided into a great many groups, called "Committees," by which most of the to its proper committee, by which it is conwork is done. Every bill must be referred sidered. The Speaker of the House of Representatives is always a member of the dominant party in the House. The Speaker of the House of Representatives is very powerful. The Speaker appoints the committees. The Speaker puts his own party in a majority in every committee. The Speaker really has the power to decide what shall or shall not be reported out of committee, and so come before the House for consideration and action. The executive head of the United States is the President, with a term of four years. A Vice-President is the presiding officer of the Senate, but has no vote, except in case of a tie. The President is really the executive head of the United States government. The heads of the executive departments are appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The President can remove the heads of the various departments. The President can veto ("I forbid it") any legislation of Congress; but Congress can pass a law over the President's veto by a two-thirds vote. The constitution of the United States has provided for the United States Supreme Court, and for other Federal courts. The President appoints the judges of the Federal courts. The Supreme Court is the highest authority on all questions of law. The Supreme Court deals with cases of national or interstate character. The decision of the United States Su preme Court is final over the decisions of the state courts. Should the Supreme Court try to push its decisions too far, Congress can impeach and so remove the judges. The United States Supreme Court has won the admiration of the world. |