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any county superintendent, member of school board, or any voter of a school district, or a health officer shall make a complaint in writing to the state superintendent that any building used for any public school in his district is in an unsanitary condition or that the schoolhouse is unfit for school purposes, an inspector designated by the state superintendent shall investigate and examine the premises and building and make due report, etc."

What is the result if the inspector reports that the building is unfit for school purposes and issues an order of condemnation of the building and premises?

Unless the order is reversed or modified upon appeal, the school district must either furnish by building or otherwise satisfactory school accommodations or the district will cease to share in its regular annual apportionment of state and county money. The amount of this apportionment for the present year is $5.10 per capita, and after two years the statute makes it obligatory upon the supervisors to meet and dissolve the school district. In other words, take away all the rights and privileges that may be exercised by an independently organized school district.

a regular board meeting appoint such a committee under the statute? Second, if not, can the electors provide for an advisory committee?

The answer to the first proposition is that the board has no special power to appoint a committee to work with them along the lines proposed. Second, while the statute does not directly authorize the electors to appoint such a committee, it is not forbidden. In many cases the electors appoint an advisory committee to act with the school district board in the matter of securing suitable school buildings, etc. This is not by any means contrary to law, and it is certainly a most excellent plan, and there appears to be no reason why the electors at their next annual meeting may not take some action in the way of appointing, say, three persons to work with the members of the school board in order that a wider use of the schoolhouse for the people of the district may be brought about. These persons with the members of the board can take charge of public meetings to be held at regular intervals, say, once in two weeks; (It is not advisable to hold these meetings oftener unless for some special purpose) arrange for a program for these meetings, and act with the board in devising

Some Questions as to the Jurisdiction of the plans whereby if convenient a reading room may

School Board

The following conditions exist in our district: We maintain a state graded school requiring seven teachers. We have a good, substantial school building. Our district is popular, consequently we have a considerable library. There are three members of the school board. Two of these members are advanced in years and are inclined to be extremely conservative in several ways. The other member is a wide-awake, progressive man who has had good school advantages and who is anxious to make the library and school building of increased value to the district. In other words he desires to make the schoolhouse a social center where all of the electors may meet and questions of public interest may be discussed. He is also anxious to have arrangements made whereby the library of the school may be used at the schoolhouse on certain evenings of each week, and further that on such evenings a reading room be established that some plan may be devised whereby the library books will be more widely distributed among and be read by the people of the district. These are the conditions, and under them the following proposition is up. Some of the electors desire that an advisory committee of, say, three persons be appointed by the board or by the electors for the purpose of devising ways and means for wider use of the school building. The questions arise, first, can the board at

be established and supervised in the school building, and the library books more widely distributed among the electors. This committee may also with the board suggest to the county superintendent the books on the library list that would be most acceptable to the electors in the district. In other words, which would be more likely to give them information concerning the things in which they are more particularly interested. The committee could, however, be clothed with advisory power only.

Bob Burdett on the Coffin Nail

"My son, as long as thou hast in thy skull the sense of a jay bird, break away from the cigarette, for lo, it causeth thy breath to stink like a glue factory; it rendereth thy mind less intelligent than a cigar store dummy, yea, thou art a cipher with the rim knocked off."

THE

On to the N. E. A. at Chicago! July 6 to 12

HE meeting of the National Education Association at Chicago next month-so close at home-and the fact that a home superintendent is this year the presiding officer of that great organization, should mean that Wiscosin's enrollment will be second only to that of Illinois and why not even ahead of that state?

This is to be the fiftieth annual convention of this great body of teachers representing the educational forces of the United States. They will assemble in Chicago, the logical place for any national meeting, being 400 miles nearer the center of the N. E. A. membership than any other which was proposed. The summer meeting of the association has not been held at Chicago for twentyfive years, and that held in 1887 was the largest and most successful in

the history of the association up to that date. Nor was the figure exceeded until eight years later, in 1895 at Denver.

Not since 1902 have the teachers of Wisconsin had such an opportunity to attend the N. E. A. meeting; in that year it was held at Minneapolis with a large attendance from Wisconsin. Now Chicago offers every opportunity

has been for the last two years. Chicago, fortunately, is able to furnish the largest and most convenient convention hall of any place in the United States. Besides this the hall is in direct connection with the Auditorium Hotel and the Congress Hotel which have been made jointly the convention headquarters.

While no reduced rates are offered this year on the railroads, this is no serious handicap to Wisconsin teachers as the distance is so short

SUPT. CARROLL G. PEARSE President of the National Education Association

for a big delegation from this state.

The program as prepared by President Pearse is a most attractive one. Those great men and women of the country who are giving their lives to the educational work will be there to tell their stories to the teachers of this land. It is quite evident that there will be some exciting times over questions of professional policy, not to mention the fact that the contest for a president will probably be as spirited as it

and the fare so little probably none will stop to think of that item. It is well for all those intending to stay in Chicago during convention week to make their reservations at the hotels immediately. A complete program may be obtained by writing to Secretary Irwin Shephard. Winona, Minn. Miss Emma J. Gardner, 12th District School No. 2, Milwaukee, is the state manager, and is exerting every effort to see that Superintendent Pearse receives a royal welcome from his home state at the Chicago meeting.

Though almost lost to sight in the evidences. of commercial activity, there are in Chicago a great number of cultural agencies which have. reached already a high stage of development. Such are the Art Institute, with a collection surpassed by few in America; the Public Library, with 350,000 volumes; the Newberry Library, with 325,000 volumes; the John Crerar Library, with 300,000 volumes; the Field Columbian Museum, for which a $5,000,000 building will soon be erected; and the University of Chicago. The last named is of special interest to teachers.

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ART IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF MADISON Estabrook O'Shea

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By Harriet F.

HE work of the Public School Art Association of Madison, like many other good things, is the outcome of the Woman's Club this time of the Educational Department. The members of the department in visiting the schools found much to be done in order Fitzroy Print to make them homelike and St. George and the Dragon beautiful. They found also many of the teachers interested in improving the appearance of their roooms and for this reason were encouraged to begin the work of decoration, The Association in Madison has been peculiarly fortunate, the scene of its activity being a University town, in which there are many people able to assist in the work. For this reason the society, which has been in existence only seven years, has been able to accumulate $3,500 worth of pictures and casts that adorn the walls of the eleven school buildings of the town. Although it has been able to do more than smaller towns differently situated might be able to accomplish there is much in its methods of work which may be helpful to other societies.

When the members of the Educational Department first planned to buy pictures for the schools, they were of course confronted by the usual difficulty lack of funds. In this case they decided that it might be possible to combine the raising of money with an educational campaign for the purpose of showing people the advantages of the work in which they were interested. For this reason, they chose to get money by holding exhibitions of pictures. Firms are oftentimes willing to send out pictures suitable for exhibition purposes on the chance that some may be sold either for use in the schools or to individuals. Some of the firms that have loaned exhibits to Public the Madison School Society are: Braun Clement & Co.,

Art

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Mother and Child by Michael Angelo (Caproni cast)

Another means of raising money which serves also to arouse interest is lantern slide entertainments with views of the countries from which most of our works of art come. To these methods, the society added coffees and socials held in the schools and in the homes of parents, food and candy sales for which the materials were made by school children and their mothers; rummage sales, conducted by parents, assisted by teachers and school children; concerts and the soliciting of private contributions.

It was through planning for these various entertainments that the Educational Department saw the advantage of forming a society distinct from the Woman's Club. It saw that there was needed in every school district a committee made up of patrons of the school and believed that much could be done by encouraging a wholesome spirit of rivalry among the committees. Many of the women who, they thought, would be most useful on these. committees were not members of the club. For this reason, the Public School Art Association

Fitzroy Prints Summer, Autumn

Photo shows artistic utilization of space between corner of room and door.

severed itself from the Woman's Club and became a separate organization and was incorporated under the laws of the State of Wisconsin. Its articles of incorporation sound rather formidable but they indicate. the purpose for which it exists: "The fostering of art education in the public schools of Madison, the artistic improvement of public school buildings and their equipment in said city, the obtaining and holding in trust for the public schools of Madison, works of art and the placing of the same in the various school buildings."

The articles of incorporation, however, do not indicate all the work

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In many cases these lists have been bound in covers beautifully decorated by the scholars as part of their art work.

The Association has placed in the public library of the city three thousand prints, reproductions of pictures and sculpture, covering Greek and Roman sculpture, early and late Italian and Dutch Art. These prints are thus centrally located in order that they may be useful to the largest number of people. The prints were obtained from the Bureau of University Travel, Trinity Place, Boston, and it is hoped to add to the collection, covering the art of other countries, as the prints are published in this series. Books upon the periods of art represented by the prints have also been placed in the library.

It may be helpful to other societies to know some of the firms from which the Association buys. Its casts have been obtained mainly from P. P. Caproni and Brother, Boston, though a few have been imported directly from Italy. Its vase forms in brass, Russian workmanship, were obtained in New York from Russian emigrants, its colored pottery chiefly from the Prang Company, Chicago, and its photographs from Braun, Clement Co., New York. All these firms have illustrated catalogs which are helpful in making selections. Most of the purchasing has been from firms in this country,chiefly from those that have furnished exhibits. The firms import from foreign houses directly to the schools, free of duty.

All of the above material may be obtained from or through the Art Education Company, Wabash Ave., Chicago. This company is composed of young women, students of art, who are intimately in touch with the needs of the public schools. The Association has found them most helpful in making many of its selection.

The members of the Association, most of whom are parents of children in the public schools, have through their work come into most intimate touch with the schools and have come to feel that if a truly artistic environment is to be secured, ample provision must be made for improving all conditions which affect health, comfort and development. For this reason, they have urged the use in all public school buildings of bubble fountains instead of com

mon drinking cups, the burning of anthracite coal for heating the buildings, the installing of vacuum cleaners for the purpose of freeing the atmosphere of germ-laden dust, and a more generous provision for playgrounds and school gardens adjacent to the buildings. Thus, without abandoning their first and somewhat restricted purpose, they have extended their interests to all important public school activities and in working with others for art in its narrow sense, they have formed new friendships and new associations which have contributed to a larger art-the art of life.

-By courtesy of La Follette's Magazine.
Two Products of Wood County

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Greet the seventy-two pound pumpkin. It was grown in Wood county. Take off your hat to the child! He is growing up in Wood county.

I am deeply interested in the growth of that pumpkin, but I am infinitely more interested in what is sitting on it. We should all be interested in the raising of corn, potatoes, hay and butter, only as they contribute to the production of minds and souls in strong, healthy bodies.

With our great growth in power to produce more and better crops with less and less expense, we must not forget the child in the picture. The very best crop in Wood county is, after all, sitting on that pumpkin.

-M. H. Jackson.

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