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Read the following quotation from "Hoosier Thrift," issued every week in behalf of the Indiana War Savings Committee:

"Uncle Sam is proposing a new slogan for all his people. It is: 'Savings First.' The government wants to cultivate the habit of saving first and spending afterwards. It advises and strongly urges the wisdom of establishing a systematic plan under which every citizen may decide at the first of the week just how much he can save, and then setting aside that amount definitely as savings. Too many people try to save at the end of the week. These people find usually there is nothing to save." No interest-bearing Thrift Stamps can be bought.

The following shows the loss in the use of her money (interest) that the teacher sustains under the monthly wage payment plan. Assume the wage to be $1,400 for ten months, or $140 per month:

Weekly Payment Plan.

One-fourth due first week, $35. One-fourth due second week, $35. One-four due third week, $35. One-fourth due fourth week, $35. Under Monthly Payment Plan. Loses the use of amount due first week for three-fourths of month, or three-fourths of the time.

Loses the use of the amount due second week for one-half month, or onehalf the time.

Loses the use of the amount due third week for one-fourth month, or one-fourth the time.

certain amount deposited weekly, or as a member of a building and loan association, or as a weekly depositor in a savings and trust company. These clubs have been organized in almost every town and city in the commonwealth. Giving the teacher the deserving benefits of the weekly wage payment plan would put "pep" into her efforts in carrying out the following, which is quoted from "Hoosier Thrift":

"The natural nucleus for the 1919 thrift campaign of education has been the school system. Several weeks ago the Indiana State Board of Education adopted a resolution requiring all the public schools to teach thrift. Arrangements were made whereby the schools should provide weekly lessons on thrift, and in addition work the subject into other courses, such as history, physiology, arithmetic, etc."

The teacher needs to enjoy every advantage of economic buying in order to reduce expenses running almost beyond his income. Under the monthly wage payment plan it is apparent that the teacher is the loser in advantageous investment. He is the loser in economic buying, because he has not ready money frequently to take advantage of "army sales" and other sales at a reduced price. He is often handicapped in taking advantage of the "Cash and Carry" plan as does the factory employe, who enjoys, along with his family, a weekly wage payment. The financial needs and the demands upon the teacher are no less stringent than those of other people. His wage to

No loss, as it would be paid at end day is apt to be less and the strinof week earned. gency greater than others.

The banks and loan companies, putting out at interest small amounts for short periods, make money.

The amounts above placed in the teacher's hands weekly would enable her to invest in War Savings Stamps, which begin to bear interest immediately. Some part of each of these weekly payments could be deposited to her credit as a member of a Christmas Banking Club, which require a

A few groups of people whose wages are paid more frequently than monthly might be mentioned: Street car men, firemen, policemen and policewomen, janitors, bank clerks, railroad men. A locomotive engineer draws from about $140 every two weeks, working an eight-hour day. The teacher who draws this much every four weeks is fortunate.

This is not a question of increasing

wages, but a matter of fair dealing thru the payment of the teachers' wages as soon as earned; and out of money already in the banks bearing interest which is credited to the school corporations. It is a matter of putting teachers on a par with other wage earners. The solution of this situa

tion is simple, and for that reason could easily and quickly be made effective. This is of pressing importance this year on account of the inadequate increase in teachers' wages to meet the increased cost of living. It can in no sense offset low wages, yet it will help in some measure.

Teaching Modern Arithmetic
Byron Kirby, South Bend.

Before one attempts to teach any subject, and more particularly, before he attempts to teach arithmetic, he should answer for himself, in the light of present-day needs and understanding, two questions: (1) What is the object of teaching this subject? (2) What subject matter, what material should be emphasized and hammered upon continually?

The conclusions and deductions which the individual teacher evolves in his study of the foregoing questions will determine, to a great degree, his success or failure as a teacher of arith

metic

What is the object of teaching arithmetic? A few years ago lecturers on education, writers on educational subjects, and instructors of mathematics alike, told us that the study of this subject would increase our power to reason soundly and logically-that if one were a good student in algebra and geometry he would make a first rate lawyer, a leader in social reform, or a marvel in working out economic readjustments. Luckily, this theory has been exploded-thinkers will no longer place credence in a theory which they may see disproven before their own eyes every day of the week. It is true that the study of mathematics will enable one to reason more logically mathematically, but how many of us have done any deep mathematical thinking after having left school? Our problems are social problems, economic problems-problems relating to the elimination of discord, the destruction of crime, the increase of happiness, the creation of a proper regard for

law, equitable laws regarding the supply and distribution of necessities, the making of a living, the making of a better world to live in. These are the problems which engage 99 per cent of our time, yet, while in school these very problems were given no emphasis whatsoever. What kind of logic leads to such a condition along the lines which we must reason later on? It is true we need mathematics in the sclution of the big problems which have been mentioned, but what kind of mathematics is it? It is arithmetic which consists only of the simplest problems in the use of the four fundamental operations, including a working knowledge of units, denominate units, fractions and mixed numbers. This last statement, then, answers our second question, what material should be emphasized?

We know that arithmetic does not develop general reasoning power, and we further know that our actual business experiences do not present long, complicated problems. Ninety-five per cent of the problems that the average individual needs to solve should be solved mentally. This being true, the efficient teacher will not waste his valuable time in making his class solve complicated and tedious problems. He will, on the other hand, drill and hammer upon the fundamentals until by the time the child is through the 7th grade, he can perform these operations like a flash. The field covered in arith-, metic should be much narrower than it is; but it should be covered with absolute thoroughness. A child, after completing the 7th grade, should know

what 7 times 9 is, for instance, as quickly as he knows what i-t is; he should know what 7 times 4 times 5 is as readily as he knows what t-h-e is. The world demands speed and accuracy in the use of practical arithmetic, not a broad knowledge of "arithmetical punk." How many of us need to know the relation between an ounce troy and an ounce avoidupois?

Besides lightning like rapidity in the fundamentals, the teacher should emphasize the mental side of arithmetic, (1) because 95 per cent of our problems should be solved mentally; (2) because mental arithmetic develops concentration; (3) because concentration is the basis of memory.

What

Let us consider point one. will lb butter cost at $.69 per lb? What will 33 lbs. potatoes cost at $.06 per lb? What will 2 yards of ribbon. cost at $.19 per yd? If one buys them all from the same dealer and gives a $10 bill, what change should he receive? If a single railroad fare is $2.18 what change should a man receive from a $10 bill if he buys three tickets? These are fair examples of the mathematical problems of life-and the person who needs a pencil to solve them is crippled to that extent.

The second great reason for teaching mental arithmetic is because it develops concentration. This "lost

talent" can be developed through the study of other subjects, but the effort expended will be much greater, while the results obtained will be much less

beneficial than those gained through the study of arithmetic. The writer

has noticed that when mental arithmetic is first taken up in the 5th grade the children cannot remember the numbers long enough to solve the problems. But by forcing the children to concentrate and think of nothing except the work in hand they were, by the time they finished the 5th grade, able not only to remember the numbers, but also to get the answer in a remarkably short time. By the time these same children finished the 7th grade 75 per cent of the class could

solve correctly, mentally, a list of problems like the following and, what is wholly as important, 60 per cent of them could give the list from memory in the same order in which it was originally given by the teacher:

(1) 189 plus 276 equals
(2) 700 minus 237 equals
(3) 2341 divided by 8 equals
(4) 376 times 8 equals
(5) 19 times 18 equals
(6) 334 divided by 223 equals
(7) 523 plus 334 equals

If you do not realize the difficulty of these problems and experiment upon this work permit some one to take you. Work of this kind is doubly important because it gives the needed training in arithmetic, and because it develops one's powers of concentration and memory. These lie at the bottom of success in any line of activity. They alone spell victory.

The arithmetic recitation period. should be divided approximately as tollows: 25 per cent of the time to drill; 25 per cent to mental problems and 50 per cent to the assignment and the advance lesson. The writer knows from actual experience that children who are taught after this system through the 5th, 6th and 7th grades, take more interest in their work, make a livelier and snappier recitation and make more proficient and intense students than those who are permitted to half sleep throughout a long, laborious recitation in which seven or

eight 42-centimeter problems are analyzed with utmost accuracy and absolute nicety.

"There never was any good reason for abandoning the spelling contests, which are more valuable to the great body of pupils than athletic contests. In spelling contests all pupils profit some. In athletic contests the already strong receive the most careful and persistent training. The weak and physically undeveloped attract and receive little attention."-Supt. Schanlaub, Newton County.

From the State Department of Public Instruction

Indianapolis, Ind., Nov, 17, 1919. To the School Superintendents of Indiana:

The Congress of the United States. has passed a law setting forth certain conditions under which pupils may be given working permits for employment in classified industries.

The Industrial Board of Indiana and the State Board of Truancy held a conference some time ago concerning the matter of whether the state and local authorities in Indiana should undertake to enforce the Federal statute concerning permit workers. It was unanimously decided that, as a matter of state pride, as well as for other reasons, we would ask the school officials of Indiana to co-operate in every way in enforcing the provisions of the Federal law along with the State law.

As a consequence of this decision Indiana has been designated for a period ending April 1, 1920. In other words, the school people of this state are being given a chance to show. whether they can enforce the Federal law as well as the State law in regard to issuing permits for employment. If we fail, the right to enforce this law will be taken from us. Virginia has already lost her designation for failure to comply. We believe that Indiana does not want this record. We urgently ask the school officials of this state to enforce the State and Federal law to the letter and to give speedy attention to this matter.

In September, Governor Goodrich furnished the money with which to have a supply of blanks printed for enforcing the Federal and State laws in regard to working permits. A supply of these blanks was shipped into each county. In order to save our rather meager funds provided for paying transportation charges, in many cases. a supply was shipped to the county superintendent's office for the entire county. If a local city or town superintendent has not received a supply

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(1) Issuing officers should follow exactly printed instructions on pages 2 and 3 of the folders supplied them, and especially the last paragraph which states: "The agent issuing the age certificate for a child shall require the evidence of age stated in paragraph (a) in preference to that specified in any subsequent paragraph, and shall not accept evidence of age permitted by any later paragraph UNLESS HE SHALL RECEIVE AND FILE EVIDENCE that the proof of age required by the preceding paragraph or paragraphs cannot be obtained.

(2) Are issuing for children under

14. (3) Are issuing for night work for children under 16 years of age.

(4) Are issuing for mines, quarries, cigar factories and other prohibitive places for children under 16.

(5) Are not reissuing old certificates upon approved evidence of age (Employers are not protected under the old form of certificates, since it was upon this form of certificate that Indiana failed to be designated as a state in which state certificates were acceptable).

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(7) Are not forwarding to the State Industrial Board the Information card for cases where certificates are refused.

Again we are asking immediate and hearty co-operation in the matter of these working permits. If the school people fail to enforce these laws Federal agents will be sent to Indiana to see to it that the Federal statutes are complied with. We sincerely hope that the situation will rapidly improve in Indiana.

Indianapolis and Terre Haute are the only school corporations that have been passed favorably by the agents of the Federal Government. We hope that we can add other school corporations to this list at once. Very truly,

L. N. HINES, State Supt. of Public Instruction. P. S. Some of the school supply printing houses have these blanks on sale.

Indianapolis, Ind., Nov. 8, 1919.

To Indiana School Officers and Teach

ers:

Gentlemen: At a meeting of the State Board of Education held October 9, 1919, in response to a movement quite prevalent in the state favoring the establishment of a Department of Health and Hygiene in the public schools, the State Board of Education appointed a committee, consisting of E. U. Graff, superintendent of schools of Indianapolis; Benjamin J. Burris, assistant state superintendent, and E. B. Wetherow, state high school inspector, to investigate and report as to the legality and advisability of establishing such a department, where practicable, in the schools. Upon receipt of the committee's report at the meeting of the State Board of Education on November 7th, and after due

consideration, the Board adopted the following resolution, which I recommend for your careful consideration:

"In view of health conditions gener

ally, throughout the state, and of numerous requests on the part of school officers and teachers favoring the teaching of Health and Hygiene as an additional subject to the branches now taught in the public schools, it is recommended by the Board that the subject of Health and Hygiene be taught in the schools whenever and wherever in the judgment of the trustee or trustees and other school officers in control, the advancement of pupils require it and conditions generally justify it, subject to these conditions:

"The subject, when introduced in the schools, shall be taught by a regular licensed teacher, licensed by the State Board of Education, and no person shall be eligible for the examination or for a license in the subject who is not a registered nurse in the State of Indiana. This examination shall be held at the time regular teachers' examinations are held, and the license, when issued, shall entitle the holder to supervise and teach Hygiene and Health in both the elementary and high schools of the state. The rules of the Board now in effect with respect to the issuing of teachers' licenses, and not contrary to the foregoing, shall apply to the issuing of this license."

From the foregoing it will be observed that the question of teaching health and hygiene in the schools now rests exclusively with local school an thorities.

Very truly yours,

L. N. HINES, State Supt. of Public Instruction.

Some Guiding Principles in Differentiating and Correlating the Two-Year and Four-Year Courses in

Teacher Training

A statement from the State Board of Education and O. H. Williams, Inspector of Teacher Training.

While no hard and fast line of de

marcation should be drawn between the two-year and the four-year courses, yet a degree of differentiation with respect to subjects and objectives,

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