Ipswich High School - Tiger Yearbook (Ipswich, MA)

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tures. Compare the percentage of increase in school costs with the percentage of increase in cost of other local departments over a peri- od of years and you usually see that school costs have not increased out of proportion to costs of other de- partments of local government. Massachusetts schools are giving a dollar’s Worth of service for |each dollar they cost. A favorite line of attack by those who wish to slash educational offer- ings and appropriations is to direct attention to the great increase in the cost of free public education, disre- garding the conditions which ex- plain this increase. Schools cost more to-day for many reasons. First, there has been a nation-wide increase in the number of students in school. Second, children are stay- ing in school longer than ever be- fore. Third, more teachers are need- ed today. Fourth, the subject taught in school to-day are greater in va- rietv. The people of Massachusetts expect more of their government in general and of their school depart- ments in particular and must expect to pay the increased cost. Increas- ing cost must in ordinary times be accepted as inevitable and must be considered always in relation to re- sults. As in many enterprises in school work the amount paid for wages is the major factor in expenditure. There can be no doubt that the im- portant element in the school en- vironment is the teacher, for with- out her the school is merely a pile of bricks. What the state of Massa- chusetts needs is good teachers. Good teachers never have been and probably never will be overpaid. If possible, every community should in times like these adopt the wjisest form of economy, which meants em- ploying the best available teachers at usual salaries rather than reduc- ing salaries and thereby tending to eliminate superior teachers. It is economy to pay the salaries which good teachers earn. The fundamental laws relating to public schools are state laws. By state law every community must provide schooling for boys and girls between the ages of seven and fif- teen inclusive and must elect a school committee which sha ll have general charge of all the public schools. In brief, communities must furnish free education, must see that children attend the schools provid- ed, and must elect a committee with a broad power of general manage- ment. Surelv the child has the in- alienable right to demand of society that it shall provide the conditions and environments which will enable him to have a fair and adequate start toward making the most of himself. School is one of the most important factors in the child’s life. The free public school is the one place where all children get the same environment, the same guid- ance, the same opportunity to un- fold. the same stimulation to suc- ceed, and the same chance to ex- perience and experiment. The slashings of school appropriations involve not only dollars and cents but also the rights and the futures of boys and girls. Therefore all friends of free pub- lic education should oppose de- mands which will deprive the youth 24

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Massachusetts. This money was spent in productive channels laying a foundation for future prosperity, and given not only to teachers, but also to printers, masons, carpenters, coal dealers, paper manufacturers, and countless others. Towns having new schools attract new residents who contribute to local prosperity. Largely because America spends most generously for education she has the largest income and wealth of any nation. Free public educa- tion builds prosperity. A somewhat popular pastime with certain people has been that of ridiculing the “frills” of modern public education. In most cases they do not specify particular subjects, being content with generalities. “Frills” commonly mentioned are art, manual training, music, house- hold arts, and health work. Obvi- ously, with a greater percentage of our children entering our schools, especially the high schools, it is nec- essary to provide a broader pro- gram than in the old days when on- ly those destined for college spent a long time in school. English, his- tory. geography, and science were “frills” once. More money will have to be spent on education and more subjects will have to be taught as the decades roll on if society is to progress. Taxation in the United States is simply a payment for services de- manded and received, and there should be no different attitude toward paying taxes from that toward paying for any service or commodity. The average tax bur- den is smaller in the United States than in any other leading country. So long as we demand more and more service from the government, we must expect rising taxes. The problem is going to be one of devis- ing means of raising the necessary funds equitably and with as little discomfort as possible. The time has long since gone when tangible property was the chief from of personal wealth and the chief source of personal income. Yet, the Massachusetts land owner is bearing about 51% of the total burden of local and state expendi- tures and is paying about 70% of the direct taxes, while the people with larger incomes or with more wealth in the form of intangible property are bearing little of the burden. The future will have to bring a just, easily-administered, searching program of taxation which will bring it about so that every citizen shall contribute in pro- portion to his ability to pay. The best we can do is to insist on effi- ciency and on just distribution of the tax load. During the year 1930-31 the sum of $84,468,319 was spent by the lo- cal and state government .on gener- al public schools below college lev- el. The average number of school days throughout the state was 182. The number of pupils in average membership in public elementary and secondary day schools was 719.675. Thus the average cost per pupil in 1930-31 was $117.37 for the year or 64c a day. Though school costs have been steadily rising, it should be borne in mind that the same is true of other governmental departments and also of our personal expendi-

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of to-day and the citizens of tomor- row of educational opportunities un- less such deprivation is absolutely neccessary. In that case the trim- ming must be done slowly, wisely, and regretfully with the idea con- stantly in mind that with a better day Massachusetts must once more go ahead providing generous educa- tional opportunities as an invest- I ment in her future. Class Day Parts Class History By Sylvia Todd I T was a beautiful day in Septem- ber when we, the class of 1933, first entered the doors of Manning High School. Our first impression was one of awe and wonder as we tiptoed through the long hall and timidly ascended the stairs. On the second floor we were greeted by a group of haughty seniors who gazed at us with an icy stare. However, with the help of Mrs. Lord we passed this frigid zone and made our way to the hall. Here, under the supervision of Miss Ventres and Mr. Whipple, we found our respec- tive places and then bravely at- tempted to adjust ourselves to our new surroundings. Before the first week was over every “freshie” (es- pecially Hayes) knew where Room 10 was located, much to his discom- fort. After a few weeks had passed and we had become accustomed to our new surroundings we had our first class meeting. Our officers for the year were as follows : Peter Re- tales, president; Robert Clogston, vice president; Margaret Hamm, secretary; and James Austin, treas- urer. I must confess that our dis- cipline was not what it should have been during class meetings because Cuik’s acrobatic stunts and Ma- guire’s jokes kept the entire class in an uproar while our capable yet harassed President shouted in vain for order. Cuik and Maguire still entertain but now they have the competition of Hayes, Anzuoni, Austin, and a few other comedians. After a brief but pleasant sum- mer vacation we returned to school and began our sophomore year. The proper thing to do, now that we were sophomores, was to begin to do some real studying, but although our intentions were good, the re- sults were somewhat disappointing. At our annual class meeting we elected for our class officers Peter Retales, president; James Austin, vice president; Margaret Hamm, secretary; and Sylvia Todd, treas- urer. It was this year that Mr. Conary beo-an to see excellent football ma- terial in the class. It included Bud- Hanowski (our Clark Gable), Tony Cvnkus (our sheik). Bialek (our blusher), and many others too num- erous to mention. “Not Quite Such a Goose’’ was the play given by the sophomore class before the entire school. Ann Adamowicz played the part of the twenty-year old sister who thought herself to be quite sophisticated while Murray Adams played the part of the s ' w.a.Ped “kid brother ” Barbara Arthur and James Austin also were important characters in the cast. The cast forgot their parts 25