help they individually receive from the teacher. It need not be stated that in a school thus organized, (or rather disorganized) there can be little progress. If the time of the children were simp ly wasted, and the expense of supporting such a school were simp ly thrown away, while it would be lamentable, it might be borne ; but the real loss is in the utter aversion that the scholars come to feel towards teachers, books and schools. This is the beginning of indolence, indifference, apathy and truancy.

Besides, the small wages that most districts pay teachers, will not command the ability necessary to teach the more advanced pupils, and methods and discipline suitable to the younger scholars are so different from those adapted to the older ones that they cannot be adopted in the same school. Common sense teaches us that a school thus constituted must be a failure. The principle of division of labor is as applicable to educational work as to any other.

We also often find, in the same town, two school houses in adjoining districts, in one of which there are twenty pupils, and in the other fifty. Of course, in the latter case, the teacher is utterly unable to perform the labor required, and in the former the teacher lacks the stimulus that more pupils would give. Both schools are failures, and from opposite causes.

Much of the irregularity and non-attendance that are creating distrust in the minds of the people; in regard to our public school system, originates in the poor schools we have under existing laws. No sensible parent cares to send his child to a school taught by a person who has no power to adapt his instruction to the capacity of the pupil. He knows that it is better for the child to spend his time in work at home, than to waste it in idleness at school; and the child feels that there is no loss, when he can remain at home a week, and, on his return, find his classmates asking him for aid in learning the lessons he learned a year before.

Again, no school can long prosper without constant and intelligent supervision. To secure this under the present law is impossible. In many of the counties of the state, the County Superintendent is unable to visit all the schools under his supervision during the year. There are very few superintendents who visit the schools of their respective counties twice a year. Although it is made the duty of District Boards to visit the schools under their charge, yet this duty is very generally neglected; not because these

officers are indifferent to the interests of their schools, but because they cannot spend time to do what they are not conscious of being able to perform well. The consequence is a neglect of the school, not only by school officers, but parents also. The teacher is left wholly to himself; feeling no responsibility, despairing of aid, knowing that effort on his part is unnoticed, he becomes indifferent, complains of the difficulties that surround him, and impatiently waits for the end of his term. The scholars lose all interest in study, and naturally resort to some means of breaking the monotony of school life; their estimate of their time and privileges corresponds with the price their parents and teacher have put upon them, and they regard the time spent in the school room as lost.

There is no other department of labor that we thus neglect. Mining, building, engineering, manufacturing and farming are all systematically managed. Supervision, intelligent, constant and careful, is regarded as indispensable in all callings and avocations except teaching. The county Superintendency was a step in the right direction. We need to go farther. We need town supervision, and if we cannot secure the "Township District System," we shall be obliged to provide a town superintendency.

The two things, then, that most strongly recommend this system, are gradation and supervision. To secure them we appeal to the wis dom and power of the legislature.

The adoption of the "Township District System" will be attended with no serious difficulties. It will disorganize no districts now in existence, require no changes in management not easily made, and will not deprive the people of the towns of the power to control their educational affairs.

It will afford to each parent an opportunity of sending his children to such schools in his own town as are most convenient and suitable. It will enable country towns to grade their schools, and thus secure at home those educational advantages that at present are limited to our cities and large villages. By the appointment of a town board, to be selected by the district officers, efficiency, unity, harmony and economy, would be secured. The secretary of the board would act as its executive officer, aiding teachers in grading and classifying pupils, and by constant supervision, promote the advancement of scholars and enforce the requirements of the board and the laws of the State.

In the State of Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island. Connecticut and Massachusetts, where the system has been tested by years of trial, there is no difference of opinion in regard to its Iconomy, simplicity and efficiency.-State Superintendent's Report.

The Teachers' Reward.

"When Jupiter offered the prize of immortality to him who was the most useful to mankind, the court of Olympus was crowded with competitors. The warrior boasted of his patriotism, but Jupiter thundered; the rich man boasted of his munificence and Jupiter showed him the widow's mite; the pontiff held up the keys of heaven, and Jupiter pushed the doors wide open; the painter boasted of his power to give life to inanimate canvas, and Jupiter breathed aloud in derision; the sculptor boasted of making Gods that contended with the immortals for human homage, Jupiter frowned; he orator boasted of his power to sway the nation with his voice, and Jupiter marshaled the obedient host of heaven with a word; the poet spoke of his power to move even the gods of praise, Jupter blushed; the musician claimed to practice the only art that ad been transplanted to heaven, Jupiter hesitated; when seeing venerable man looking with intense interest upon the group of ompetitors but presenting no claims, Who art thou? said the beignant monarch. Only a spectator, replied the gray headed sage, these were my pupils. Crown him, crown him/ said Jupiter. 'rown the faithful teacher with immortality, and make room for mat my right hand."

JOHN STUART MILL says: "Education is one of those things: hich it is admissible in principle that a government should proide for the people: it is therefore an allowable exercise of governient to impose on parents the legal obligation of giving elementary education to children. This, however, can not fairly be done without taking measures to insure that such instruction shall al: ways be accessible to them, either gratuitously or at a trifling expenze."

Editorial Miscellany.

Wanted---Writers.

We would call upon teachers and superintendents of this State to write for the JOURNAL. There is sufficient talent in the State if used to make the Wisconsin JOURNAL equal to any in the country. At Institutes and Associations, teachers are willing to exercise their talents in writing; why not in an educational journal, which reaches so many teachers who are unable to attend Institutes and Associations. The object of the teacher is or should be -to do good, to extend to as large a number as possible his knowledge of teaching, to relate his experience, and if he knows a superior method of teaching any particular branch or topic, to promulgate it. We do not wish to borrow every thing from our neighbors. but to let them know that we are not behindhand, in enterprise and education. Any thing of interest to teachers, happening in different localities, especially accounts of teachers' meetings and institutes, should be at once communicated to the JOURNAL and there by transmitted to the teachers of the State. We saw with regret the lack of interest on the part of teachers in the last days of the Old Series. Our predecessor was obliged to borrow much from other journals, which seems to us on the part of teachers a virtual cknowledgment of their incompetency or unwillingness to sustain n educational journal. We had hoped that after the suspension f the JOURNAL for so long a time, the teachers would feel an wakened interest and would manifest it by aiding us with their pens as well as purse. We still hope.

Brown University has 175 Students, 84 of whom are professors of religion.

The Decimal System.

Several Presidents and Professors of Colleges have petitioned Congress to adopt the Decimal System of weights and measures, now in use in several European countries. We sincerely hope this measure may be brought about. The principle of decimals can be easily taught to pupils in one term. The fact that we have but ten arithmetical characters is evident. Even before scholars can read or are old enough to study Arithmetic, they understand this system in the reckoning of money. It is very difficult to make younger pupils understand that 16 ounces make a pound in one example and but 12, in another; that 63 gallons make a hogshead in one, and 54, in another. As an initiatory step to the introduction, the petitioners suggest that the decimal system of weights and measures, as used in Holland, Belgium, France and some other countries, be explained in all of our Common School Arithmetics. The Indiana State Teachers' Association at their last meeting drew up a list of resolutions which they sent to their Representatives in Congress, requsting them to use their influence in adopting a uniform decimal system.

All transactions of trade are safe in proportion as they are simple. Many of our business men are unable to transact business owing to their ignorance of Denominate Numbers. On account of the great complicity of our tables, many scholars leave school in total ignorance of them. Besides a great amount of precious time is wasted if they do perfect themselves in these. We believe, on an average, that it takes two terms of twelve weeks each for pupils to become thoroughly conversant with the uses of Denominate Numbers. There are more than 200,000 pupils in this State alone; each losing twenty-four weeks would make a total of 4,800,000 weeks or more than 92,000 years of lost time for one generation of children (provided all learned them, as they should). This estimate may be extravagant, but the loss is sufficient to encourage all lovers of progress to exert themselves in introducing a simple, uniform system of tables and to remove so many seeming contradictions which perplex the mind of the young. We will hail with delight whoever may bring this to pass as a true benefactor of the race.

MAINE is about to have an Agricultural College.