Pop Rings The Bell (1944)

[Music] see all those lights down there small towns that make the nation but that's not what I want to talk about I want to talk about the folks who live here the folks of shop on Saturday night well go to bed every night right after the 11 o'clock news gas aggressive as folks anywhere the type of school Middleton supports is a good example of that just as Pop Gregor's a splendid example of the way most Middleton folks think I'd like to have you annoying in fact I'd like to have you know him as well as I do or understanding puff breaker will help you to understand something bigger Daniel s trigger is known affectionately as pop - more than two generations of school children in Middleton pop got quite involved last evening in school affairs in fact he played a big role so did this group of drawings and this chat school custodian of course is a big sounding name and it labels a big job that of keeping the school clean and helpful and one Pop is proud of his job I'm proud of the Middleton school he serves well it seems it all started off like this on a particular evening in question the Middleton elementary and high school that cordially invited everybody to attend the back-to-school party back-to-school party as you probably know is one of those Affairs at which grown-ups especially parents are given an opportunity to witness the kind of teaching method for their turn in our modern school in Middleton school was doing itself proud that there were demonstrations of the new methods of teaching history in our school the history of this great land of ours of its geography civics economics and all the rest that make up the social study the history of the great migration over routes that have since become numbered automobile highways and our visions of the future that and the world ever interesting demonstrations by the science classes showing how students today learn about the basic metals and are introduced to the amazing worlds of plastic synthetic with demonstrations by the vocational classes the shops and handicrafts own where students gain the knowledge and skill that will help them to earn a living and enjoy a fuller life the grade school class has made presentations to like this stirring pledge of allegiance to the play one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all while the show is going on pop was enjoying a quiet rest happy in the knowledge that his school was making a great showing for herself he was content to be alone but not for long no this story has other garrotted the curtain went up on the first act of the dama when three of Middleton's important businessmen chose this door to come out for a smoke now while these are big men in town pop still considers them his boys he knew them back when they were just kids in the Old West Side school top of their product impressive end and he's mighty proud of them now this is James Coleman he's a leading banker in Middleton Harold Johnson is a retail merchant who sees that Middleton's matrons have styles as chic and smart as their city neighbors this is Robert Fraley who owns and operates the central manufacturing company our biggest industrial plant pop and his boys were some exchanging memories of their schooldays recalling the pranks and the pleasantries that are a part of any normal healthy school career and then suddenly out came Fred Bates Bates's Middleton's real estate desire made a lot of money selling home sites to the Middleton citizens I guess the playwright's or literary folks would call Fred the motivating factor in our little story or at least the instrument that set all the machinery in motion Bates had something in mind immediately he began talking in an excited fashion to James Coleman pop tried to follow the conversation but it didn't make much sense to him seem to have something to do with spending money or something anyway fred was shouting we've got to do something about this right away we've got to fight this thing well pop but none of my business no skin off my nose but whether he wanted it or not pop was drawn in the proceedings without saying please or any word of courtesy bates practically ordered him to lead the way to the principal's office Thoth agreed but he wasn't too happy about it as they left Coleman suggested to Frazer and Johnson they accompanied the group he said that this was a subject with the dentist all of them they agreed and the whole party troop toward the principal's office mr. Forsythe is the supervising principal of Middleton school he had to left the party for a few moments and returned to his office to pick up some papers to talk over with a schoolboy pop started introductions but mr. Forsythe already knew the gentlemen after all they are among the most prominent men in town but let's listen in on the group and get the story firsthand mr. Johnson nice to see you again won't you sit down I guess why don't you stay pop thanks oh well well gentlemen are you having a good time at the party yes but frankly mr. Forsythe we'd like to know why the devil the school wants more tax money this year here we have a brand-new school building not six years old yet why do you have to hold up the taxpayers for more money I'm very glad to have an opportunity to discuss this problem with you I can readily understand how anyone who doesn't know the facts of the entire situation might come to conclusions that are not quite correct suppose I explained our school problem just the way we see it first let's look at some pictures they may be a bit startling but they do bring home the fact that schools today must prepare students for a new kind of world a world of much different from the one for which you and I were prepared today's students will graduate into a fascinating new world of design of invention of strange and wonderful conveniences all of these will bring new problems of living and earning to the citizens of tomorrow air travel for example is going to be a much more important factor in our lives in the very near future scores of children who are students today are destined to play a major role in this air travel world of the future and we must help them prepare so they can take advantage of their opportunities radio television and electronics are opening up great new fields of endeavor and opportunity for thousands of students those persons who are trained and qualified to make contributions to these new fields are the ones who will enjoy the rewards that an eager world will pay to those who make possible this progress in modern living through new uses of our present metals through a wider use of plastic synthetic materials and lighter metals we'll have new and kinds of poems household conveniences living conditions there'll be new and unusual methods of processing packaging distributing and selling merchandise and services all of these wonderful new modern devices and inventions are going to present to the citizens of tomorrow students of today not only new and complex problems of living but more important new problems of earning and being able to contribute to the new world to prepare students for tomorrow's world the 3 R's are basic of course they're a foundation but they're preliminary to specialisation in a particular branch of a science or other fields of study teaching today calls for more than books and homework assignments it requires specialized equipment for classroom demonstration and actual individual experiment and of course it calls for highly specialized qualified teachers just as you men demand expert training and long experience in the people you employ in your engineering or merchandising divisions so education demands teachers who are scientifically trained naturally we have to pay more to get and keep the best teachers you see gentlemen one of our main objectives is to develop citizens who will have the capacity to produce and consume at a rate in keeping with a high standards of living which we want to maintain in our country to do this we must employ the very best in tools and methods don't you agree you've got something there and that capacity to produce and consume idea yes but all this costs money more school taxes are all very well for people who now have children in school what about the people whose children are out of school all those who have no children you've got a good point mr. Johnson I think perhaps I can answer to your satisfaction we've seen the contribution which education makes toward helping the individual prepare to earn a living now let's see the contribution it makes to the community let's consider some facts and figures here are some facts from the research department of the National Education Association gathered from all classes of persons in all types of industries and income groups throughout the United States these figures prove the pupils who attend only eight grades of school and then go to work earn in an average lifespan only 64 thousand dollars or a yearly average of 1000 for students who go through high school earn in a lifespan 88,000 dollars about 50 percent more than those who attended only eight grades of school or a yearly average of $2,100 and those students who remain in school through college earn $160,000 during an average lifetime double the yearly earnings of highschool graduates or three times the annual earnings of those who only finished grade school or a yearly total of $4,200 and what does this mean [Applause] in the first place it proves that education increases the earning power of the individual and the earning power of the members of a community has a definite bearing on the prosperity of all members of that community the income of people in the community is in direct proportion to the educational level of those they serve who is it that continually buys the inexpensive inferior merchandise whether it be in clothes furniture or food naturally it's the persons of low income who must stretch their pennies those to whom education has brought increased earning power can afford to purchase the quality merchandise getting more value for their money and bringing better profits to the retailer's and these people buy more purchasing not only the quality item but also all the matching accessories that make up the ensemble and this condition has always been true why back when cars were few and far between they were available only to persons in the higher income brackets maybe you can remember the kitchen than your grandmother's home the rain the icebox they were household conveniences enjoyed only where there were greater incomes and it's true today such modern appliances as these in homes are indicative of the better incomes comfortable up-to-date conveniences appliances and services are in the better homes where education has increased the earning power but education does even more it gives affirmed cultural background through its classes in design and music through its art and decoration instruction giving talents and opportunity to develop this has two definite results first such education increases an individual's yearning power it builds an appreciation for the artistic the creative its the educated who first call for the new the better the improve and second as my wife has often pointed out such training improves an individual's buying ability helping a person to get maximum value for the money spent as another contribution schools render an invaluable service in building the health average of a community through classes and physical education recreation and bodily improvement further by directing the energies of youth along constructive lines education helps develop character this helps reduce juvenile delinquency and finally education helps make democracy work it teaches students to acquire facts to think for themselves and to decide issues by peaceful means and majority rule in a word it provides the community with well-informed citizens and that's very important today air travel is brought foreign countries so close to us that our civic responsibilities have increased enormously now when you consider all these benefits that education bring community I think you'll agree that school taxes are not an assessment they're a community investment that brings a substantial dollars and cents return education progress in a community should be the selfish desire of every businessman in that community whether he has children in school at any particular moment or not the aim should be good schools for every district for the laborers child as well as for the employers child does that answer your question mr. Johnson yes yes it does sure the people of the community benefit just as you say but how about outside interests that attacked railroads and absentee owners of business how do they benefit they benefit in this way mr. Fraser ignorance is a liability wherever it exists it's a liability to a community to the state and to the nation back in the days of the Cracker Barrel grocery store there was little opportunity in the average community for outside interests to make a contribution or to profit now that people have been educated to earn more to desire more and to consume more and better things every community offers opportunity to all those who provide goods and services local folks as well as non-resident owners why if education didn't create desire for the new and modern conveniences and services and did not give the individual the earning power to pay for such conveniences and services there'd be little need for the railroads to ship products into this community the same rule applies to all other forms of outside service which supply a community outside owners will also profit from a community in direct relation to the prosperity the members of that community and the prosperity of a community depends largely upon the progressiveness of its educational system that's why education is the responsibility of the community of the state and of the nation questions satisfactorily all except mine despite all your arguments mr. Forsyte I haven't changed my opinion I still say we're spending too much money on education as it is and now you want more I say it's wrong and I'm against it but don't you see mr. garnet Fred you're just as stubborn now as you were in the old west side school 25 years ago excuse me mr. Forsyte but I can't help it Fred ain't got no business to top again school ooh Texas I'm a working man but I've seen all the things that education has done for the working man and I'm for it by your parents all thought the same way none of them had scabs of money did they you all got where you are today by your education in fact Fred education did more for you than they did for any of the others it built your business what that's right that's what I said remember when they built that school out on the west side it was less than four blocks from your dad's 30 acre farm now I happen to know your dad was having a tough time trying to make that place feed his family he fought the bond issue for that school tooth and nail said the taxes would ruin him did they sir your pup quit farming lit up the farm into building Lots and that was the beginning of Beach real estate business upped it and another thing Fred this school here is one of your best talking points when you're making these deals believe me you brag plenty about the loop and the kind of education kids get here why if anything you should not only vote for school taxes you should be the first to ask for improvements besides it pop said a lot of but he did finally convince bass later as he recalled his own part in the little grandma he was still amazed at his courage and speaking up before those influential men of this town cop remembered the points brought out by mr. force act of the park played by education and prepare students for the grand new world of the future of the contribution that education makes to the earning power of the individual and of the fact that education is an investment that brings a community definite monetary returns pop knew he was right and speaking out knew he had rung the bell now he was more convinced than ever before that the money invested in education was certainly one place where dollars make sense Frank Kovach [Music]