resent, 44 per
cent.; out of the 93 gentlemen in the same office, 18 were
present, 19 per cent. The ratio of attendance has been about
the same for the four years.

How has woman's work as county superintendent impressed
other educators? State-Superintendent Etter, who confesses
that he was not in favor of the plan, said at the State
Teachers' Association, above referred to: "The ladies
compare very favorably with their gentlemen co-laborers."
Mr. E.L. Wells, for twelve years county superintendent of
Ogle county, and thoroughly conversant with the work
throughout the State, concurs in this opinion. President
Newton Bateman, than whom no man in the State is better
fitted to speak on this subject, in his political-economy
class in Knox college, took occasion to commend the
efficiency of women as county superintendents of our State.
A gentleman who travels extensively, and looks into school
affairs closely, says he is convinced that in every county
where a woman was elected four years ago, the efficiency of
the office had been doubled and in some cases increased four
or even ten fold. If this be not an exaggeration, an
explanation may be found in the fact that in most of these
counties the best ladies were put in the place of gentlemen
most poorly fitted for the place. The office had become a
political foot-ball, kicked about as party exigencies
demanded, and often came into possession of political hacks
who "must be provided for," and for whom no other place
could be found. They had no qualifications for the office,
and, of course, could not perform its duties. The people,
disgusted, turned to the women for relief, and took good
care to elect the ones best fitted to do the work. Had equal
care been used in the selection of their predecessors, they
might have done equally good work. In quoting opinions, I
have purposely confined myself to those given by gentlemen.

The limits of this paper have restricted this discussion to
the work of woman as a county superintendent; but in other
school offices she is doing efficient work. All over the
State we have exampl