8. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in a barber shop, will give good reason to suspect his worth, intention, integrity and honesty. Another attempt at promoting education to Islanders was done in 1901 when the School Beautification program was introduced. New attempts were made by communities to improve their one-room schools by keeping the lot tidy and planting trees. School Inspector's stated that "a pleasant interior to the school room would be more welcoming" to the students. (5) New attention was also given to the school site. Inspectors suggested that the "School lot should be chosen with regard to the healthiness of the site; it should be dry and airy, as retired as possible, properly leveled, planted with shade trees, at least thirty feet from a public highway, and enclosed by a substantial fence. (6) The reality, however, was that most schools were built on undeeded land that was usually provided by a local farmer. (7) The schools were named after the community or village they were located in, as was the case with most of the schools in the St. Peters area. Most lots varied in size from half to one acres. Many also had a wooden or wire fence surrounding them. (8) There was sometimes difficulty in determining who exactly was in charge of the upkeep of the school premises. The fence that surrounded the school in Greenwich was a perfect example of this. In a handwritten agreement dated February 29, 1928, Trustees Frank W. McLaren , George D. MacEwen , and Ernest M. Sanderson discussed the fence that was to be put up around the Greenwich school: The Greenwich Women's Institute will bear the expense of putting up a lawful fence on the grounds of Greenwich School, the grounds being enlarged on Mr. MacEwen 's property. The ratepayers will erect the fence and Mr. MacEwen will keep it in good condition. (9) The fact that the land the school was located on usually did not have a deed sometimes proved to be problematic. Roger Sanderson recalled that the school- in Cable Head West had been moved a total of five times due to problems with the land deed. (10) The low wages received by teachers also proved to be an issue, and were addressed in the early 1900s. In 1876, female teachers received $129.76 annually, while their male counterparts received $324.44. (11) In 1907 a "Plea" had been issued to the government to increase teacher's wages. Few teachers stayed in a school longer than a year. Many were Penniless and lived a sort of "vagabond existence" where meals and lodging was often sought from the communities where they taught. (12) In looking at the list of teachers that served the one-room schools in the St. Peters area, the high turnover rate is apparent. (See "School Records") 269