The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1877-01-06

wants of the community and the tendencies OF
the times. A revision ot the methods and course OF
studies, plan for building better and improved
ctschool houses, and greater control over the
whole system that the state now has, are
among the changes that are desirable
The hrst design OF the common schools was to
furnish an elementary education to the poor.
The system has rapidly over5rOwn the original
boundaries. 1t reaches into all departments OF
Earning, prof ssiOnal industrial and artistic
and the manifest tendency is TO have the state
assume in toto the function of public educator
and give to every class of its citizens special and
appr )Priate training. Every year the recon-
mendations cover wider field and new institu-
tiOns of higher and special instruction are
pressed upon the state. High schools academies
and Illeges, industrial and art schools, and
work shops and laboratories are confidently as
sumed to belong to a system of state education.
The DRIFT of public opinion is unmistakable
The growth Of this opinion, the Increasing in-
dustries of the st tte and the example o. foreign
nations, concur in urging the extension of the
system. NV views upon the subject of com
pulsory and technlc al education have already
been laid before you. hAvs h r .tJfOre uni
STANDARD and increase the utility of the public
schools They are the nerve centres of the bod Y
polite from which emanates the intelligence
that gives life to its institutions. Whatever
strengthens them strengthens the common
wealth. The suggestions of the superintendent,
at the field of public education be still further
enlarged bv the establishment of second .ry
schools of higher grade and the sy TEN supple
mented by industrial and technical schools, will
scarcely need my endorsement to commend
them to your attention.
While we are extending and enlarging the sys-
tenn of public instruction we must not allow the
destitute and neglected children, whom it was in
tended to benefit, to drift beyond its bounds ltis
safe to say that not one in a hundTed of this very
class is to be found IN the schools. Thousands OF
children throughout the state are driven rema
turely to work, or wander in ldleness, exposed
to the vicious influences of ignoran 'e nd want,
of filth and crime. The halt, the blind, the deaf
and dumb, are not more circumscribed ny the
hard condition of things than these miserable
al sna ar iriendIess Saits, lheE are equally Titled
are here Identical. Embryo criminals nurtured
in want. these outcasts, grown TO maturity
eventually fill the prisons and aims houses, and
the money that the stare refuses TO redeem them
10 Is vt last forced to expend to repress them.
Some provision by which they could be sent TO
the numerous homes tor friendlees children and
educat d and cared for at partial expense TO
the state. would be an act OF wisdom As well as
charity.
The schools for the education of soldiers Or
phans are in q hourishing condition and the
children are, as q body, healthy and happy.
"Their intellectual and moral Improvement has
been satisfactory, and NO backward step has
been taken in the work Of rendering as efficient
as possible the industrial departments OF the
several schools Since the system went into op-
Grafton $3.50 orphans have been admitted and
the number of children in the care of the state
on the first day OF September, 1876 was 2 2641.
The expenditures were little over 800 900, be-
ing about $40 900 less than for the last year. The
66Jl0AIeu IOT 6li-lO Is ,UUV as
the time approaches for the dissolution of this
noble cha tity, which has reflected infinite credit
upon the state, the people can reflect with pride
and pleasure, that OF the 5000 children who
have enjoyed their bounty, many are now IN
lucrative employment, and all, with scarcely an
exception, have become good and useful citizens.
The good results obtained in this work should
stimulate our zeal and quicken our action In re-
gard to the other destitute and friendless chill
dren before referred to.
The recommendation to raise the standard of
tna malls nd Az tuf ~
teachers, is worthy of attention. Undoubtedly
the grr at want of our public school system, is a
body of teachers who have chosen the protes ion
as life work. Such class cannot be formed
without special training and inducement. To
reap the full fruit of our school system, 1t l.,
therefore, neces sary to liberally support and
equip our normal schools, to secure the tenures
of our teachers, and to provide just compensa-
ton that will not leave them destitute after
years of faithful toll. The extraor-
dinary ex lenses of the past year have pre-
vented the usual appropriate ms to these schools
las these are no longer required, ust you will
extend such aid as the finances of the state will
permit, to enable the normal schools to success
fully perform their function.
Pennsylvania is indebted to the voluntary zeal
and energy of the school department, second ed
by efforts Of educators and teachers throughout
Il. state for the credtabie educational exhi bit
| at t.. centennial. In the short space of three
months the hall was erected and the immense
vOving an amount of labor from the superin-
| tsndent and L,s assistants, which is worthy OF
| all praise The exhibition awakened renewed
interest in educational matters, and will un'
| doubtedly be the means OF invigorating aud i'm
| proving our schools
INDUSTRIAL ART,
Ihave heretofore earnestly pointed out the
| growing necessity for industrial art education
| First, through the pubic schools by the intro
| duction of mechanical and free hand draining
| secondly, by night schools for aIults, and third
ly, by special schools of industrial design for al
| classes. Museums, art galleries and other pub
| lie collections, are al o important forces in in
| dustrial education. Such institutions in Eng
! land, France, Germany and other European
countries are regarded as an essential element il
! national progress, and are mostly under the pa.
| trOnage of the government. Intelligence is be-
coming more and more most important element
| in every department OF industry. In this respect
our educational system is wholly deficient. Il
| turns out lawyers, doctors, preachers and profes
/ sOnal men in superabundance, while there is
startling dearth OF intelligent farmers, manutac
! turers, miners and mech 4nics. few OF the
states have started forward in the cause of in
| dustrial education, by introducing drawing int
| their public schools and providing museums anC
schools of design The large and varied indus
| tries of Pennsylvania demand a similar liberal
! ity. The centennial year has brought us the Op
pOrtunity, and placed the materials for beginning
at our disposal. The Geological Survey of The
| state has collected a 'mass OF specimv ms, whict
is now lad away in boxes and wholly useless in
| stead of being a source of instruction to the pen
| pie" The Pennsylvania Museum and School o
| Industrial Art, modelled after the celebrated
| South Kensington Museum Of London, has Sc
cured memorial hall in which to form an ar
library; special collections illustrative of indus
trial processes; and "A thorough system of instruc
ton in the arts of uesign as ap tlied TO manufac
| lures, accompanied by general and technica
| lectures. In this, the7 are about to place thu
nucleus of a co lection gathered in the rich ielC
| of the centennial exposition, intended TO promote
the improvement of American industrial art
| trust these efforts will not e.cape your notice
/. Some means ought TO be devised TO make avail
able the rich collection of the geologic al survey
! And you will no doubt seriously consider wheth
er IN the case Of the museum and industria
school, the state ought not TO extend a hand Il
pace upon firm found alton work of so mucl
public utility.
HISTORICAL PUBLICATIONS.
The centennial celebration has attra ted con
siderable attention 10 state history with the graf
ify ing result that this commonwealth has no
| heen behind others in providing literally for tn
| preservation of its true sources. The twenty
| nine volumes of Records and Archieyes (i6Si
179O) published under the supervision of the lat
| samuel II tzard, the tv- volumes of Bates His
tory of Pennsyly mia Volunteers 1869 an
the more recent publication of fOur volumes o
a second series of Archives, contain large bod
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