New-York tribune., 1878-04-26

condition OF one State OF twelve Provinces coniaDing
population of 2574240i nhabanis 40 pupmft pIennrt
of the Commissioner OF Education for 1870 Inc gln
ca returns from states ana ten s1ro
ment OF 8s25 1885, and an aggregate OF
submit that the conditions being 50 aeren.i @ II
brevity is unattainable even IL 1t were desiraoe. -
may also be mentioned that Dr. Enge lhe eoip,eI @ NJ
the Prussian work VINO IS ianar VIII c of MS own
@ As TO the special articles on AngloSaxoD ETC., IL
may be said that the first section OF the act ESTABLISHING
the Department Of Education provided that IL snouiu
"difuse such information respecting tine organization
and management OF school systems ana ihe'nouS VI
teaching as shall aid the people of the United states IN
the establishment and maintenance OF efficient school
svstemsp One of the articles here referred to- that on
the study OF Anglo OSaXOn, written by PROFESSOR r. a.
and timely contribution the discussion now going on
as the courses Of study; IL HIls wlh tne cteI as
odonton NJ AngloSaXOn ms normal study and ustrat-
ing the advantages TO be derived from making II such
g. With the enterprise and industry OF tho American
newspaper press what they are, will The TRIBUNE be
kind enough to state what annual report OF Govern
ment department does not contain much that has been
already published in the newspapers More financial
discussions backed by convincing figures, have lately
appeared the columns OF the metropolitan press every
morning than be found in the annual report of the
secretary OF the Treasury; 1t will scarcely be urged,
however that they supersede the necessity for that
report. In the present case the COnnsslOner III ad-
1919 nrnony them TIIT TRtnSE With the very educa-
tiOnal matter referred 10.
A. A word in conclusion to the trustworthiness OF
the report. When THE TRIBUNE asserts that Gin the
Judgment of discreet persons the report IL untrust-
worthy from beginning end very discreetly avoids
stating two thngs rst who these discreet persons
and secondly what they base their opinion II would
be easy to accumulate authorities on the other side one
or two will suffice. THE TRIBUNE, short time ago,
spoke III high terms OF the American Almanac for
1876 published by Mr. spOford Librarian OF Congress,
yet presumably discreet person. who VIGOROUSLY
familiar with the OF information nearly every
imaginable topic took all his figures relating to educa-
tion from the tables criticised. glance at his ac-
knoWledgements will show. The association OF
school superlntendents Of this country would
probably claim to be discreet persons, but they
have frequently volunteered testimony both indvid-
ually ard collectively, TO the value that
h the trustwOrthness OF the report But even II some
discreet persons do entertain doubts as To the exact ac-
OF the figures given, can any one point out
better OF informaOnf The report IN question Is
in part a compilation the reports from which II Is made
are examined with sufficient clOsencSs at least To dis
close and discrepancies which are cor
rected before the figures used III the report OF the
Commissioner OF Education To make a general charge
OF naccuracy Is quite easy 10 cite specnc instances OF
occasional slips in large statistical NOrk Is not very
difficult: but chi bono I. H.
Washington, ID. e., April 4, 1873.