The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-06-13

the greatest density of population with
the largest diversity of occupation and
the most uniform distribution of wealth
with the minimum Of pauperism, ranks
after France. Closely following her
are Holland and Switzerland. Abreast
of them are the French col
onies in Asia, Oceanica and
Africa. American visitors should
seek these colonial selections. They
are not in the exhibition buildings
proper, but in structures illustrating
the aboriginal architecture of the orr
entail people, along the Esplanade
deS InValides. In the composition of
their contents primitive antiquity is
side by side with the most refined evil
dences of modern subtlety in magma
ton.
The surprise Is, however, furnished
by Japan. Nothing more gratifying
in quaint variety can be imagined
than the kindergarten work of the jap
anese chiIdrep. The accompanying sta
tistics show that there are nearly 5000
900 children and seven hundred teach
erS in the elementary schools IN Japan.
The exhibit presents view of the
entire system, from the kindergarten
up to the university, and is as scienti-
fic and orderly as the system of France.
Particularly important is the work
shown by the Japanese for the blind
and deaf muteS. A. relief alphabet
various sizes of models are an use. In
the former the letter. are in pressed
paper and are beautifully reproduced in
wood by the pupils. They have also
relief apparatus combining syllables
on the principle of the wood method in
vogue in American primary instruc-
ton, and which was borrowed from
the Germans. The skill of the deaf
mutes in wood carving. painting. mod
cling in clay and designing for ceram-
les, textiles and iron, is almost phe-
nomenal.
The British and American exhibits
are disappointments. Their scanty
and relative inferiority are due to the
obvious fact that English speaking ma
lions have longest adhered to all but
exclusive literary instruction. Great
Britain, which was the last of all en-
lightened countries to establish ma
tional educational system by taxation,
is reluctant about it, but she must go
to Germany or France for the science
of teaching. The practical instruction
gwen in her primary schools is meager.
but it is more general proportion
ately than in the United States,
which can not plead the pre-
text of a late institution, or a
prejudice against foreign technical
progress. More children go to school
in given population of the United
States than any country of the world,
but in proportion to the time spent and
the money invested they learn less of
practical value, though prOfessedly
America is the most practical of ma
| tions.
Professor Parks, who is in charge of
the American educational exhibit, has
found it impossible to get 1t into shape
completely, owing to the hardness of
the contractors. The plan adopted
makes Boston's schools the reprepre-
sentatives of the entire American
school sytem. The exhibit of st. Paul
stands for the primary schools; of Buff
| talo for thesgrammar schools. Phila-
delphia exhibits the work of a manual
| training school and California the work
of normal school. The exhibit of the
Massachusetts institute of technology
adds to Americas credit. That that
country has high grade of decorative
and industrial art is shown i'll the spec
linens of opalescent glass.