Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-15
TO ADVANCE LEARNING.
ADDRESSES BEFORE THE COUNTY TEACH.
ERs' INSTITUTE.

Learned Professors From Numerous State
Normal Schools Entertain and Instruct
the Local Teachers State Superintend-
ent Waller Present-A Visit to the Cook
ing School.
The attendance last night at the opening
session of the Teachers Institute, at the
First M. P. Church, was representative
body of the public instructors, and citizens
who wish to know how their children are
getting along in the fight for education.
Music was furnished by the pupils OF the
Soho schools, the little folks making the
church ring with their choruses. Prof.
Luckey, of the Pittsburg schools, presided,
and introduced the several speakers.
DIR. G.. NJ. Phillips, of Westchester, was
slated 10 tell "How the World is Governed"
and the history he gave of the governments
and their progress was interesting IN the ex-
treme. At present there are only three abso-
lutte monarchies, of which Russia is the
most noted. ....-.-.
DR.. Phillips said that it was in the thir-
teenth century that England began to secure
her more liberal government and 1t was tnat
government after which all others have oeen
modelled. "The monarch OF Great britain
has not as much power as the PRESIDENT OF
the United States" said the speaker. N Not
since the first part of the eighteenth century
has q monarch in that country dared veto
bill passed by Parliament. The Queen IS
merely an expensive fgurehead maintained
at a cost of 100000 annually. The real
power in England is Parliament, and espe-
cially in the House of Commons.
The speaker said that it only requires
three for quorum in the House Of Lords
and 40 in the House of Commons, and for
that reason it is not difficult to count
quorum.
AN UNsoLvED PROBLEM.
Educational Problems" were theoreti-
cally solved by Prot q. X. Snyder. OF In
diana, but he could himself see plainly that
the problems await practical solution. In
Pittsburg 20 or % per cent of the children
of school age are not to be found in the
schools. In some other cities 35 or 40 per
cent fail to report for school. In many
places 60 per cent do not go beyond the pri-
mary departments. At another town, name
not mentioned, 50 per cent fail to get beyond
the first steps, and in still another the tlgure
reaches go per cent. Prot. Snyder said that
the only solution can be compulsory educa-
tion. Many consider that reading, writing
and arithmetic are all there is in an eduea-
cludes French, German and history.
Superintendent Luckey, in introducing
the next speaker, DR.. d. j. Waller, State
Superintendent OF Education, said that there
is an army of 1000, 900 school children in
the State, with captains, colonels and gen.
erals, and that the commander-in-chiet was
present.
The speaker stepped forward, and with a
tired smile said: Ten days ago there was
an election, and some of us have not forgot
ten it." This caused somewhat of a broad
laugh to break out and envelop the entire
assembly. He proceeded further to say that
it was considered a revolt against bossism.
He then took up the question of civil service
and spoke of Pennsylvania s position in the
standing of examinations. In Massachu-
setts the per cent of failures was 81 and in
PENNSYLVANIA it was 80. In Ohio 81 per
cent failed to pass and in New York 43 per
cent were failures. OF the applicants nine
tenths had only common school educations.
In closing he said he has hopes that Penn
sylvania will rapidly advance and stand
first rather than second in the column OF
education.
AN AFTERNOON TRIP.
An old but truthful adage is ''The way to
a mans heart is through his stomach" and
Superintendent George Luckey, realizing
the Importance of the fact, took the visiting
principals of the various State Normal
Schools to the cooking school the very first
place in showing them the sights of the city
yesterday afternoon. The distinguished
gentlemen were all very much interested in
the teaching of Miss Ballou and were not al
ali adverse to tasting some of the results Of
the teaching.
| From there the party, some II in number,
was driven to the Normal School on Miller
street, where the various departments were
visited under the chaperonage OF Miss
Jennie Ralston, the brilliant principal.
The work in the training departments was
especially interesting to the visitors, and the
teachers were complimented highly upon
! the marked superiority of their methods Of
| teaching the little folks. From the Normal
School the party was driven to No. IA engine
house, where the entire proceedings in case
OF fire were gone through with for theil
benefit A further drive out through the
East End gave the educators quite an idea
of Pittsburg and a decided appetite for the
banquet at the Hotel Schlosser that preceded
| the Institute in the evening. The learned
men were profuse in the expression of theil
appreciation of Pittsburg, its schools, it;
people, and its cooking.