The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-14
TEACHING FRENCH
Pepent Bartlett'S Views
on That Subject.
BELIEVES 1T A NECESSITY.
He Talks of the French Classes at the
University and Wants More
Teachers.


at the University of California" said
Columbus Bartlett, one of the regents, tC
a representative of THE CALL in CONVEX
sation a few days since, sis necessity
No student who wants to perfect himself
in his studies can do so unless ne Is
familiar with these languages. why?
will tell YOU. The best works OF the
times, works on engineering ana othel
subjects, are printed in the French ana
the German languages, and unless
student knows how to read and under
stand these works he will not be aOle 10
thoroughly understand what he Is STUDY
ing. 1t is for that reason that am 81
strongly in favor of having these IAN
guages taught in the university. Ihere
has been a request for an increase IN tne
teaching force of the French department..
That reouest is a reasonable one; 1t is
more it IS a necessity.
"When We compare the nIggardlnesS
nraeticed toward the French department,
the stud ed neglect which it has received,
amounting almost to insult. l am aston
ished at the persistence In goou WORK
which has distinguished its chief. Most
men would have become indignant at such
treatment and retired. or else rendered per-
functory service only. Not SO with Pro-
lessor Paget, the professor Of French.
Ateach annual adjustment of the several
departments Of the university he has VII
messed his most reasonable recnmm enua-
tions overlooked, while other departments
mt more meTitorl0uS have recelFeu
prompt recognition.
In the Greek department. we nave one
professor and one assistant professor al
an annual cost Of 5000; IN the Latin
professor. assistant and instructor COS ing
about $1,000; IN the German professor,
assistant professor and reader, az a cost OF
5000. In the French department. an as
sociate professor and one instructor, at q
cost of $500
IF there was dearth of students at
tending the French department we might
account for this discrepancy in the number
of teachers upon reasonable hypothesis,
but an examination of the budget tor the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1894. shows that
a greater number OF students are tax ing
French than German, or Green or Latin.
The figures are: Students in Greek 81,
in Latin 1S6, in German 203, in French
219
a. Creek there is one teacher for every
TWENTY-FIVE and a half students. in Latin a
teacher for Sixty-lwo students, in German
TO sixty-sIx pupils. in French for 1912
pupils. | make no criticism upon thr
relative importance 10 the student OF
sary. The Importance and necessity for
teaching the modern languages is too
plainly manifest not only at Berkeley, but
at all the great universities OF the country
to require discussion. In some OF he best
an ability 10 read French or German al
sight is a test for entrance. l would do
nothing to lower the standard of the
Greek or Latin departments, but l would
place The modrrn languages at least upon
cn ttal will nd h.
cient number Of teachers to insure good
work
Again he department is not put on an
equality with The other departments In
having at its head full professorsnip. In
all the other departments, without s"ll-
tary exception. so far as know, the head
of the department is given the rank and
an injustice but an indigniiy to tie French
department, and this is without JustIhca-
ton. Time and time again our president
has borne testimony to the diligence, abll-
lty and success as teacher OF the gentle
man in charge Of the French department,
and has joined with the committee on In,
ternal administrati In the request &c
raise his rank and give him necessary
assistance.
The finance committee has ignored
these recommendations, as we'll as some
other necessary and proper recommends
tons, upon the ground that the revenue:
of the university would not permit OF 1t
l do not doubt the good faith of the gentle
men of the finance committee, but L chai
lenge the wisdom OF MANY of its recon
mendationS. | do not believe they have
fairly and wisely distri buted among tn;
several departments OF tbs university Oul
estimated income for the present fisca
year. For instance, l challenge the wis
dom of setting apart the sum of $50, 260 for
the agricultural department., So, 040 fOI
salaries and S31, 900 for 'propagatiHg-nouSe
and expenses In my judgment, this
amount of money is out Of all proportion Il
our income, to the work Of the depart
ment, and robs the other departments OF
needed help and cur ails their usefulness.
There are only twenty-five students, ali
told, in the agricultural department, and
only one in the three higher classes.
challenge the wisdom or lrGprlety of this
board appropriating S19.960 for salaries for
the Lick Observatory, 5000 for expenses
and $4,000 for buildings, where there are
not hall a dozen students.
II say that these large appropriations
TO these two departments are not justified
by the conditions which confront us; that
TO eXpend large sums in erecting propO-
gating-houSe at Berkeley and buildings al
Mount Hamilton al this time, when stu.
dents at Berkeley are huddled together
professor or instructors required to teach
double the number of students which ough'
10 be expected of him, is the height Of
folly. In my judgment we need class
rooms and teachers at Berkeley more
than we need prOpag g-house; that i
is more important and more in line witt
our duty to train scholars than to raise
tropical plants over there. / would there
fore cut down the appropriations for these
two departments at least $500 and witt
the money erect soli1 frame building a
Berkeley, to cost say $4,000. divided int
suitable number of classfOoms, and uss
the remaining $4,000 in paying teache +.
and instructors, in increasing the force
where necessary. and in making prope
recognition of valuable services which ar,
now undrrpaid.
The Spanish language" said Mr.. Bart
lett, In answer 10 a question. us alst
taught at the university, as we'll as ItaI
ian, by Professor Paget, who has a class o
about thirty students who are learnn!
Spanish. In view of the proximity of thu
country to the Spanish-spe aking people @
Mexico and Of Contra America the knnwl
edge Of that language is valuable from
commercial point. but it has not the valu
OF the French and German for the reas On
have already given"