The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-28
Municipal Themes in the Schools.

Is It desirable that the public schools
and colleges should teach the princi-
pies underlying wise municipal govern
ment, and also inform their pupils how
the municipality is conducted? This
proposition was recently made by May
or Swift of Chicago, in speech wherein
he numerically castigated the critical
stay-at-home element which is never
satisfied with municipal government
yet does nothing to help improve it,
and it occurred to one of the Chicago
papers-the mes-Hcrald-to follow
the suggestion out by soliciting opinions
from the leading college and university
presidents concerning the advisability
of such a course of instruction.
President Charles Kendall Adams of
the University of Wisconsin. heartily
approves the idea, which has already
been put into practice in the institution
over which he presides. Says he:
This year. in the University of Wiscon-
sin three courses are given by gentle
man who has devoted three years of sys-
tematic study of the subject, having pur-
sued his work partly in this country, part
~ in England, and partly in continental
Europe. one course is devoted to Il COM
parative study of administrative law in
the United States ana the leading cities
of Europe. with special reference to the
organization Of state and provincial de-
partmcntS. The second course Is devoted
10 an examination of the municipal syS-
TEN of the leading states of Europe and
the various systems prevailing in the
American states. This course Is a COM
parative study of the relations and pow
ers of various organizations as they APP
pear in important modern municipal sys-
TENS. The third course Is devoted to mu
ncpal administration, following the SEM
mary method. with a study of statistical
and administrative reports of the largest
cities of Europe and America. The proo-
lens discussed are municipal budgets, sys-
TENS of communication and lighting, the
problem of dwellings, distribution of pop
ulation. etc These courses are given part
~ by systematic Investigation. carried on
according to the seminary method the
whole occupying two hours of lectures and
class work per week. This course fur
nishes good opportunity for every stu
dent who desires systematic instruction
IN methods of municipal administration.
regard the course as of the utmost value.
The suggestion is also approved by
Presidents Carter. of Williams, North
rop of the university of Minnesota. Gil
man of Johns Hopkins, Angel of the
university of Michigan, Buckham of
the university of Vermont, Rogers. of
the Northwestern university. Andrews
of Brown, Harper of the university of
90
of Perdue and several others. Not all
of these educators believe that It would
be necessary to establish a separate
professorship of municipal government,
but all concur in the proposition that
the trend of instruction in the higher
institutions of learning should be such
as to qualify, rather than dsqualify
the graduate for the practical and
prosy duties of citiZenship-for the
party caucus. the city council chamber,
the constableship, or for any Office or
line of work within the range of local
government.
AS usual, President Eliot of Har-
ward strikes discordant note. This
dyspeptic academician replies: 'It
does not seem to me that municipal
government is q proper subject for
professorship. 1t is branch or de-
partment of public administration in
which our free institutions have failed,
and on that account we take, for the
moment, a special interest in it. 1t is
to be hoped that this great evil will
be corrected before long, and then, /
think, the narrowness of the subject,
as only one topic in public administra-
tion, will be more clearly seen than it
is now." We hope that President
EliOt's prediction will speedily be real
lied, but we fear that its realization
will come, If at all. in spite of rather
than because of the kind of teaching
wrought by the mugwump executive
of Harvard.