The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-09
EDUCATORS IN SESSION
SUBJECTS HANDLED by NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION YESTERDAY
Embraced Nearly All Branches of the
Work from Higher Education
Down to Reform Schools.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. July S.-With the
mercury lowering around the nineties sew
en- thousand delegates filed into the Ex-
position building this forenoon to attend
the first meeting of the third days general
session of the National Educational Asso-
citation. The papers read this morning re-
lated to rural schools. The first paper of
the morning general session of the National
Educational Association was read by Burke
A Hinsdale, professor of science and the
art of teaching. University of Michigan.
The topic was THE Rural School Prob
lem" He said: Money has long been
called the sinews of war. 1t is equally the
sinews of public education. The cost of
such education is everywhere great and is
everywhere growing. The States of our
Union expended for common schools for the
years 1S94-95, not including the payments
on bonds $l7&2l5 900, and we shall no doubt
pass the century line with an annual eX-
penditure of $500, GOO 900. The expenditures
of the 443 cities, compared with the expen-
ditures OF the rest of the country, approx
mately $69S to 81, 004 but the pupils enrolled
in the city schools are only 1926 to 10,S09.
Public instruction furnished by cities is
relatively expensive, but when all the fac
tors are taken into account nothing, per-
haps, shows the inferiority of rural schools,
as compared with city schools, more strik
ingly than these figures.
Wealth is not always found where it is
required for school purposes Hence it is
necessary, in the first place, in many
States, to enlarge the units of school tax
alton. 1t is most irrational to distribute
sucn funds according to school population,
since the cost of maintaining a good school
depends only in slight degree on the num-
Der of pupils that it contains"
William 7. Harris, United States commits
sioner of education, read paper on Grad
ing and Classification" The speaker said
the chief care in the management of a sys-
tenn of city schools is to grade or classify
the pupils in such manner that the inter-
eSts of some are not sacrificed for those of
others. When pupils of slower tempera-
ment are strained TO keep pace with quick
and bright ones they become discouraged
and demoralized. he adocated frequent
reclaSSihcation, which should occur once in
two or three months.
Henry Sabin, superintendent of public in
struction, State of Iowa. chairman OF the
committee of twelve, spoke The Kind
of Supervision Most Needed" The speakers
remarks were confined to supervision of ru-
raj schools. He said supervision is a bless
ing or curse in proportion to the intelli-
gence and the skill with which it is admin
lStered. The person who is chosen as super
visor of rural schools should have in the
highest degree the qualities of leadership.
The true supervisor is much more than a
teacher, and should know what constitutes
good farming must concern himself with
school extension, lectures and library. He
closed by saying: The supervision which
l have attempted to mark out is that OF a
live, enthusiastic man in sympathy with ed
ucationa1 progress, IN touch with the com
mon people, consecrated to his work, who
thinks no sacrifice too great or labor too
severe when made in the cause of the COM
mon district schools.
David l.. Kiehle. professor of pedagogy,
University of Minnesota, read the next pa
per. He said, in substance: Our schools
have houses furniture, apparatus, teach
ers, but something is necessary to make all
this material effective for the education of
the pupils in the rural schools. The pupil
Ill the rural school must be put in accord
with his environments and taught to make
the best possible use of its conditions. 1t
is to combat this tendency and educate the
youth to fill his own sphere honorably and
successfully that rural schools exist"
The speaker said that the agricultural
of the rural school. A message of greet
ing was received from the Association Of
Rosebud, S. D. A suitable reply was or
dered sent
In an interview with one Of the directors
to-day the announcement was made that
the selection would be in the order of Salt
Lake City, Los Angeles and Omaha. re-
port from the board of directors providing
that change in the constitution reported
yesterday in regard TO the eligibility of Off
Gals for active membership, providing that
aH must pay 81 enrolment fee and the an
nual dues The proposed amendment was
adopted by large vote.
Various sections of the N. E. A. held
meetings late this afternoon. The depart-
ment of higher education was addressed by
President Garfield of the Ohio State Uni
versity. on the practical value of col
lege education.
President Henry Wade Rogers of the
Northwestern University, of Evanston Ill,
gave, an instructive talk on The state
she Id exercise supervision over degree
concerning colleges"
A: the department of secondary education
Latin and Greek were discussed. President
Albert Leonard, of the Binghamton High
School, New York, spoke on Are not Col
lege Entrance Requirements Pitched Too
j. Academy, talked on rs there any better
test of power and proficiency than a two
fold translation?' w. E. Watt president
of Wells College, Aurora, N. 9oursed
on rs it time for Greek compo to be
discontinued in preparatory sc So" He
believed not.
French, of Chicago, and Prof H. w. Cald-
well, of Nebraska. E. V. Robinson, of Mus
kegon, Mich spoke on AN ideal course in
history for secondary schools" Miss Har-
riet L. Keller of Cleveland, led on the
topic of English and was followed by Geo.
B. Alton, of Minnesota. Many papers We're
read in connection with the round ia BILE
topics of THE High Schools as a Social
Factor
Child study attracted much attention. w.
A. Luckey of the University of Nebraska;
DIR. Reuben P. Halleck and Dr. Colin A.
Scott, OF chicago, read papers on appro-
pirate topics.
The department of art education held its
final meetings this afternoon. Jesse H.
Brown of Indianapolis, and Miss Lille M.
Golden, of Chicago gave talks illustrated
with drawing on a blackboard.
At the kindergarten department meeting
c. B. Gilbert, of Newark, n. J., the
first speaker. Miss Katherine Beebe, of
Evanston, H., spoke of kindergarten
work and principles in the school" Miss
Mary McCulloch, of ST. Louis, concluded
the session.
The session of the elementary department
was generally devoted to discussion of
arithmetic, participated in by Miss Sarah
c. Brooks, of St. Paul; William M. Griffin,
of Chicago, and others.
In the library department r. w. Bullock,
of Colorado, read a paper on observations
upon Children's Reading" Prof. Richard
Jones, of the New York State University
spoke on THE moral and literary respon-
sibility of librarians in selecting books for
the public library" The meeting was led
by j. II. Vansickle, of Denver
At the meeting of the department of
manual and industrial education Edward o.
Sisson, of Peoria. H., read an able paper
entitled Some Mental Results of Tool
Work" Oscar Clute, of Florida. and w
D. Parker, of Wisconsin, also read papers.
A new department was added to the n. T..
A entitled The department of school, adj
ADMINISTRATION The first meeting was held
to-day Charles Quarles of Milwaukee,
made the address of welcome, and there
g l. A fhH