Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-01
PLEA FOR MANUAL TRAINING
Chicago Professor Urges a Large Extension
in Public School System.
wolLD CARRY IT FROM PRIMARY GRADE UP
Attorney cnman Calls Attention Ia
Necessity of Securing n balance
between Income aud Ex-
pc~nditurcs.

a voice in the teachers convention when IL
was resumed in Boyd's theateT yesterday.
On the one hand, Principal Richard Water
man of the Charles Kozminsky public school
of Chicago, urged tho innovation of manual
training in the elementary schools from
the kindergarten up, a position also taken
by superintendent Virgil c. Curtiss Of st,
Paul, and Prof. Woodford C. Anderson of
y the University Of South Dakota advised
courses in commercial instruction in the
high schools aud state colleges; while
on the other hand, Attorney Hallock
W. Seaman OF Clinton. Ia, pleaded for a
recognition Of the necessity OF something
like a balance between a school district in
come and its outgo. MIR. Seaman's paper
was addressed, perhaps, more particularly
TO members of boards of education.
BY way of variety there was some good
singing by the Fremont male quartet, in
Guiding Annie Laurie and Did You
Ever Get Left?'-the latter a rocitatlve en-
core-also a very funny piece having the
significant refrain is this hot enough for
your"
AS he took the chair Prof. William w.
Folwell of Minneapolis. professor of politi-
cal science in the University Of Minnesota,
spoke of the unique educational advantages
of his own state. The idea of a general
comprehensive scheme of education, open to
all and absolutely free, he observed, is not
altogether a new one. 1t occurs in the act
OF Massachusetts, in 1917, also in Jcfferson's
act, 119, and In Indiana in 1916. Such a
scheme. he explained, is now fully realized
in Minnesota, where "a pupil can go from
the kindergarten to the degree of doctor OF
philosophy in the state university without
having TO pay a cent"
Principal Waterman's paper on manual
training In the elementary schools was the
first read. The origin of .hc manual train
Ing movement, Mr., Waterman recalled, was
when President Runkle of the Massachu-
sets Institute of Technology visited the
Philadelphia Centennial exposition in 1876
and saw the Russian school exhibit from
Moscow. Eventually manual training schools
were established in Chicago and st. Louis and
In time became a necessary feature of high
schools generally.
should Begin Earlier.
"But why be confined to the high school %
was the query. I'VE need a few elementary
schools" declared Mr.. Waterman. land a
strong public opinion to back up the school
boards. These elementary schools should be-
gin at the kindergarten and include the
primary grades. Over nineteen-twentieths
of the public school children never see the
high school, and therefore never get a chance
at its manual training. Now whatever will
benefit thu public schools is what the public
ne''" and should always be carefully con-
81 in any plan Of education
fgued that of course the public had
educated up to the Improvement.
Waterman described the Chicago plan
there are 1000 boys and 1000 girls
taught this branch. the latter learn
ing house work and cooklns-"domestiC
science"
Manual training is NOT a fad said AIr
Waterman, "but If the results have not al.
ways been satisfactory, i: has been because
mechanics and not Teachers have been EN-.
ployed, and the products of the lencn have
been more thought of than the products Of
the school-men."
Superintendent Curtiss argued for manua
training on behalf of those who must fac,
the everlasting problem of living and work.
ing. To defer such training until the child
reaches the high school is to deprive man,
of hand-skill and rob the nation of tn,
wealth these might have been rendered capa
BILE Of producing. If manual training is al
essential feature it is not a fad, and IL W,
could convince the public of this we coul,
rest our case against the additionally iron
clad curricula of twenty-five years ago."
Connmcrciri Instruction.
Prof. Anderson's argumen for com
mercial instruction was based upon a mas
of statistical deductions. He said so pc
cent of the business men are college edu
Gated, yet the average college graduate ha
a very poor commercial education. Onl,
three colleges west of the Mississippi an,
seven east of it have a four-year Commercial
course. He argued for a four-year CONNER
cial course in the high schools, and
seven-year course in the colleges-thre
years preparatory. The federal government
he said. had Appropriated 1926, 900 to agri
cultural Institutions, and the various state
had appropriated 81. 76S. 900 to these colleges
but in all not over $40, 900 went for com
mercial instruction.
In discussing the radical tendency to in
creased school expenditure Attorney Seamu
said: Gradually new burdens are bein
engrafted upon the school revenues.-kinder
gartens, manual training, music. drawing
physical culture, cooking schools, the Dur
chase OF free text books, compulsory attend
ance, the reduction In the number OF schol
ars per teacher. etc. They become fxe
charges-the tendency Is rapidly toward in
creased annual outlay lit is in harmony, II
doubt, with the general law of progress. n
civilization everywhere makes increased de
mands upon the modern state. The cduca
tional system is by no means the e~xcoptio
to this rule. This widening OF the scop
OF the functions of the uublic schot
Is merely the result OF a new perception {
the public value of intelligence and of aes
thetic culture.
1.-THE striking feature in school as we
as In municipal economy Is the increase
bonded Indebtedness. In 1880 the aggregat
debt Of the various school districts of th
United States amounted to the modest SUI
OF $l7, 1880. $50. Ten years later this ha
grown to $36, 70l, 94S. an increase of sl9,1 2l
266. or more than 100 per cent during tn
decade. The census for 1900 will undoubt
eddy show a proportionate gain. This in
crease is mainly due to the construction
permanent improvements made necessary /
the phenomenal growth OF urban populi
ton"
Concerning Public Credit.
Mr.. Seaman told how the public cred
has had to be hypothecated. and remarkin
that a due relation between income and dh
bursements must be observed, he advise
measures of economy, and also Of deb
clearing, Among the latter, the sinkin
fund in particular.
One of m rather sarcastic observe
tions was that lit is safe to say that eac
of the 200, 900 school dist lets In the Unite
States has developed a system of 6nancii