The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-09

ual decadence Of the commerce of that
port has proved an impulse in the d.
rectfon of extending more general
knowledge among the public bearing
upon some OF the more important fea-
lures associated with the subject OF
commerce and its underlying princi-
pies. There have existed for years in
many cities what are known as bust
ness and commercial schools and col
leges, conducted by private enterprise,
With view to preparing young men
for business life by teaching them the
rudiments of trade. There is probably
no subject of equal Importance, how
ever, which has been so thoroughly
neglected in all our great institutions
OF learning as the proper education of
the young in the principles of COM
merce. The college or university stu
dent will find everything else in his
curriculum, from football to astron-
only; but if he is possessed of the
business instinct he must prepare him
self for life in that calling in the
counting house, in the store and in
the factory. This is we'll enough-in-
deed, it is essential from the practical
Stc1AoEOiIll' iOul Will Tic underlying
principles Of commerce. its origin, its
development, its progress, the various
methods by which it has expanded over
the world from the beginning of time,
he is entirely ignorant. The atmosphere
on the college and the university, not
withstandfng they all derive their sup
port primarily from the trading ele-
ment of the country, is, especially IN
these later days, Umfavorable to the
enlargement CT knowledge on this par
ticular and all-important subject.
The New York Chamber of Com
nerce, at a meeting held last week,
passed resolutions advocating meas
ures looking to the Improvement Of
this branch Of education in the Unit
ed States. These resolutions further
declared, in effect, that existing facil-
tiles afforded by business colleges and
like institutions were insufficient in the
matter Of providing education to young
men whereby they might be equipped
in the practice of the arts of compe-
tition in the worlds commerce. A spe-
cial committee was appointed to make
inquiry into the general subject of
commercial education.
This proceeding by so eminent a body
as the chamber of commerce of New
York indicates a wholesome awak-
ening to the Importance of
hitherto absolutely neglected sub
ject. The history of commerce
itself is fascinating study
to any mind that delights in explora-
tons in the past, supplying as it does
a sort of panorama of the worlds
progress through the ages. The young
men who enter upon a life of trade at
the close of the nineteenth century
find themselves standing upon the very
keystone Of an arch which commerce
has, fguratively speaking, built around
the world. The perfection in the way
of transportation facilities has been
reached in the progress of the develop
ment Of OUT own cauntry more nearly
than in any other nation of the earth
During the seventy years which have
passed since the first railroad track
was laid in the United States and was
traVersed by the first locomotive en-
CINE the people of this country have
witnessed the construction of more
than 10000 miles of railroad within it's
boundaries. During that period also
the navigation of the seas has kept
pace with the tremendous advance
ment of commerce on the land. This is
intrinsically a commercial nation, and
on the threshold Of the twentieth CEN
tury it's Importance as such is coming
to be more completely appreciated than
at any period Of our existence. A sys-
tenn Of higher education, though the
suggestion has heen ia rdV can he mora
proftably applied than anything else
possessed of practical worth that can
be named.