The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-07-20
(Manu factuiers' Record }

Two great problems are at present
engaging the attention of American
educators. One relates to the promo
tion of the best methods for overcom
ing the draw backs arising from pre-
Ponderance in the general scheme of
education of regard for the humani
ties, the branches of polite learning,
in preparation for professional life.
The other deals with the attainments
of men who shall successfully direct
the destinies Of institutions of learn
ing In the latter case the tendency
is to select for the presidency of the
institutions men OF affairs who have
shown by their works that they are
interested in education and are quail
fled to take a wise and practical view
OF its purposes, and who are able to
advance on practical lines the inter-
ests Of the institutions because of their
acquaintance with the world at large,
Instead OF men eminent only as schOl
arS. In the former the conviction is
deepening that the successful man in
industrial life and in agricultural pur
suits must be a trained man, and that
provision must be had in the school
for that training.
North Carolina, in seeking presi-
dent for its College of Agriculture and
Mechanic Arts, is brought face to face
with both problems at once. Most of
the Southern States have institutions
in which it has been generally possi
BILE to get a good, liberal education
as a foundation for a business career
or a professional life. That some
thing else was needed was indicated
in the founding OF agricultural and
mechanical colleges to meet the per-
fectly Legitimate demand for techni
cal education, fitting the farmer and
manufacturer for their future on Il
plane similar to the equipment of
professional students. 1t must be
confessed, however, that in more
than one instance the aim of these
younger institutions has been
thwarted because the persons con-
trolling them have difficulty in es-
Gaping from conventional ideas of
education, and have been dominated
by the older professional views.
There is, though, strong and grow
ing determination in North Carolina
to avoid the loss of energy in cling
ing to conventionalities, and to push
the character of the training at the
agricultural and mechanical college
into new fields to meet the wants of
the agricultural and industrial
classes.
The Legislature of the State has re-
Gently taken position which, prop
erly cultivated, will produce textile
school in connection with the college.
Manufacturing in the State is now
recognized as having more promise of
growth than ever before. The devel-
opment of trucking interestes indi
Gates the trend of agricultural opera
tions demanding better equiment Of
farmers.
The far-seeing men of the State
realize that it is part of wisdom to
adapt the courses at the College of
Agriculture and Mechanic Arts to the
new conditions. Every one of them,
probably, admit that the State Uni
versity and the denominational col
leges of the State are doing an ex-
cellent work in their respective fields,
and that their students are as
thoroughly trained and as well
grounded for their work as are men
of the same class anywhere else. But
they also know that the demand of
the hour in the South is for training
in skill as we'll as in the acquisition
of knowledge. They contend that
the preparation of the hand and
brain for useful employment is the
great hope of the South, and that the
schools of the South intended to
develop it's agriculture and manu-
features should teach it's youth to
deal with the forces of nature in
telligently. and to manipulate the
machinery for utilizing the raw ma
terial at hand.
Now that the vacancy has occurred
in the presidency of the college at
Raleigh, valuable opportunity has
| been presented to emphasize this
conviction by selecting for the head
of the institution an administrator in
close touch with educational. in
dustrial and business affairs of the
State, rather than teacher or pro-
fessor. By this they may avoid the
tendency to make the school Il mere
competitor with other institutions of
the State rather professional in their
| bearings, and thereby to save un-
necessary waste of expenses and
energies which should be devoted to
the preparation of young men to
meet the needs of an industrial com
munity. There are few institutions
in the country where under one man
agement are gathered the teaching OF
the humanities, technical training
and instruction in agricultural
science. This is hardly the case in
North Carolina. Therefore it is wise
to avoid PARALLEL work in Institution:
receiving support from the State, and
to use them respectively as was in
tended. This, Of course, does moi
imply that the faculty in all should
not be professional teachers. The
manufacturer or the farmer require:
just as liberal preparatory training
as the lawyer or the physician, bu'
he needs something else beside, an,
it is proposed for him to get that il
the College of Agriculture and Me
chanic Arts. He will be more likel'
to obtain it properly if the institution
is directed by a man who know
what practical life is, and who real
ize the necessity for the training o
young men to back up life.
For years the Manufacturers Recor
has Insisted that the true and full
development of the industrial pos
sibilities of the South should begi
at home. The doctrine, faithfully fol
lowed. has enabled the South to max