The times., 1899-02-23
A LABOR COLLEGE AT oxFohD.
One of Its Organizers. an American.
Explains Its Aims.

tFrcm the Westminster Gaze;te.)
Two young Americans. full of the energy
characteristic of their race, and apparent
Iy provided with liberal supp-y OF the
"sinews of war" are about. to bring To
fruitIon in oxford scheme which Is In
every way remarkable. 1t is nothing stort
of the establishment of college for iabor
leaders. The Telegraph" says. One OF
the two organizers of this new movement
is w. Nroomcn. the other Is c. \. Baird.
Both are members of the University. but
they have specially come from America to
realize their ideal. Mr.. Vrooman has ma le
the following statements in regard to tfe
plan:
We have leased ST. Ebbs. property that
was built by Sir Mathew Hale in 1919. II
is a beautiful old place. with an archway
between two houses and a lovely garden. a
greenhouse and workshop. Here W. can
find accommodation for forty M IL. and tn,
college will be inaugurated on February -
tWashingtOn's Birthday by large meet
ing at the town hall.
We hold that no work is menial. We
have no servants about the place: there are
two cooks. three domestics (maIes) a gar
dener. typewriter and a caretGksr bIt
they are all students who get their boa-d
free by working four hours a day. The
rest of their time they will have for study
of other colleges. We teach, in particular,
all sciences that relate to politics. We
shall also have at the town hail a most
important course OF lectures on Present
Day Institutions delivered by practical
men, who are actually struggling with the
problems Of sanitation. gas, and water
supply. and so on-men who WI b. mostly
officials in public departments throughout
England. Several of the instructors are
secured on annual engagements. and there
are funds provided for three chairs IL We
may term them. Ten shillirgs a week
will be the full charge for board. lodging
and laundry. The tuition fees are &c per
annum or 10 shillsngs per month: but We
give away fifty tuition allowances for the
first year and reserve fifty for the second
Several Americans who are admirers OF
Ruskin. and are believers in his ideals
have provided the funds to establish this
college here and it is our intention to have
college building within a couple of years.
but we believe in having flesh and blooI
first before we lay bricks and mortar The
college will have no official connection with
the university. Half of the authorities are
in sympathy with the government but the
other half are very antagoniStic to the
workmen coming here. We have at least
half dozen voluntary tutors among the
students and tutors of the colleges, and it
may be an interesting incident to record
that Mr.. Forbes. tutor for thirty years az
Balliol has undertaken to conduct our
first little outing or excursion 1t will be
pilgrimage to the road which John Rus
kin and Arnold Toynbee helped to make
oxford has been sending ont its missions
and establishing its settlements in the
slums. Well. the poor workingman is about
to make some return. Scholarship can
teach the workman many things, but the
workman has something to teach scholar
ship. We wish to instruct the young men
who may one day control the English
speaking peoples here and in America-to
teach them how to improve things, not 10
injure. There will be no limit as to age.
and the only qualifications will be moral
character. the ability to read intelligently
and the readiness to pay 10 shillings a
no party and no creed The men we want
are the leaders who aspire to be vestrymen.
county councillors, members of Parliament.
trade unionists, fellows who harangue
crowds in the street and who organize
clubs. Then we propose to develop the So
cial life of the college. and we are about
to bring woman's gentle influence to bear
instead of the stern discipline of the uni
versity. The members OF the Backworth
Club, composed of American and English
women, instead of going to the slums or
devoting themselves to the study of Egypt
Ology, will try to soften the natures of the
students. They will teach them singing.
explain the historical monuments of the
city 10 them. cultivate their moral tone
and will see that the household arrange
ments of the college are all they should
be-