The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-25
COMMERCIAL EDUCATION.

Prof. Folwell, of the state university, read pa
per before the meeting Of the State Bankers asso-
citation on technical commercial education question
that is very live one in England and getting recog
nized in this country 1t has been long given in
technical schools in Germany and Belgium and Is
of the chief factors in that surprise given Eng
lis traders in the invasion and capture of their for
egn markets by their German rivals. The result Of
Prof Folwelrs paper the adoption of u resolution
to be presented by committee from the association,
requesting the board of regents Of the university
establish chair for finance and trade. While
the Inauguration of such in the university
will answer for the initial STEP there Is greater
room for it and morebeneft to be had from it by
addition to the courses of the high schools of the
state.
The current North American has an article on
this subject by James Bryce author of he American
Commonwealth, whose practical bent of mind and his
great ability make him peculiarly well equipped to
write on it with authority. He comments upon the
fierce contest for the possession of the worlds
kets now being waged, out of which has come the
demand for education adapted to the needs of COM
merce. The day has passed in the counting room,
as it has the farms, when book learning was
looked upon with sort of contempt and the alert
business of today is giving the preference the
young man who has had training in the fundamentals
of business Mr. Bryce says that the idea that there
is any such art of commerce is comparatively re-
cent notion. and that thirty years ago the English
thought the Teutons mere theorists while what the
Teuton was doing in the schools and laboratories
laying the foundation for the successful commercial
rivalry Of today.
Mr.. Bryce does not believe that a school can make
of every boy successful trader or business man;
that the ultimate factor in this competition is the
aptitude and skill of the individual man. the aptness
that is gift of nature, supplemented by the skill
Nv To tho obi thato obi
ton, aside from that given in actual business, is
superfuous and useless he replies that .as the ma
jority of young men neither capable as to be
sure of success, however ill trained incapable
as to be of failure however well
trained, the difference which training may
make sufficient to determine us to
give it," In meeting the objection that
business multitude of vocatons, in each of
which it is impracticabe give specific instruction.
he replies that must distinguish between the ap-
ttudes needed for business and the special knowl-
edge which will be servceable the former of which
may be trained and developed whatever special voca-
ton they may be afterward employed in. while there
general lines of education useful in all voca-
tons leading aptitude essential In business is
the faculty for quick and accurate observation and
he commends the study Of the Sciences grouped un-
der the term natural history as being the best drill
for the development of this power. With this is
needed the power to reflect and reason more es-
sential noWbecause of the changing conditions OF
trade and commerce. xe
He then takes up the field of education and
divides youth into three casses-those who go from
the elementary schools into work. those who get n
secondary education and those who take university
course. For the first he prescribes mastery COM
mercial arithmetic especially training In quick and
accurate mental operations; the elements Of COM
mercial geography, modern language, shorthand
and bookkeeping, and lays stress training in ex
preston IF more pains spent ON making o.
boy think of the precise meaning Of what he has
to say and the order in which it ought be saitl
and less trouble about the grammatical ter1nin-
ology better results night be, perhaps attained" If
this line of education is to be taken up. the fact
that but about per cent of boys entering primary
reach the eighth grade makes the first class the one
where the beginning should be madie