The Washington weekly post., 1899-07-04

Special C0rrespondenes % The Pes.
oxford. June H.-Ruskin Hall IL TIE
name OF a college for labor leaders that
Is about 10 De established by two wealthy
young Americans who are taking a course
al Oxford University. One Of the orsani-
zers is Mr.. ". Erooman. the other Is Mr.
I. A. Baird. They have come over here
not alone TO take the university course,
which they could just as well have OBJ
talned at Yale or Harvard, but 10 realize
their ideal of d labor college in the vicin.
ity of the greatest seat OF learning In the
wcrd. When I called on the two young
students 10 secure for your readers In
the states an outline OF their plans /
found that though both were equally In
earnest regarding the idea that had
brought me there. the spokesman of the
two was Mr.. Vrooman. He is Democrat.
who has dabbled In Journalism at some
time In his life, and the training he ac-
auired in the hard school of letters in
the United States enabled him at once TO
place the essential points Of his subject
before me. we have leased said Mr.
Vrcoman, "St. Ebbs. property thai was
built by Sir Matthew Hale In i6+9. 1t is a
beautiful old place dn the direction OF
Christ Church). with an archway between
two houses. and lovely garden, a green
house. and ii workshop. Here we can find
accommodation for forty men, and the
college viii be mat Surated by a large
meeting at the Town Hall.
I'VE believe in the Anglo-American al
lance: we are clasping hands across the
ocean; We are citizens of the English
speaking empire. and We come TO the
English educational headquarters to set
this plan going. Now, then, with regard
to Ruskin-we cali II Ruskin Hall. We
hold that no work is menial. We have
no servants about the place: there are
two cooks, three dcmestics (males), a
gardener. a typewriter, and a caretakers
but they are all students who get their
board free by working four hours a day.
The rest of their time they will have for
study. This is where our IDEAL differs
from that of other colleges.
Education in Politics.
eve believe that oxford University ex-
lists to train professional men, not work.
men. Some people cay: Ah. the work.
ingman has the technical school. which
teaches him how to work in wood, iron,
Sc But we are about to instruct the
workmen not as artisans, but as servants
ard how TO increase It, We teach, in par
t!cular, all the sciences that relate to
politics The course will include o., Eng
lish biography, by A. J. Hoaking, NJ. A.
Exeter College, oxford; G). history OF
science, by Dennis Hird NJ. A., Oxford:
go. English history and American history.
by c. A. Baird, of America; az. sociology,
by Dennis Hird; Gl, industrial history. by
Hugh A. Hall. oxford, and we shall have
course for political economy and phil
osophy. We shall also have at the town
hall a most important course OF lectures
on Present Day Institutions delivered
by practical men, who are actually strug-
Cling with the problems OF sanitation,
gas, and water supply. and so on-rrien
| who will be mostly officials in public de-
partments throughout England Several
| of the instructors are secured on annual
engagements, and there are funds pro-
vided for three chairs II we may so
term them"
"How have the Necessary funds been pro-
vided?"
Several Americans who are admirers
of John Ruskin and are believers In his
ideals thought they would establish his
college here, and II is our intention TO have
a college building within couple OF years.
but We believe in having flesh and blood
first before we lay bricks and mortar.
| The only thing we have asked for is that
people changing their libraries would
make us donations OF looks"
How have you secured your students
I've have sent circulars all over Eng
| land and received hundreds of replies.
out of the applicants we have selected
fifty. About half Of them are from OK
ford. and we shall have perhaps four
Americans, to whom we shall give spe-
cisl welcome.
AGift to Oxford.
eve don't come to Oxford only for what
| We can get. but for what we can give
We come. IL is true, because here we
have the advantage Of libraries, historic
| monuments, and an atmosphere OF study.
| But we come also 10 present 10 the future
| leaders of the British empire an OBJECT
| lesson. oxford has been sending out It's
| missions and establishing its settlements
| in the slums Well, the poor working
man is about to make some return. Scfol-
! arshIn can teach the workman many
things, but the workman has something z
| ,o teach scholarship. We have letters
| from leading labor advocates who con-
| slider that this is the first labor college
| ,n England We wish 20 instruct the
vounR men who may one day control the
Notwithstanding people here and In
/ America. 10 teach them how to Improve
things. not TO injure. There will be no
limit as TO age, and the only qualihcations
will he moral character. the ability TO
read intelligently, and the readiness 10
nav ~ 70 a week. We have no Isms TO
teach. We have no party and no creed.
Az far as We 40, We say that whatever ls
f. capable of Improvement That Is where
ve differ from the system which teaches
| voung fellows that they can never I'M
nrove anything. The men we want are
| The leaders who aspire 10 be vestrymen,
county councillors, members OF farila'
,nent trade unionists. fellows who IA
| rangn4 crowds in the streets and who or
ganizs clubs. Then We propose 10 de-
| vAIon the social life OF the college, ana
ea are about TO bring weman's gentle IN
ruence 10 bear instead Of the stern disci'
| nI,ne OF the university. The members
NJ The Backworth Club, composed OF
amsrican and English ladies, instead OF
going 10 the sIums or deYotlng themssives
no the study Of Egyptolosy, Will Try 70
soft.n the natures OF the students. They
vuI teach them singing. explain the his
| ,oricsi monuments OF the city 10 Them
cultivate their morol tone, ana VIII ses
that the household arrangements ot hs
college are all they should be