The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-03-08
A LABOR COLLEGE AT OXFORD.
One Of Its Organizers Is an american, Explains
lis Aims.

iNo young <AIistfitaiS, lul OF the
| energy characteristic OF their race and
apparently provided with liberal sup
ply OF the "sinews OF war" are about
To bring TO fruition In Oxford a scheme
which is in every way remarkable. IL
is nothing short of the establishment
of college for labor leaders, The Tele-
| graph says. One OF the two organizers
OF this new movement Is w. Nrooman,
| the other is G. a. Baird. Both are
members of the university, but they
| have specially come from America To
| realize their ideal. Mr.. Nrooman has
made the following statements in re-
| gard 10 the plan:
we have leased st. Ebbs. property
that was built by Sir Mathew Hale in
lGi9. IL IS a beautiful old place. with
an archway between two houses and a
lovely garden, a greenhouse and a
workshop. Here we can find accom-
modation for forty men. and the col
lege viii be inaugurated on February
% washington birthday by large
meeting at the town hall.
We hold that no work is menial We
have no servants about the place: there
are two cooks, three domestics (males),
gardener, a typewriter and a care
get their board free by working four
hours "A day. The rest OF their time
they viii have for study. This is where
our ideal differs from that of other coll
leges. We teach, in particular. all
sciences that relate To politics. We
shall also have at the town hall "A most
important course OF lectures on Pres
ent Day Institutions. delivered by
practical men. who are actually strug-
Cling with the problems of sanitation,
gas. and water supply, and SO o1-men
who will be mostly officials in public
departments through England Several
of the instructors are secured on an
nual engagements. and there are funds
provided for three chairs if we may
so term them. Ten shllings a week
will be the full charge for board. lodg-
ing and laundry. The tuition fees are
GO per annum. or 10 shillings per
month; but we give away 30 tuition al
lowances for the first year and reserve
30 for the second.
Several Americans who are admirers
Of Ruskin, and are believers i'm his
ideals have provided the funds 10 cs-
tablish this college here. and IL is our
intention to have college building
within couple of years, but We be-
lieve in having fleshjand blood first be-
fore we lay bricks and mortar. The
college will have no official connection
with the university. Half of the au-
thorities are in sympathy with the gov
eminent. but the other half are very
antagonistic to the workmon coming
here. We have at least half a dozen
voluntary tutors among the students
and tutors OF the colleges. ana il may
be an interesting incident 10 record
that Mr.. Forbes. tutor for 80 years at
Balliol. Aas undertaken To- conduct our
first little outing or excursion. Ii viii
De a pilgrimage To the road which John
Ruskin and Arnold Tonybcc helped 10
make. oxford has been sending out It's
missions and establishing it's settle
ments in the slums. Well. the poor
workingman is about TO make some re-
turn. scholarship can teach the work
man many things, hut the workman |
has something TO teach scholarship. We !
wish to instruct the young men who !
may one day control the English |
speaking peoples here and in America /
TO teach them how 10 improve things,
not 10 injure. There will be no limit as |
10 age. and the only qualifications will |
be moral character. the ability TO read |
and the readiness. TO pay |
10 shillings n week. We have no Isms' |
10 teach, we have no party and no !
creed. The mon We want are the lead |
ers who aspire 10 be Vcstrymcn. county |
members of Parliament. |
trade unionists, fellows who haranguc |
crowds I'm the street and who organize |
clubs. Then We propose 20 develop the |
social life of the college. and we are
about to bring woman's gentle influence
to bear instead OF the stern disc pline of |
the university. The members Of the 1
Backworth club. composed OF American \
and English women. instead of going
to tho study ~ Egyptology. will try 10
soften tho natures OF The students
They VIII teach them singing. explain
the historical monuments q tho city 90
them. cultivate their moral tone and 4
viii 500 that the household arrange
nents Of the college are all they should
be-"