Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1903-09-05

.GLH.
existence of the State university as n
part Of the States system of public
education implies the existence of a
connecting link between the grammar
or intermediate grades and the state
university. To leave out any of the
rounds in the States educational lad.
der would be Illogical and unwise. 1t
Is plainly obvious therefore that prep.
nrntion for the state university should
be at least an incidental consideration
In arranging the c,irricula of the high
schools. There is little doubt. how.
ever. that the preponderance Of opin.
ion among the more progressive edu.
Gators favors the idea of making the
high school "the peoples college" in.
stead Of II preparatory school for the
higher institutions Of learning; that its
chief aim should be to provide II more
practical training in language and the
sciences for pupils who are unable to
attend colleges or universities. 1t IL
their belief that II should supply the
Finishing touches to u common school
education. and that preparation for n
university should be only u secondary
consideration. To the mind of the lay.
man there does not seem to he any
reason why the high school should not
serve both these purposes. There Is
nothing incompatible between the itlea
of peoples college" and the shap-
ing Of a curriculum In such a way as
to prepare pupils for university. The
preparatory course should be separate
and distinct from the course that Is de-.
signed to finish u boys education and
prepare him to grapple Immediately
with the problems of life. Such com.
binatiOn Of purpose would seem to
constitute the ideal twentieth century
high school.
Many flnancicrs are sounding the
alarm, over the fast decreasing margin
b,tween profit and loss from the opera.
ton Of American railroads. According
TO the Financial Chronicle, reports Of
iailroad earnings thus far received for
the year ending June 30 1903. are of
character to warrant the conclusion
that any further increase In expenses
or decrease In transportation rates
would threaten the financial sOundness
Of the railroads. In support of this
contention figures are taken giving
comparison between the Vanderbilt
lines for the first six months Of 1892
ana Of 1903. They show that the IN.
crease In gross earnings Of the Wander.
bit group Of six roads for this period
was $1O.0S7, 4O4 and the increase In OK.
penses $1O,G03.7 100. leaving only $685..
I04 as margin Of profit. The principle
IL well established In railrOading that
expenses do not Increase prOpOrtiOnate.
~ to the revenue. but should follow u
descending scale per unit. 1t II ar.
gued that II an increase Of nearly ST..
100000 does not add more than $3.50.
600 to the general fund, II Is clearly
shown that small decrease In traffic
would have serious effect. Taken In
connection with present conditions IN
the transportation world, these figures
ana the conclusion drawn from them
would seem peculiarly significant. Cost
Of railroad materials and equipment
has increased since 1903 on an average
Of nearly 80 per cent. Labor orgnniza.
tiOns have succeeded In advancing
wages to the high.water mark, thereby
adding many millions to the expense
side Of the railroad ledger. Only the
constantly increasing volume of traffic
has enabled the railroads to earn good
profits, and this increase cannot con.
tlnue forever. In over twenty States
there Is agitation which has for It's
purpose increased railway taxation ana
decreased freight rates. 1t IL apparent,
therefore. that n general increase In
freight rates would meet with deter
mined opposition. II the financiers
are right regarding the margin be.
tween profit ana loss. II is evident that
the roads should be making careful
preparations now for the lean years
that usually follow n period of extraOr.
binary business activity.
Reports have II that a certain school
Of technology cOnfers on women who
complete the course In household sci.
ences the degree Of Bachelor Of Sci.
ence In Domestic Engineering" Al.
though some American institutions
have been charged with comforting de.
grees too bOuntifully and carrying aca-
demic distinctions to hasty extremes,
no one will object to this new aiiety
of degree-a variety of the sort that
gives spice to life. In human values
the bachelor Of science In domestic
engineering" holds the most important
position In the world. What IL the
mere bridge builder or the naval archi.
tect to the engineer In the kitchen solv.
ing the chemical problems Of hot bread
and making geometric cakes? Food Is
the fundamental thing In life. and the
home Ia the basis Of the state. COnsld.
or, too, how digniHed It would be for
a man to ask a woman to be his do.
nestle engineer. with the implication
that she be civil" engineer. as well.
The toll Of the household takes on a
new aspect. The wife Is no longer
cook, but chemist. with n kitchen iab.
OratOry. Her education, especially her
Original research" goes ON after she
leaves schoOl-just the continuity that
educators recommend. III the young
wife Of 90 Is Bachelor of Science"