The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-10
Mr.. Crane Of Chicago.

The Hon, R. T. CRANE, the millionaire
manufacturer OF Chicago, is highly
satisfied with himself and deeply dissatis-
fed with the colleges. He has been in
veetigating their effect upon such of their
graduates az go into business and he has
published the result of his Investigations
in a work concisely entitled The Utility
of an Academic or Collegiate Education
for Young Men Who Have to Earn Their
Own Living and Who Expect to Pursue
Commercial Life The second edition
of this book has appeared. fact which
speaks we'll for public curiosity. Mr..
CRANE is an Investigator Of an interest,"
ing, although by no means a novel, kind
He seems to have started with a firm
belief that college men in business are
hurt and not helped by their education.
He made inquiries. He collected evil
dence. II the answers we're not salts
factory. he discredited his own witnesses.
When he marshals his facts, he knocks
on the head those that have the bad taste
to disagree with him. Successful as his
career has been, we cannot but regret
that he has given up to business talents
that would have made him memorable
as a lawyer, logician or man of science.
He sent series OF questions to nine
teen college presidents. This was a
waste Of their time and his postage
stamps. He drives these witnesses out
of the box. They have bias. Their
testimony has no scientific value. He
took the trouble to write to 1 500 college
graduates, SIS of whom replied. A ma
jority of the answers was favorable to
the colleges. These answers were Sc
verely discarded by Mr.. CRANE. He is
sure that college loyalty prompted them;
that out Of love to dear old What-do-you-
call-it the young gentlemen in sheep
skins stretched their consciences."
So prejudice and prepossession were
eliminated. There remained one inn
partial jury, ono tribunal Of the naked
truth. To divers important corpora
tons, firms and individuals. Mr.. CRANE
sent this examination paper:
Have you any college men among your EN-.
ployces,
IT 20. what proportion are they Of your entire
force OF the Same class or Of all classes OF help 10
which such persons would likely be utilized'
In selecting help do you give preference 10 col.
lege mcr or do you avoid them:
Is II your experience that college men exhibit
. greater mental ability. greater eapahity OF ad.
vsncement and are they generally Of better char.
acter than persons OF about the same calibre who
have no college education"
Most Of these employers declared their
belief that college education is valua-
bic. Mr.. CRANE holds that this was a
mere general and valuelees expression Of
opinion, complimentary mention. 80
to speak. II employers do believe in
college education, why don't they prefer
college men to all others and give them
employment accordingly? Yet many of
the employers admit a preference for
men who have grown up in the business.
This is a powerful argument. Itamounts
substantially to this: II college educa-
ton is useful in business, why don't
business men prefer a green hand just
out OF college to man who has been
trained in the business?
Here is an illustration OF Mr.. CRANES
method. Mr.. FRANKLIN MACVKAGH
writes: ! do not think you can get too
much education in life; but he admits
that the proportion OF college men in his
employ is very small. Whereupon Mr..
CRANE cries triumphantly:
He does not give such men preference when
selecting help. therefore hts preference for college
education falls dat"
Mr.. CRANE does not stop to consider
how small the percentage of college men
is and how small a percentage of that
goes into business. Mr..
opinion, whether We accept
it or reject it, is not sxtravaeant. Il
hardly think he says. that college |
graduates show greater mental ability. |
only more mental discipline, supposing |
natural abilities to be about the same"
Mr.. MARVIN HuoHrTT, president Of |
the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad,