The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-04-22
TRAINING, WAcEEAaH4EzFR;ee.A,
European Countries Try to Prevent
Their BECOMING Dependent.

European governments, generally
give more or less free instruction to
children of the. masses to assist them
to be self-supporting and to prevent
their becoming charge on the state,
writes William Hosea Ballou in Col
lier's Weekly The instruction ex-
tended is typical of the leading indus
try of the particular country involved.
Thus Russia, now expanding its rail-
ways, has schools for that branch OF
education France, Switzerland and
Belgium instruct in agriculture on a
vast scale; Sweden turns out the best
landscape gardeners in the world, CIV
ing especial attention to arboriculture;
and Germany teaches agriculture, but
more of manufacturing. While 1T is
true that the United States provides
instruction only in its naval and milf
tary branches, which is not compul-
sorry we must not forget that the dis
! tr1ct school is strictly under the super
vison of the states, in many of which
| primary education is compulsory to
mOnarchical extreme
The railway schools of Russia are
among the most interesting of all ma
tons. When the great Siberian rail
way is completed it will form practi-
cal westward continuation of the
American trunk lines, connected by in
ternational ferries in the form of 81
gantic steamship lines. 1t was the
construction of the wonderful Siber-
ian railway which largely liberalized
all Russia and turned it's attention to
the education of children. At the
latest report, Russia was teaching 5000
children of railway men all branches
or modern railway construction and
operation. Russia recently sent two
eminent ministers of affairs to this
country to examine the workings OF
the railway branches of the Young
Mems Christian association. for the
immediate introduction of the service
at division points of the railways of all
Russia
In France, as in the United States,
agriculture engages fully one-half OF
tpe populate Since 1922. when the
Institute Of Roville was founded by
Dombasle near Nancy, the French free
training system has, with many ups
and downs, gradually extended until it
covers all France and all forms of soil
culture.
French children, under government
training, are first put in primary
schools, thereafter to pass up through
all departments to the National Instl-
tute. 1t must be admitted that the
term French peasant" means some
thing more than a farmer of any other
nation. When the French boy emerges
from the institute he is no yokel, but
an educated man who can make the
most of the smallest area of soil. He
knows Familiarity all life on the farm.
animate and inanimate, also all OBJ
Jects, organic and inorganic. He is
fully equipped to create wealth from
the smallest means. Through him we
understand the vast combined wealth
of the French peasantry. Were such
system in vogue and compulsory in
America, forty million farm-workers
would be elevated from homely and
commonplace existence to an edu-
Gated mass, capable of wrestling untold
riches out of vast soil which today is
often worked in the most ignorant and
humdrum manner, producing a mere
living per family, and generally mort
gagged beyond it's present worth
Belgium closely follows France as O.
great government educator. There are
separate free schools for both sexes
scattered throughout the kingdom for
children of six years of age of the
poorer classes; primary schools for
which a small quarterly fee is charged
for those who can afford to pay; free
housekeeping schools for girls of the
age of IA; and temporary dairy schools
for girls Of Is.
Sweden has more than 1000 school
gardens, In which gardening is the
principal feature. Austria has many
of these, and Germany but few. In
Germany the higher education occupies
the whole public mind-the arts, sci
ences and music 1t also excels the
world in higher technical and mercan-
tile education. Land is too high in
Germany and too thicllly settled to be
devoted to very large agricultural
| uses. Germany prefers to devote it's
vast energies to manufacturing and
commerce and let other nations feed it.
Switzerland has many government
schools, but all are similar to the
above and modelled after them.