The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-30

wisely or probably engaged. either in
material or intellectual sense.
I'VE like to think that the more lib
orally educated a man is the better he
is equipped for the problems of bust
ness; and we look forward to. a time
when the business interests of this
country will be in the hands of men
who are prepared at school for the du-
ties which will devolve upon them in
after life"
The German system, to which Mr..
Schaffner refers. is an evolution of re-
cent years. In essence it is simply the
commercial enterprises In the special
schools and courses offered German
students the young man has an oppor-
tunity to study commercial methods
and conditions while he is still prepar-
ing for life. If he intends to engage in
foreign trade. he is given the data
pertaining to that branch of study He
learns the needs of the people, the
methods of packing and shipping for
for their peculiar trade; he studies the
language to be used and knows every
detail of Importance to his line before
he goes into active business. In few
years Germany has made tremendous
strides in commerce, and much of it is
due to this methodical, scientific prepa-
ration for commercial life.
No matter what branch of industry
the German youth wishes to follow, he
can find means to study for it under
experts. Whether in steel making and
selling, in textiles or ceramics, in rail-
road management or shoemaking, he is
afforded opportunity to learn the most
modern methods of industry as well as
the best way to handle the financial
and economic problems involved in
every business enterprise.
The contrast between this scientific
and iwell-ordered method and the Amer
lean plan Of giving a boy an academic
education in no way related to actual
life problems is too obvious to need
emphasis. The American college boy
is not taught the dignity of commerce
for IT has real dignity; he is i'm
pressed rather with the desirabiity of
acquiring living without hard work
of any kind. And when he gets into
the world he finds he not only has to
work hard, but that he must lose years
of study under practical conditions to
remedy the shortcomings of his educa-
ton.
The traditions OF American education
bark back to the day when a college
training presuppoSed a professional ca
reer. The conditions have changed and
comparatively few can hope to succeed
in professions, but the universities still
cling to the traditions and still con-
tinue to ignore the most patent fact OF
our national life-the need of trained
men in business. the great and honor
able rewards awaiting them and the in
evitable loss to the individual involved
in the time required for a post-gradu-
ate course in the commonest CONNER
cial curriculum before the graduate can
hope to achieve much.
Mr.. Schaffner has not only recognized
need of the educational world here.
but he has gone about to supply that
need in a rational, effective way. The
philanthrOpists of the country looking
for opportunities to disburse money
could apply their funds to no better
purpose than the establishment of en-
dowed chairs in the great universities
for the proper education of young men
who expect to take up business ca
reers.