The Florida agriculturist., 1907-09-25
Technical Education in Agriculture.

copy of his speech on this subject,
delivered in Congress last spring, Of
which the synopsis and the data given
are worthy of being reproduced in
our columns The bill introduced is
known as House Bill 24757, on which
final action was not taken before ad-
journment.
In this bill Mr.. Davis says:
have undertaken to give directions to
the manifest determination of the
American people to turn the future
development of Our public education
in part towards technical and eco
nomic lines.
During the last twenty years public
schools of secondary or high school
grade have made very rapid growth,
showing that as our people increase
in wealth larger numbers want educa-
ton of grade higher than that pro-
vided in the primary schools. Since
only part of those attending high
schools are needed in the professions,
it is clear that large number Of
young men attending these schools
must enter agriculture and the me-
chanic industries, arts and trades, and
no fact is more apparent than that a
portion Of our high school work for
gifls should be directed toward home
making.
"This bill contemplates building up
large class of people trained in high
school courses, combining industrial
and general education. With patrons
and teachers from such schools, Our
primary schools will be able to carry
agriculture, manual training and home
economies subjects into the primary,
rural and city schools. This bill will
do much to bring all classes Of pri-
mary schools to higher standards OF
scholarship, as we'll as to give their
courses more of a practical bearing.
This secondary education will also en-
courage self selection on the part OF
pupils, enabling them to better choose
for themselves those lines Of endeavOr
in which their ability and interest will
enable them best to succeed. In this
way this industrial education will pro-
vide for our colleges and universities
students better fitted for the several
lines of higher education and for the
more or less technical vocatiOns to
which these collegiate and university
courses lead.
"Not many of Our states have sue
ceeded in properly financing and de-
velOplng Our primary schools, eS-
pecially those in the rural communi-
ties. 1t would seem that at this juno
ture the state treasures Of most
do 4o
meet the coming demands for better
primary schools. AS the federal ap-
preparation for state agricultural and
mechanical colleges and experiment
stations has induced the states to in
vest money along the lines Of indus
trial education and research, SO an
additional appropriation as contem-
plated in this bill would do much to
encourage the states to make large
appropriations for the practical and
general phase of our public system.
"The federal appropriations, turning
over to the states funds for agriculture
al and mechanical colleges and for
state experiment stations, have been a
means of decentralizing and of build
ing up local institutions Of which the
states are proud. Because it will car
ry relatively large sum of money TO
be administered by the states, this bill
will do even more. to magnify local
self-govefnment than has the system
of state colleges and experiment sta
tions. The peculiar reason for rails
ing money for the purposes of this
bill is that the Federal government
can initiate in every district in each