The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-10
EDUCATIONAL results
IMPERFECTLY REAL FED
President Thompson on the
Economic Relations of
Education.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Free Gifts to the Cause of
Higher knowledge Our
Opportunity.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE


Thompson of the Ohio State Universe
ty, Columbus, Ohio, spoke of THE
Economic Relations of Education"
He said in part;
ut is a common conception current
even among educators that education
is a burden that civilization must car
ry as a means Of perpetuity and pro-
gress. We must educate or we must
perish is a familiar war cry. With this
has been associated the teaching that
education must be supported as
gratuity or a charity and as a kind
Of guarantee of the perpetuity of civil
ization. There is a truth here but as
sociated with it has been notion that
civilization or more specifically the
taxpayer with commendable generosi-
ty has been supporting education as a
burden placed upon him because the
law so provided. Political economy
has for long time directed our at
tention to land, labor and capital, as
the three elements and forces that de-
termine the production and consump-
tion Of wealth Wealth has been re-
garded as the necessary condition of
the progress for the individual and So
ciety. In our economics we have plac-
ed undue emphasis upon wealth as in
fiuencing man and too little emphasis
upon man as influencing wealth.
with the results of education even
imperfectly realized, what shall we
say Of their economic Importance.
First Of all the educated man is the
man of awakened desires. Desire is
the basis of economic demand, He is
the man not of few and simple
wants but Of many wants.
Moreover 1t may be well to call at
tention to the persistency Of the de-
mand made by education. The edu-
Gated portion of the world has como
to know and appreciate the best
things. 1t will persist in its demands
for these things. This persistency of
demand is the star of hope in our
democracy Economically speaking it
is the key to stability of markets. of
values and of prices. The educated
man persists In his demand for the
things he appreciates, and this persist
ence of demand has more to do with
+ha 10 ~ ~ ri afn r.-{+l,
petual prosperity than any one other
element. / should go further and say
1t was more important even than tar
iff legislation. We have been slow to
see that men and not laws make mar
kets
Again 1t Is usual to observe that
education develops power, mastery and
efficiency in living. These are the
qualities that enable man to support
himself and to maintain the highest
standard of living toward which edu-
cation constantly tends. The economic
Importance of this may well be en-
phasized. The primitive man knows
little Of wealth or leisure rich with
pleasure. He Is dependent upon the
gratuity Of nature for considerable
portion Of his comfort and pleasure.
The educated man is also dependent,
but upon gratuitous nature plus the
initiative of an awakened Individual.
Now the most characteristic features
of modern progress lie in the area of
the mastery and dominion of the edus
Gated man. The whole wide field of
applied science and of modern inven-
lions has been opened through the
operation Of education. This has
changed the standard of life and hum
an comfort and brought new life and
outlook to commerce and trade.
zone other feature may be mention
ed-the relation of education to indus
try. We have revised our conclusions
on this point. The time was when
many believed education would relieve
from work. The truth is now recog-
nized that education leads into work.
1t Is no mere coincidence that the ed
ueated people of the world are the
busiest people. The most active peo-
pie of the globe to-day are found in
the governments where education has
a free opportunity. Education If
true leads to service-a service tat
shall not end in any private ambition.
but in a genuine contribution to public
efficiency, Education not only fits for
service by developing power, skill and
efficiency, but by presenting the ideals
that lead men on to duty and achieve
ment. An educated idler is absurd if
not unthinkable.
TN summing up the economic rela-
lions Of education we return to the
teacher. He is the masterful person
atty in the presence of all these forces
who organizes, directs and stimulates
the uprising generation to achieve
ment, mastery and freedom. So the
teacher whether he be teacher of re-
liglon or of education of philosophy
or of science; of agriculture or of me-
ehanic arts of manual training or of
domestic science, of language or of
morals, in any or all of these places
hte teacher is indeed the master who
trains the men who make markets,
commerce and civilization even pos
sibility. What we do for education is
not then burden; it is rather an OPP
portunity The money we give is
neither charity nor the payment of a
debt; 1t is an investment to guarantee
the perpetuity of man and of markets;
of history and of literature; of our own
achievements already made and of
those of our children yet to be made:
in a word the money invested in edu-
cation is an expression Of both faith
SELF ,fv-