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

COMMERCE AND EDUCATION.
In the course of the past few years
The Herald has often commented on
the weakness of the American system
of education in its relation to the real
problem of life for most boys and girls,
i'm that it fails to equip them for the
practical struggles of life. Most stu
dents of education have realized that
the graduates of the American high
schools and universities are not fit 10
enter any gainfuI occupation success
fully without years of training after
they leave school. Too many of them
regard manual labor or commercial
pursuits disdainfully because their
training has been superficial and has
taught them to prefer a professional
life of some sort, however Improbable
TO business or other pursuits which in
volve hard work Of what they foolish
ly consider an unintellectual kind.
The great leaders of the commercial
world in this country have begun to
take an active interest in this prob
lem. Many of them have a high esti-
mate of the value of scholastic advan-
tages; most of them have found that
the university man when once in
stalled in business learns more rapidly
and progresses more satisfactorily
than his unframed brother But all of
them have found that the average uni
versity man is of little value in COM
mercial life until he has had consider
able supplementary training in af-
fairs. At the foundation of this diff
Guilty is the low estimate placed on
business activities by the educators of
edy is the cultivation of a proper pub
lie sentiment which shall honor COM
mercial and business intelligence and
place it on the same plane as intelli-
gence in professional. or other pursuits.
* X X
Among the men who have taken the
lead in the cultivation OF this standard
is Joseph SchaffneT Of Chicago, one of
the great manufacturers of clothing
and at the same time a student of eco
Monies, a thoughtful. progressive citi-
zen. who finds time in the pressure of
business affairs to devote attention and
money TO the betterment of his fellow
man. Mr.. Schaffner has interested one
Of the large publishing houses of the
country in his views, and they are
bringing out a series of publications on
economics which should go far toward
solving the educational problems af-
fecting this phase of national charac-
ter
Replying to a letter acknowledging
the receipt OF one of these volumes,
Mr.. Schaffner wrote a communication
TO Mr. c. F. Adams of this city. which
is so full of sound sense that The Her
aid has asked permission to publish it.
We are very much pleased" writes
Mr.. Schaffner,' with your encouraging
appreciation of our efforts TO interest
the young men of the country in eco
nomic questions We have always had
a deep interest in these matters and
have felt strongly on these lines. II
has always seemed to US that there
should be more effort on the part of
business men to engage the attention
of the men who are in the higher edu-
cational institutions and to point out
TO them the prizes that commerce Of
fers.
THE tendency in colleges has been
to educate men for the professions
more than for commercial pursuits
and while a good deal of attention is
being attracted now toward the indus
tries. yet il is sometimes discOura ging
when one is trying TO employ a col
lege man TO find how few are ambi-
tious for that kind of q career in pro-
portion to those who are seeking OBJ
security in the professions.
Our purpose is TO arouse an interest
fn these questions and to stimulate the
ambition Of college men in this direc-
ton. If you read that book. Recent
Industrial Progress in Germany"
you will ind that in Germany
there is well organized plan
many there is a well organized plan
which we might well study and emu
late in this country, and. of course, in
time ii will be so. The difference is
this: over there they regard commerce
as a profession; when they do that
here the young men viii probably have
a greater respect for business than
they have today. We do not know of
any occupation where brains and tai
emit of the highest order can be more