The San Francisco call., 1908-12-31
ABLE SPEAKERS At
TEACHERS MEETING
Judge Melvin, Ng Poon Chew
and Many Educators Adj
dress Institute
[Special DISPATCH 10 The Cell

! SAN. JOSE, Dec. 3O.-Overhow meet
Eings at the Auditorium rink, the high
school assembly hall and the normal
school buildings marked the great in
terest of the teachers of California and
hundreds OF citizens in the proceed
ings of the third day OF the biggest
teachers convention the state has ever
seen.
The morning session opened at the
rink with the singing of selections by
a chorus of 400 voices chosen from
among the normal training school chill
dren and was followed by addresses
delivered by Associate Justice Henry
Melvin of the supreme court and Ng
Poon Chew of San Francisco. Lectures
by noted specialists in education fol-
lowed in section meetings during the
afterhoony and Informal dances at the
Hotel Vendome and the Hotel st.
James at which the handsome ball
room gowns of fair teachers showed to
good advantage filed out the day.
Prof. Leroy Anderson of Berkeley
was the third speaker at the morning
session. His subject was practical
agriculture for the schools of Cali
fornia.
FEATURE OF AFTERNOON
The chief feature OF the afternoon
was the joint session of the elementary
and high school sections. George A
Merrill, principal of the California
School of Mechanical Arts, San Fran
cisco; G, L. Biedenbach, principal of
the Mckinley school of Berkeley:
Allison Ware of the San Francisco
state normal school and President G.
Stanley Hall of Clark university were
the speakers, their subject being need
ed changes in the curriculum and
grouping of the grades in elementary
and secondary schools.
one of his original, pithy and witty
speeches in which he compared the
German and American teachers to the
disadvantage of the home product. He
scored the textbook method of teach
ing and said that America is several
years behind the Germans in their
methods.
A. H. Chamberlain. dean of the
Throop polytechnic school, delivered a
manual training and drawing teachers
section.
The farmers institute section met
at the normal during the afternoon.
The speakers and their subjects were:
Prof. A. w. Major, livestock in School
Work. l. T. Roberts, The Soil We
Till'' Prof. M. E. Jaffa. THE Operation
of the Pure Food and Drug law
STATE sUPERTNTENDENT SPEAKS
EDWARD Hyatt superintendent Of
public instruction; Prof A Il. Ianre
p NJ. Fisher Of Oakland. Frank a.
Bouteile of Los Angeles, Duncan Ster-
ling. Mrs. Hyatt, deputy superintendent
Of public instruction, and Row w
Cloud of Redwood City spoke at the
county board session.
Mr.. Fisher advocated oral examina-
tions as the best method of selecting
teacher.
1t was proposed that the school law
be changed so that there would he at
least one examination held annually
and two II there be necessity for it.
The report OF the COMMITTEES on
affiliation OF educational organizations
was read by James A. Barr. the chair
man of the committee. This was an
important matter. looking to the draw
ing together into the general BODY
many small outside organizations.
''rhe Budding Girl was the sinh
ject of an interesting address delivered
at the Presbyterian church tonight for
the benefit OF parents.