Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-06
ALL BOYS CAN'T
BE PRESIDENT
Such is Deliberate View of National
Educators in Session
in Denver.
SCHOOLS HAVE OTHER USES
Prof. Cooley Says Heads Are Crammed
with Useless Things.
FOR INDUSTRIAL TRAINING
seerley Of Iowa Says Education
SCHOOLS HAVE OTHER USES
seerley of Iowa Says Education
Should Be Productive.
WOMAN SUFFRAGE 70 THE FORE
Man from Kansas Boosts the Cause
--President Harvey of National
Association Delivers His
Annual Address.

Annual Address.
DENVER. July b-"A preparatory course
to the presidency is not the object Of the
public school system Of the United States,
OF. rather, II should not be in the opinion
of the leaders In the National Council Of
Education who spent today in a discussion
of conditions that must rule the twentieth
century
The final session Of the council took place
this afternoon. Edwin q. Cooley formerly
superintendent of The chicago pubic
schools, now the president of q Boston
book concern, led the discussion Of what
the American schooiboy needs.
While It is the privilege of every Amer
lean born boy to try to become president
of the United States" said Mr., Cooley, lit
does not follow that Il becomes the busi-
ness of the public school system to fit him
for that position. Some of these boys are
going to be laborers, mechanics, artisans.
something beside president, and right now
they are being neglected.
1T has come to pass that we are edu-
eating about 100000 boys for the presi-
dency and about 5O,Ooo,OOo :or nothing, be-
cause our schools are cramming things in
their heads which will be OF no use to them
when they begin work in the factory or
the farm"
Homer II. Seerley, president Of the Iowa
State Normal college, advanced the propo-
si;ion that uniformity should exist among
the states In the government of the schools
ard nat srperlntendents of education
sly..G bc given wider powers. He said:
:, ,lEet-iaI Agricultural Training.
".t,. lrgatest problem in education to-
Al - - -.
Iroa people so as to enable them individu-
ALL to give more productive service.
AN other education can be conducted in
groups but this must be personal and in
dlviduaI All others are somewhat similar.
but this must be adapted to each individual
and calls for a slightly different solution.
Improvement in mechanical lines Of educa-
tlon Is cohhpA ratively easy, besAuse II deals
with the populous and wealthy commun-
ity and does not call for extravagant ex-
penditure per capita; but agriculture must
be taught in a sparsely settled community
and at great expense per capita. Agri-
culture is not one occupation or branch,
but many occupations and branches. 1t de-
pends not upon a single science. but many
sciences II represents In results not sim
gle kind OF Skill but many kinds Of capa-
bilities.
state Must BE Interested.
The nation and the state ought to be
interested in this agricultural problem be-
cause II these classes Of our workers do
not prosper. all other classes fail. The
country schools ere thus the most i'm
portant OF all schools that are maintained
because those educated therein become the
foundation OF all business prosperity for
all other vocations. The work OF conduct
ing such training is too expensive 10 rely
upon the country school districts alone, and
the rest of the state must help.
Nothing OF large Importance will be
able to be shown In progress along these
lines until large amounts of money are in
vested in both state and nation that
teachers can be trained, and salaries suf-
fclent for their support can be paid. Then
agricultural education must depend upon
men teachers and not women teachers.
ard this situation will require man
teacher at least for every twenty or thirty
country schools, whose work will be super
visory and special, and who will give
constant attention to the Industrial part
OF the instruction. For these reasons ef-
forts have been put forth for several years
20 Interest both state legislatures and the
national congress in this need that
SAAnetal support for such endeavor
may he given. Progress has been made
but thus far but limited results have been
obtained
Normal schools the Agency.
The state normal schools are the proper
state agency to use in this endeavor. They
are numerous; they are now popular
teacher training schools; they are con-
Quoted economically; they know how to
train efficient teachers for the public
schools and they should be required by
ha 10
To this Kind of special education. The
students who attend these teacher schools
would cheerfully go into this field OF labor
n the opportunity to make a orOditablS
living were possible, and only by state and
national aid such an endeavor be ae
complshed and the benefits fully realized
This view was furthsred by Edwin Fair
child, superintendent OF publis instruction
OF Kansas.
Joseph swain. president OF Swarthmor,
eolleg. Swarthmore, Penna-. was the prin
ctDal speaker before the religious educa
ton association this afternoon. Elmer Z
Brown, United States commissioner OF edu
cation also spoke.
The afternoon the board OF director
chose a nominating committee which ol
Wednesday viii make nominations for OF
ficers Of the association. 1t is proposed 4
nominate Elmer Z. Brown, commissions
OF education. II is not believed there vii
be any opposition to Irwin Sheppard o.
Winona. MINI, for secretary.
woman Suffrage CreePs In.
Woman sufferags came 10 the fore 70
a moment in the conference today whsI
John Macdonald, Of Topeka, Kas., took ul
arms for the women.
.In Kansas" Mr.. Macdonald said
"F1ftyfive out Of an approximate one hun
dred county superintendents are women
Now then what a narrow being man is. II
is willing TO let more than half the COUNTY
achools OF his state be ruled by a woman
thereby acknowledging that she know
more than he. but he is not willing TO ad