The San Francisco call., 1910-12-30
EDUCATION NOT
FREE: DR.. JAMES
Resources of Many Sections OF
Country Taxed by Present
System, He Says

of the country will follow the con-
stantly increased cost of maintaining
them was the message brought to the
California teachers association this
afternoon in Harmon gymnasium by
DIR. George F. James, dea nof the col
lege of education of the University of
Minnesota. The speaker emphasized
his point In the main address of the
afternoon session of the convention by
declaring that Not yet Is education in
this country general, compulsory or
free, despite the phrasing of our texts.
He warned his audience that he was
treading on dangerous ground, but he
assured them that he was not talking
politics." He continued:
ITO carry on the present schooling
taxes the resources of many sections of
our country. There is a certain limit
to the willingness and capacity of peo-
pie in direct taxation. This limit is III
defined and variable, but none the less
is it determining factor in the prob
lem of raising money 70 rthe schools.
If we are to inaugurate a comprehen-
sive scheme of public education, we
must, 1 believe, look to the national
government not only for direction, but
for support. Not that 1 would have
the government take a hand just now,
at least within the traditional field of
our endeavor
maintaining and the instruction that
we have given can well enough be left
to the people of the various states
Federal funds, however, bay be most
wisely set aside for the development
of new opportunities and for these
funds there is just now a promising
need in the widespread vocational edu-
cation"
MANUAL TRAINING NECESSARY
Doctor James declared this need to
be most pressing in the schools at the
present day and that the commercial
progress of the country demands that
mechanical dexterity, so common in
European countries.
americans" said the speaker, with
greater intelligence and with more
native skill, aided by the best machin-
cry, the product largely of their own
! inventive genius, found themselves at
serious disadvantage in International
commerce, and they were, therefore,
anticipating an acute remark of re-
cent president of the United States to
the effect that this country does not
have to fear the educated labor of
specially trained competitors, and that
we should have, therefore, the educa-
tion of the hand and eye and brain
which will fit US to meet such competi-
tors"
resources of the country, and declared
that the educational advantages, in Sec
| ondary schools of California, were with
out parallel in the United States. He
did not view with alarm the vast accu-
mutations of capital, but said that 1t
was power for human uplift.
"As the industry and versatility Of
our people multiply this endowment
with the passing years, true statesman
ship may devise plan by which all
the millions of our population may, in
measure, gain from it a degree of
leisure, and with that a chance for a
higher living such as fell only to the
favored few in earlier cultures"
EDUCATION NOT FREE
With all our advantages, and the
fact that the new world is the melting
pot of the nations, the university dean
declared that we have not yet fash
ioned education as an effective instru-
ment of the realization of the ideals of
democracy.
eff the spirit of our people," he con-
tinued '1s some time to utter It's own
appropriate gospel to human kind the
| chance for education must be amply
| found in every section of the land. Not
merely for some people somewhere, but
for all the people, everywhere. must ed
ucation stand for opportunity. You
know as well as / that the chance for
schooling is not by any means equal for
all people; that within this country
there are huge areas into which
thought OF modern schooling has
scarcely penetrated
| Have we not hint in this story as
to what we might be doing in educa-
| ton? Our people might advisedly sup
plement the scientific study carried on
by the commemorative and by the ma
tion in a sociological survey directed to
measure our endowment of human ca
pacity and the means that we are using
to develop It,
DIR. JAMES GIVEN OFFICE
Doctor James was given an ovation
when he concluded his address and the
applause was redoubled when an
nouncement was made of his election
| as president of the Minnesota teachers
association
|. DR.. ]. NJ Greenwood. superintendent
of schools of Kansas City, was another
speaker of the afternoon, his subject
Itbeing Supervision andWhat It Is He
made a plea for broader knowledge on
the part of the superintendent of
| schools, more sympathy in their deal
| ings with the teachers, and for more
new virile blood in the teaching forces
| of the schools.
Following the addresses of the after
noon A. j. Cloud, the chairman of the
| nominating committee for the council
of education made his report, which
| was accepted only after fight before
| the convention in which a body of in
surgents" insisted on putting a ticket
| in the field
The report of the committee was the
! occasion for a long discussion and ar
gument from the floor in which James
Ferguson for the insurgents" carried
the day. and nominations were al
lowed to be made at large in addition
to the committee recommendation.
The nominees are.
James Ferguson, George A. Merrill Edward
HYATT. Mrs NJ NJ. Fitzgerald, Frank r. Bunker.
J. s SempIeton Principal Avery of San Jose
James A. Barr, e. Morris Cox, DIR. NJ E. Bailey
Prof o. p Jenkins D. R. Jones, Prof A f.
Lapre J. w. Linscott Alfred Roneovieri Mrs
C. M. Partridge. William G. Wood George L.
Furbush. J. H. Mcdonald and R. Pendeld
The election will be held tomorrow
morning in room 109, California hall
on the campus from v to IL o'clock.
The convention will come to order at
10 o'clock this morning for the last
business meeting.
Officers of the various sections were
elected today as follows:
HOUSEHOLD ARTS-AIiss Jessie PauIsell Of
San Jose, president; Miss Anna Logan of Oak
land, secretary.