The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-06-15
FAULTY SYSTEM OF EDUCATION.

Ont VI tlc uio7t poWtAAti oAAe'b"
ments Of the present system of Ameri-
can education that has ever been heard
in Portland. says the Evening Tele-
gram. was voiced by Joseph Chapman,
Jr. of the Northwest National Bank, OF
Minneapolis, at a meeting OF the
Oregon Bankers association last Fri
day. Mr.. Chapman urges the estab-
fishing Of more industrial schools in
the country. Through the efforts OF
himself and his Minnesota banker
associations revolution is being
brought about in the Minnesota system
of education. Minnesota bankers asked
the legislature to establish 10 agricul-
tural high schools few years ago, to
work into and in harmony with the
State Agricultural College. The re-
quest was granted. So successful
were these high schools that She bank
ers association recently asked that the
number be extended to 30, and i'm
mediately, upon the measure carrying,
there we're applications from IL towns
and cities for locations Of the 20 addi-
tional agricultural establishments.
We give below a part Of the Mime
sofa bankers address:
"Our schools are turning out edu-
Gated loafers. We are wasting money
10 educate men for the professions
whichYare badly overst0cked.
"We have millions of acres OF land
which should be cultivated, the prices
Of our foods are going up, the future
of the country depends upon agricul-
ture, and yet in my own state until
quite recently but four-tenths of ] per
cent of the total funds expended for
perfecting the farmer in his life work,
the remaining 99.6 per cent being for
the frills in life.
81 do not take any stock in booster
organizations, in the fellows who just
halloo and do nothing of real vital i'm
portance. The root of this industrial
evil is found with the child, and it is
going to be a long job to get remedy.
Nobody but long-headed, conserva-
tive fellow will have patience to bring
about the change our country needs.
IL will take years OF patient, hard
work, until our educational systeum is
radically altered. | am here to speak
10 you in the cause, because unless you
we're patient, conservative and long
headed, you would not be bankers,
and | want to enlist in this great work
The vital powers of every community.
II you will appoint committee to go
nto the facts, and il our work is
lhown to be bearing good fruit,
recommend the same through your
association here, | shall be amply re-
paid for my 2000-mile journey to
address you in this hall.
As Mr.. Chapman indirectly stated,
he system of education under which
,ur children are today reared is one
II the greatest factors toward bring
ng about one of the most serious prob
ems that faces the American people.
rhe schools of the country have
tendency TO produce in maturing brains
Df the child kind of scorn for manual
labor. 1t is a worthy ambition for a
boy to plan to make better mark
than his father made and worthyI
for the father to assist the
ION in his ambition. The trouble often
les in perverted ideas as to better
marks. 1t is gratifying to note that a
change is taking place-the effect OF
the Minnesota system may be taken
for an example for long while
it was a prevalent idea among rural
that son. in order to
carry the family banner to a higher
plane, had to leave agricultural
pursuits and seek a profession. The
of our leading business and
professional men of today have come
from country homes. but as Mr.. Chap
man has told us there has been too
great an exodus from the rural com
munities and from the industrial fields
toward such lines of life. They have
become overstocked while our fields
have been lacking tillers and our
trades have suffered from intelligent
workers. Too often the man has
learned after many years of struggle
in business or a professional life what
he missed by leaving the country in
youth, although he may have reached
the highest success, as men count
those things. Thus we see today the
thousands of middle aged men answer
ing the call of the country.
The remedy for the evil is to incul-
cate into the minds of children the idea
that the making of LIVING by work
that soils the hands is just as honor
able as that where the toiler sits over
a desk, even more SO. The farmers
boy should come to understand that
the greatest success in life for him
lies in the making of himself better
farmer than his father was.
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