The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1911-01-21
(Bv Professor Harry Hayward OF
H. Dal,mare College mn

tbN I1OlCooOi Luz
the Delaware College arm')
e A. day is Conser-
The keynote OF 70, whatever we
vation; wherever Wnaners or maya
read in current me- messed home
zines, the thong marion (and this
upon us that ives individually must
means that wslral resources which
care lor the !sted to us, because we
have been eE past. been wastefully
have at TIFF our fertility, forests.
extravagap mineral wealth. We are
streams. ing to realize that unless
just fSSH husband what remains OF
we caAnd various wealth which we
the VI when we took possession OF
Indictment our posterity will suffer
thisount OF our lack OF foresight.
oblic interest has been aroused TO
an extent along conservation
Is that in nearly every State there
fe conservation societies systemati-
ALLY working toward the great purpose
Iof teaching economy in the use OF the
gifts of a bountiful nature.
When we stop to consider that the
fertility of the soil we till is the great
est OF all our natural resources. and
that on account of our carelessness,
indifference and ignorance, we have
IN many cases wasted more fertility
an we have used, and when we re-
alize that, on account OF Our rapidly,
increasing population, greater anc
greater demand is being made upon
this particular resource, we appreciate
the importance OF every effort along
the line of conservation.
| have said that our greatest natural
resource is the soil from which comes
our daily bread. Looking at the ques-
ton from another point of view, there
is another resource that is still great
err than any that have been mention
ed. | refer to the productive capacity
of the men and women who occupy our
country. You can see the DRIFT OF
nv argument-which is this: Our
greatest resource is in the rising gen
Grafton, and the great need tor It's
conservation is that it be fitted to live
with the greatest degree OF satisiac-
ton in the changed condition OF aftalrs
that now confronts us.
One OF the greatest factors IN the
conservation OF the powers OF the ris-
ing generations is the public school,
whose constituency, control and pur-
pose is of the people. by the people
and for the people. An institution to
which most OF us look back with the
greatest amount OF sentiment. In
Our development as nation, the pub
lie school has played a most Import,
ant part. A majority OF our foremost
men who are now about ready to leave
the stage OF action, will tell you that
the training, the discipline, and IN
spiration they got from til public
school, as pupils and latcl, as teach
ers, has been the keystone Ct thC
arch upon which their careers have
been butt In their day, the public
school was the center OF matters IN
tellectual Of the neighborhood. The
school master was a man who wa:
earning the money necessary to take
him to the theological seminary, the
medical school, or the law Office; II
most instances man who inspired his
pupil by his high ideals. A teacher
who used his teaching as a stepping
tn esame time, took a keen personal
interest i'll those whom he taught and
in various ways wisely directed the
development OF their lives. The pub
lie school Or former days was carried
on under an environment that wa:
vastly different from that OF today
and if it met i'll a satisfactory manner
the conditions OF a generation or
two ago, and most of us will agree
that it did, we are just as ready &c
challenge it today. unless it has "a
tered to meet the changes that have
taken place in our civilization during
that time.
1t may be well to consider at this
point, how and in what way changes
have come. With the beginning Of
pioneer days our school system was
closely interviewer with the church
For many economic reasons, such as
lack OF markets and currency, and the
great extent of free virgin soil, there
was no need to combine the mcnta
training OF the young with any voca-
tional training. Beyond becoming
versed in the three RS there was no
need recognized, except for those
who looked toward one OF the three
learned professions, the ministry, law
or medicine.
In the next period, characterized by
our development in manufacturing,
there was more or less vocational
training in some q our public schools
especially those in the cities and larger
towns. There was demand for this
sort OF training, a demand that was felt
most keenly in the centers of ronula-
ton, and it was in these places that
it was met. BY meeting this demand
! do not know that any material real
ly promising future in law, medicine