St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-01-03
Promotion of Agriculture.

author of one of the most important
bills before the United States SEN
ate. The purpose of the bill is
stated in it's title to be, ITO Cooper
rate with the states in encouraging
instruction in agriculture, the
trades and industries, and home
/ economics in secondly schools; in
maintaining instruction in these
vocational subjects in State normal
! schools; in maintaining extension
/ departments in State colleges of ag-
riculture and mechanic arts; and
to appropriate money and regulate
its expenditure.
The bill calls for the expenditure
of $3,34O,0OO prior to the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1915 in edu-
eating teachers qualified to instruct
on lines of agriculture, the indus
tries and home economies. After
this period of developing competent
instructors the bill provides for the
annual expenditure of 100000
for the maintenance of instruction
in the trades and Industries, home
economics and agriculture in public
schools of the secondary grade;
100000 for instruction in agri-
culture and home economics in state
district agricultural schools of sec
ondary grade which are provided for
in the act; $1,OOO,OO0 for the main
tenance of branch agricultural ex-
pertinent stations to be located at
agricultural high schools which are
provided for in the act; 100000 for
the instruction at the state colleges
of agriculture and mechanic arts of
persons not resident in such colleges,
this sum being increased yearly until
1918 when the annual amount shall
be $1,50O,OOO annually, Ito take
advantage Of this last provision each
state must provide an agricultural
extension department in it's state
agricultural college and appropriate
an amount yearly equal to the fed
eral government appropriately
100000 for instruction in agri-
culture, the trades and home econ
omics in state normal schools, and
$4,000 annually for the admins
tration of the act. Each state must
establish districts to contain not
more than fifteen nor less than five
counties and maintain a secondary
agricultural school and a branch ex-
pertinent station in each district.
These appropriations are to be
used for instruction in agriculture,
home economics, the trades and in
dustries and each state must pro-
vide the necessary land and build
ings and pay the cost of all instruc-
ton in such other studies as are
necessary to give a general and we'll
rounded course.
1t will be seen that the plan is
to aid the states in the introduction
and maintenance of vocational
studies in the public schools. It's
author says: 1T reaches down and
takes the hand of more than 5000
600 boys, largely sons of men who
WOIh III the uIueSs Iu0 Hills, the
quarries and on the farm, and gives
them an equality of opportunity
which we unquestionably owe them
and which they can have in no other
way, and yet the entire cost means
less than one cent per month, per
capita, of our population when we
shall have reached the maximum of
expenditure under this bill.
ct means, too, everything to the
cause of agriculture, for unless we
improve our methods of farming we
shall within ten years find ourselves
importers rather than exporters of
bread-stuffs."
Sen. Pages bill will go a long
way toward creating a proper appre-
citation of the youths ability to do
things. Under it's practice the boys
may not know so much about
things that used to be but will be
prepared to meet conditions as they
are and work for their improvement.
1t is a bill that is worthy of support
and will go a long way toward the
practical development of this coun-
try.