News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-02-19
Page Lever Smith Measures
Washington, D. C. Times, Feb. Al

The Page-L Levers Smith legislation, nov
awaiting the decision of the House as t
whether it shall be sent 20 conference o
referred to the Committee on AgricuI
ture, will, if passed in proper form, easil
be the constructive chef d'oeuvre of thi
session.
Too little is known by the country a
large about this big and highly importan
departure in the direction of adding t.
the efficiency of our national educationa
system. Briefly stated, the legislation il
this
The Lever bill proposes to appropriate
$4,000 600 year for university extension
work in agriculture-that is, for demon.
strating to the farmers the scientific work
of the department and the experiment sta.
tions, and S4S0,000 year for direct aid to
the agricultural colleges of the States,
giving each stale $4,000.
The Lever measure stops here. The
Page bill goes much farther. 1t gives.
first the So 100000 annually to extension
work Then it gives So 100000 a year to
aid district agricultural schools, So, 900, 900
more to introduce the teaching of agricul-
ture, trades, and domestic science in the
rural schools and $4,000 900 to teaching
trades and domestic science in the CITY
schools.
Aside from the broader scope of the
Page bill scheme, it is Fundamentally diff
ferent from the Lever-Smith measure in
this: that every dollar which Senator
Page would give from the Federal treas
ury for these purposes, must be m tched
by dollar from the State. The State
gets no Federal money unless 1t y owes
its sincere purpose to cooperate Ia the
work by giving its half.
This seems to be an altogether desirable
condition. 1t would be bad economy, to
plunge the National Government into the
general business of endowing State edu-
cation, without proper assurance that the
endowment would be used rightly. A
State could be counted upon, with all
confidence, to take and use any money
handed it by Uncle Sam; but it would be
much more certain to make proper use
of that money, and less likely to accept it
recklesslv and inconsiderately, if for
up one of its own.
The Page bill represents the truly ma
tional, the really business like handling
of this proposition. 1t will be most I'M
fortunate if, in the eagerness of Compel
ing ambitions for the distinction of hav-
ing particular name and political par
ty label attached to such measure, the |
legislation gets held up, or is passed in
less desirable form.
In the matter of education, we are COM
ing nowadays to understand that all our
vast expenditures and all our pride in
them, have not given by any means an
IDEAL system. 1t is not SO practical as,
for instance, that of Germany, which has
so very much toward making
that nation the industrial force it is. We
have need of the very sort of work which
jhe Page measure proposes to encourage
D the most effective way. In time, it is
o be- hoped, the various appropriations
which 1t makes would all be accepted by
he States, and then multiplied many
old.
The industrial and economic future of
his country depends in large measure on
proper adaptation of our educational
Methods to the changing needs of a coun-
ry whose interests become with every
ear more diversified. Efficiency must
re its keynote. So long as we can get
nd have the place to put, the means to
eed-1, 200, 900 immigrants from the old ;
1orld annually, to do our "Gay's works." ,
7e will not feel the stress so keenly. But !
he time will come when we caEnot alb >
orb the vast multitudes as now; when
reater efficiency, larger intelligence, a .
lister appreciation of the dignity of labor, 1
aust make up for that which unrestricted I
immigration cannot always supply. ,
A household remedy in America for 25 =.
ears-Dr. Thomas Eclectic Oil. For