Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-04-03
FREE PRESS AND TIMES THURSDAY April 1913

serve, If YOU please, that the majority of
the members of this commission are gem
tlemen connected with the educational In
situations most vitally interested in the
results of the work of the commission.
"'rhe Report OF the Temporary Edu-
cational Commission to the Governor and
Legislature of the State Of North Dakota
has been mentioned THAT commission
was constituted by the appointment of
President Frank J.. McVcy of the Gnivcr-
sty of North Dakota; John II. Worst,
president of the Agricultural College;
George y. Mcfarland. president of the
state Normal School at Valley city; r.
j. Taylor, superintendent Of public in
struction; L. l.. Burdick, lieutenant gov
crnor; j. NJ. lanley, speaker of the House
OF Representatives; and one other mem
Der. George r. Webb OF Merricourt APP
pointed by the Governor Here once
more, we have a commission composed of
those prominently connected with the in
stitutions under consideration.
Aside from the fact that the Vermont
educational commission is charged with
the responsibility of Investigating the en-
tire work of education, elementary, sec
ondary, and higher, in contra distinction
to the work committed to the commits
sions of Virginia and North Dakota, each
charged with the duty of studying the re-
lations and defining the fields of the
institutions of higher learning, We find
that our commission with one single OK
ception, il composed of men in no way
connected with any college or university
or in any way directly identified with
the work of education in this state. 1t
is fitting that there should have been
this one exception. Principal Tuttlo as
the head of one of our most prominent
high schools and titular leader of the
Vermont State Teachers association viii
be able to bring to his associates on the
commission Il point of view impossible
for them to secure without the assistance
of a man Of successful experience and in
possession OF intimate knowledge Of the
public school system OF the State
President Butler. as the distinguished
head OF one OF the greatest universities
in America and as a respected leader in
the National Education association. with
his eXtra-sta vision of educational posi-
bilities will be able to put at the disposal
of the commission a rich fund of profess
siOnal experience, educational wisdom and
well-balanccd Judgment which will prove
invaluable to the state Of Vermont and
to the cause Of education in general.
Then with a learned ana discriminating
supreme court justice, successful captains
of industry and distinguished puzzle SER
wants all of whom have reflected credit
and honor upon their native STATE and
none of them prompted by any other am
bition than that of promoting the general
welfare, we have an educational com
mission in this State which is unique in
the history Of such commissions and a
sure guarantee of unseliish and patriotic
public service which will put Vermont in
the vanguard Of educational progress IN
this country. -,
1t is fine testimony to the dlscrimin-
ating wisdom of Governor Fletcher and
>also to the high esteem i'm which these
eminent gentlemen holl him that he has
been able to command their services for
the greatest work thus far undertaken
by any State in the Goth century. Yer
mont, because of the very simplicity Of
its problem. may become 10y the wise
recommendations of this commission. the
educational model for every other state
in the American Union.
STUDIES IN EDUCATIONAL Eff
Cheney.
The establishment of "Ehicicncy Com
mittees' in connection with numerous
American colleges has of late provoked
much comment both favorablr and IN.
favorable. II Is safe to admit that so
far as the Investigations in recent years
have been concerned with the study Of
IN. efficiency Of individuals there il
ground for some lust criticism. In the
January Issue of Science under the cam
ton of "Thc Efficiency Nostrum at Har-
ward" "a rather sarcastic and severe at
tack has been made upon the movement
to study tn, efficiency of the educational
staff in Au.rrca's Oldest university.
From this article let me quote as follows:
In sober truth, this news from Harvard
Is a very serious matter. 1t touches the
very vitals of the professor calling 1t
ought to bring out from the Harvard
faculty. and especiaily from the men
of light and leading in that faculty.
IAN Impressive protest, and the most
impressive forI. the prores. could take
would he that of a dignihed but firm
refusal to comply with the demand made
upon them" That remark was called
forth by the request that Harvard pro-
fessors and instructors write on blanks
with which they had been provided. tho
record of the exact disposltion which
they make of all time spent in the inter-
ests of the university. It was frankly
admitted that these data were desired for
the purpose of using them AS basis