The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-03-05
SUPERVISION
INADEQUATE
President Thomas of Middle
bury Talks on Educa-
tional Matters
RESIGNED AS HEAD
OF STATE BOARD
Comments on Carnegie Foundation Re
port-Farmers Too Easily Content
Address Delivered Last Night Under
Auspices Of Woman's Club

Address Delivered Last Night Under
Auspices of Womans Club.
President John NJ Thomas Of Mid
dlebury college gave an address on
Present Educational Problems in Yer
mont. at the Congregational church last
evening, and in prefacing his address
stated that when he consented last
summer to appear under the auspices
OF the Woman S club and discuss the
question it was before there was any
idea of an investigation of the educa
tional problem and the subsequent re-
port. He hesitated to commit himself
TO a free and untrammeled discussion
of the subject because whatever he
might say, his position as an educator
and his connection with the. state
board of education placed him in the
possible attitude Of critic with "a
highly preiudced viewpoint. Inciden-
tally he made the first public announce
ment of the fact that he has handed
the Governor his resignation from tn"
state board Of education. OF which he
is chairman. Having made his posi-
tion plain he confined himself TO a dis
cussion of the general problems of the
state until the verv close Of his adj
dress, when he touched upon the report
Of the Carnegie Foundation.
While Vermont has her serious prob
lens. there are many shouldercd by
other states from Which Vermont is.
free. He mentioned. especially the
amalgamation of large numbers OF for
eiguers and graft in connection with
state work rs among those evils from
which Vermont Is free.
= -,
this state have gone elsewhere than j.
the case with any other state in the
Union. population considered Ia the
civil war Vermont gave one life for
every 10 of the population. a toll from
the effects of which the state has never
fully recovered. The influence of Yer
mont upon the other states because of
the emigration to those states is very
great.
Economic Problems Discussed.
Discussing the economic problems OF
the state, he said that while there was
one fourth less farm acreage under
cultivation i'm the state lin 1910 than
was the case ia 1909, mach OF this j.
a correction Of Il mistake, in that land
that was cleared Of wood in an attempt
10 cultivate il Is now being pat bach
into sunderland from which it should
have never been removed. Forty-sevrn
per cent Of the farms Of the state ar,
under mortgage and while in some
eases this indicates the start of sue
ccsStul young farmer. in too many
cases il is not the evidence Of thrift.
Vermont has always been very indc
pendent. Upon several occasions Sh,
declared her independence and has
continued TO an undesirable degree
this air of strict independence. In tn,
East farmers have been suspicious o
scientific agriculture. The agriculture
college was not welcomed in the. East
the experiment stations have no
been flooded with problems from tn
active farmers as in the West. NJ
business under heaven is so in need o
science and Hard facts as this sam
business of agriculture. There is noy
becoming slowly manifest a create
willingness to take up a better metho,
Of developing crops than our grand
fathers adopted and which we hay
been following for no other rcaso
than it was the way our ancestor
were accustomed to 10.
Farmers Too Easily Content.
The lack Of Willingness to eo.operat
has held back Vermont farming {,
operation has built up the fruit indu,
try of the West. Commissioned Br.
ham said this afternoon at a meetin
Of the Windham County Agrcultur;
association that if he could get >
young. cnterprising farmers togethe
who would agree to stick together as
cooperative farmers body throug
thick and thin, he would agree tina
they would become rich. But it cannC
be done. There is too much indepeu,
ence
1t is possible to see more weeds III
drive Of - miles from my home tina
it is in drive entirely across &c
many. You know what makes wee
grow and what prevents them. tn
farmers of Vermont are too easily coi
tent. They lack. too often. gumptiol
They must get to the point Of ceasin
TO consider themselves tunnels int
which something is to lac poured an