The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-11-15
Some Problens Involved


These larger problems of business Or
ganization involve a study of the struc-
ture of the business world, including the
laws under which business Is conducted.
Banking and finance, Industrial and com
mercial organizations, transportation,
commercial law, insurance, international
trade, foreign exchange, including a
knowledge of the monetary systems of
the various nations, tariff and custom
house usuages. commercial geography. a
working knowledge of the languages and
commercial usages of the leading coun-
tries engaged in world commerce; these,
and many other things, will be included
in the curriculum that is finally estab-
ished. It should. however, be constant
ly kept in mind that the function or
the place of the school of commerce, or
finance, or business administration In the
university system will be determined In
the end not merely by the importance
of the service to be rendered. but more
especially by the manner in which that
service Is rendered 1t Is, therefore, es-
sential that these new courses shall be
established on the highest plane of effi-
Cheney and that they shall be SO re-
lated to the courses offered in other de-
partments that they shall contribute to
the growing power and to the constantly
advancing standards of our university
system.
II It is true that the movement for
closer relations between business and our
institutions of learning Is likely In large
measure to revolutionize the viewpoint
of those institutions, 1t Is equally true
that the new, vital, practical education
will in the course of time revolutionize
business methods. Among the coming
changes in education will be included the
turning over of the actual instruction In
certain departments to successful BUSH
ness men and captains of industry. We
are now at the pioneer stage of this great
problem. Even now business men are
giving occasional lectures to students.
These lectures are, however, necessarily
devoted in large degree to generalities In
the absence of the working out of sys-
tematic programme. Such a programme
will undoubtedly be worked out for in
this field as In no other there is no thor
ough-gQing substitute for living expert
ence. 1t will be found necessary in the
end to draft able. trained, progressive
business men into the teaching profess
sion for definite. If limited. service. Nor
can there be any sound reason why such
men should not be drafted for the sofa
purpose of setting forth the actual pro-
cesses and methods of business. No one
can doubt that young men would find
such lectures stimulating and profitable
In the highest degree. No one can doubt
that when this policy is established on
sound basis, instruction in the theory OF
business, instead Of being dry and aca-
demic, will become intensely significant
and inspiring.
Finally, let me suggest that the estab-
ishment of commerce courses In our
state universities will inevitably result
in bringing to college great numbers of
young men who would otherwise never at
tend college at all. 1t will also result
In keeping In college great numbers of
young men who on account of the alb
sence of such courses drop out after
their first or second year with a view