Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1914-03-27
THOMAS ADDRESSES
STATE EDUCATIONAL
COMMISSION.

Vermont Educational Commission and
representatives of Middlebury college
and Norwich university at Montpelier
on March 20 President John M. Thomas
of Middlebury college spoke at consider
able length in discussing the recent re-
port of the Carnegie Foundation on the
educational system in Vermont. He
said, in part:
"While the trustees of Middlebury
college have taken no official action
with reference to the report of the
Carnegie Foundation, and have given
me no instruction as to what attitude
/ should assume to it, am grateful for
the opportunity to present to your COM
mission some considerations which have
occurred to me in connection with this
report.
81 endorse the report as thorough,
impartial, scientific study of the edu-
cational system and practice of YER
mont, and as program for educational
improvement which is bound to exert
recognize the duty of every citizen to
consider this report in patriotic spirit,
ASSOCIATED from personal interests.
Furthermore / accept and approve
many of the constructive legislative
recommendation of the report, cordially
and earnestly, in the sincere belief that
they will make for the best educational
interests of Vermont.
81 accept the principle that the prim-
airy and supreme duty of the State in
educational matters is to its elementary
and secondary schools. The education
of the mass of the people must always
be the first concern in the people.
Money that is needed for efficient adj
ministration of a State educational
system and tor proper stimulation of
local support of both elementary and
secondary schools should not be dive rted
to higher education. The college must
not be a competitor for resources that
are needed by the little children of Yer
mont. The proposition to eXpend upon
higher education what is justly re-
quired for the lower schools is not only
unjustifable morally and from the
standpoint of public policy, but it is
against the interest of the college itself,
since the college can flourish only on the
foundation of efficient general education
and broad public prosperity.
IL maintain, therefore, that State APP
preparations. if granted at all must be
only partial, and probably minor,
source of support of higher education
in Vermont. The chief reliance of the
college must be private philanthropy.
| do not need to ad any arguments as
to the contentious of the report that
the colleges stand upon practically a
common basis Up. $50, and that none
of them is State institution Up. 1861,
others or in preference to either of
them. | assume that if the State is to
cooperate with private philanthropy
in the encouragement of higher edu-
cation, it must be on the ground of the
worth of higher education to the State
and the educational service which the
college can render to the State, and of
the justice of the claims of Vermont
youth to some measure of public en-
enlargement in their efforts TO fit them
selves for leadership, and on the groun1
further that Vermont has too much self
respect to leave provision for college
training entirely to the charity of friends
beyond her borders.
Accepting, therefore, the principles
that the first obligation of the State is
to general education and that aid to
the college must be substantiated or
the ground of the service which the
college alone can render. | maintain
that it is an unnecessary assumption
of the Carnegie report that the State
must sever all relation to higher edu,
cation in order to do its duty by the
common schools. The report contains
! no study of the financial resources OF
Vermont, no comparison of the amount
Vermont is expanding for education
higher and lower, with the expendi
lures of other States of about the same
income. 1t is simply assumed without
examination that Vermont has fixeC
amount to spend on education.
GAS matter of fact the State eX
pended for State administration il
1912, 1851. % and $4,000 was appro
t priated in 1913 to the present board OF
1 education, largely for new work No
5 far from SIS, 900, therefore, is at pres
ent available for State administration
= The report suggests commissioner
! salary of $4,000, and four deputies. will
J much larger Office force. While one
may hesitate to estimate where ex