St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-09-02

tality as to surely foreshadow con-
troll of the next House Of Representa-
tives.-Boston Herald.
ChiIdren's Home Gardens.
AS related briefly in The Herald's
news columns yesterday, an extreme
ly notable work is being done in the
town of Lyndon through the direc-
ton OF Mrs. Elizabeth Chase, wife of
John B. Chase of the Lyndon Union
Journal, and with the assistance of
Mr. Theodore N. Vail and other pub
lic spirited citizens of that COM
munity.
In the June number of the Gar
dener's Chronicle Mrs. Chase gives an
interesting history of the movement,
which has attained considerable
Roadway in nearly all other eastern
states beside Vermont, where it is
most urgently needed.
The article begins like a prophetic
excerpt from the much-cursed report
of the Vermont educational commits
sion. 1t says:
"A tragedy has been apparent to
many who have taught school in Yer
mont during the past few years.
Slowly but persistently it has dawn
ed upon the minds of those who
have had to do with education, or
think about it at all, that something
has been vitality wrong with our edu-
cational system. There has been a
remarkable spectacle of people rear
ing children whom they love and for
whom they toll, and yet, in whom,
from earliest childhood, they have
instilled the idea that they should
hot -,
some better place than that in which
they were born.
This singular blindness on the part
of Vermont parents has resulted in
a system of home and school train
ing which has diligently and con-
stantly educated their children away
from their native environment" as
Mrs. Chase puts it. The Vermont
educational commissions report
says:
The instruction in the public
schools to be of that character to
educate the youth toward the occu-
pations of the communities in which
they live
Considering that Mrs. Chase is a
practical instructor. writing several
months before the report was pro-
mulgated, the coincidence is some
what remarkable.
Still more strangely, perhaps, the
commission gives point to the work
of the home garden class in Lyndon
by the following:
The commission believes that the
vocational needs of the state are
mainly agricultural and that voca-
tional education should be emphat-
ically directed to the training of
riculture.
To train children in vocations that
come close to their home life is per-
haps the most vital problem in the
state today and these home garden
classes are of proven and distinct
value elsewhere.
Finding that children who left the
old home often failed of success in
Industrial fields, returning to the
farm untitled for agricultural pur-
suits, the idea of home garden class
es was conceived.
The idea grew in our minds that
parents and educational system
might better train the children by
interesting them in the occupations
of their home environment, training
them to make the most of home OPP
portunities In this way they might
become more useful and better citi-
zens, developing greater love and
respect for their native town and
be better equipped to live their
lives either at home or in bigger
places, If called there.
1t seems to The Herald that this
movement is of supreme Importance
to the state, we'll worthy of imitation
elsewhere Herald.
The Governors Interview.
The advance story of Governor
Fletcher's position on the extra ses-
sion reads to The Herald as though
the chief executive were prepared to
withstand a severe and protracted
siege before yielding to the on
slaughts of the special-session cam
paigners.
Entrenched in his Liege at Chuckle
Hill, the Governor seems to be true
Belgian enough to check the TeutOnic
advance of the enemy which would
drive him from his firm and strong
position that an extraordinary SEES
sion of the present Legislature would
be something of a state calamity.
There is, however, much food for
thought in his interview.
The Herald would especially COM
Ul6uu 10 Tic dIICl1IlOA VI AIO 1OeA0OA .
his observations concerning the pres
ent singular duality of office sustain
ed by the secretary of state and treas
urer as insurance commissioners, ex
officio.
1t does not appear that there is a
sufficient state emergency to justify |
a special session for this purpose
alone, but the subject of a separate
and responsible insurance depart |
ment is one that will not down and
is certain to be a legislative topic be-
fore a special or regular session OF
the General Assembly.
Originally, the arrangement was
made in the interests of economy, but |
it is stated by responsible parties that |
the perquisites of the office have in
creased to a point where the salary |
and fees received by the secretary
and treasurer would now support an
department.
On this subject, however, the COM
missioners themselves might have
some recommendations to make that
would be of interest.