The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-03-11
VAIL WRITES GOVERNOR
Says That Educational System Needs
Improvement.


the joint resolution accepting the gen
erous gift of Theodore N Vail of his
valuable Speedwell farms at Lyndon
to the state to be used as school for
boys the donors interest in educa-
tional matters in Vermont by no
means ceases.
Under recent date Mr.. Vail wrote
to Gov. Gates on the general educa-
tional problem as embodied in the
educational bill. prepared by the COM
mission Of which Mr.. Vail is a men,
Der Gov. Gates has given out the let
ter for publication and copies have
been placed on the desks of each mem
Der OF the Legislature. The letter
is as follows:
Hon Charles w. Gates,
Montpelier, Vermont.
my dear Governor
Because of my deep interest in the
re-establishment OF the school system
OF Vermont upon sound and progress
sive basis, | take the liberty of ad.
ing the educational bill
Il understand that there are two
principal objections to the educational
bill-one Fletcherism and the other
Capitalization
AS to the first Whoever original
ed the idea of an educational commits
sion is entitled to credit, but the man
who made IL operative deserves even
more. II was big idea. The time
was past ripe for some revision OF
our educational methods. Everybody
knows that. | am not partisan III
any such matter, so that trust what
| say will be regarded as wholly in
the interest Of educational advance
ment.
Governor Fletcher in making this
idea operative went at ii conscien-
tiously and effectively. He sought 10
make an educational commission of
representative men who were interest
ed in the subject His selection of
President Butler was an inspiration
as 1t put the commission into direct
and intimate touch with the most all
thoritative educational forces Of this
country
Having made the commission, Gov
Fletcher left 1t to its deliberations.
attended few OF the first meetings
to keep in touch with its intentions
and processes without trying to in
fuence the members. and when the
commission as body realized that It
wanted the best advice TO be had, and
not knowing how expensive 1t might
be and just how any very consider
able expenditure would be regarded.
and still wanting to preserve the dig
nifty of the state by not "dickering -.
he very promptly came to the front
and gave the board his official and
unqualified support by stating that he
would stand for and authorize any ex.
penditure that the board could BE-
reasonably called on to incur
The final meetings, at which the
report was gradually shaped. Gov.
Fletcher did not attend or else took
little or no part in. In fact, 1t was
very much regretted by all the mem.
bers that he could not present ais
views more fully.
The whole action and influence Of
Gov. Fletcher was as governor of the
state of Vermont acting as represen-
tative of all the people. making it
possible to effect a solution of some
thing which was OF interest and vital
Importance to all the people, and for
this he is entitled to great credit and
praise no less than for the conserva.
tive. non-partisan way in which he at.
tempted to do it.
Now as to Capitalization. The
first educational movement in tie
state of Vermont evidently aimed a.:
the Capitalization of higher educa-
ton, but left primary education to
the direction of the people In each
community or group of communities.
Nothing better could have been
done. Vermont at that time was an
agricultural state With the cxcep-
tion OF very few old settlements Il
was newly settled. The rural popu-
latton was widely distributed and
prosperous farms were located where
now there is no indication of them or
where is the so-caIled abandoned
farm. Whatever wealth there was,
was widely and generally distributed
There we're relatively no very rich
communities. There was little or no
urban population and the places that
were called cities we're nothing but
villages and not overgrown ones at
that.
Consequently each community or
group OF communities was able 10
take care OF its own, particularly as
educational requirements and condi-
lions were comparatively simple.
Since then educational ideas ara
conditions have greatly advanced, not
only in complexity but in expense.
In those days a well.bred and gen
orally cultivated man could discuss
intelllgently almost any subject in the
arts OF sciences. Now, with the great
advance in knowledge, there are very
few who have a really understand
able grasp beyond the most general