Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-02-25

montpelier, FeD. B.-IUe eHlclonCy or
the normal schools of the State COM
pared with the teacher training courses
and the worth of Norwich University
and the University of Vermont to the
State constituted the arguments against
the education bin at the third and final
hearing of the joint committee in the
Iiouse chamber tonight.
Principal Adams of the Castleton nor
NAL school attacked the report of the
Carnegie Foundation, in regard to that
part favoring the abol!shing of the nor
NAL schools in the State, in no uncertain
terms. He criticised the members Of the
foundation for not cooperating more
with the normal school heads and schol-
ars in making their Investigation and
read correspondence from Or. Eliot of
Wisconsin. the only member Of the foun-
dalton who was acquainted with the nor
NAL school question by actual expert
ence. which would indicate that he Or.
Eliot was of different opinion than tho
other members of the foundation. Mr..
Adams admitted that the normal schools
wore unable to furnish all the teachers
it Is the same in every other State in the
hIlb liN pNhVi hN' = ~ ~
sidering the adjustment of the schools.
he said. Regarding the expense of the
schools, he said that Vermont turns out
teachers at practically one-half the cost
in other states.
RIG GAIN IN ENROLMENT.
The enrolment Of the schools has
increased 40 per cent. in the past three
years and the Carnegie report was made
three wears ago when the membership
was at it's lowest ebb. The advantages
of the teacher traine In d normal school
over one taught in a city school is APP
parent. said Mr.. Adams. when the facili-
ties for instruction are considered.
IN the report of the foundation there
was too much theory, he declared, and
indicated a desire for quantity rather
than quality. In closing the speaker
asked, rs Vermont to be the first State
In the Union to abolish normal schools
ATTACKS CARNEGIE REPORT.
Pres. G.. II. Spooner of Norwich at
tackled the Carnegie report. criticized the
educational commission and presented
Norwich's case for State scholarships
and the need of their continuance.
so far as the Carnegie report touched
the colleges he said. most of it might
as well hare been written in before the
Investigators came into Vermont Their
| reports are of such n nature as to point
clearly to their position on the medl-
cal school They had made the "dupli-
| cation evil formula before leaving New
York. They had already determined that
we had no state university and that
Norwich was one too many. He said
that 1t appears that the whole move
OF establishing the commission was a re-
suit Of the desires of certain men. mainly
non-residents of the State. He answered
the main points of the commissions re-
port upon Norwich.
I President Spooner quoted extracts Of
letters selected from 1S Norwich alumni
of all ages. They dealt with the gradu-
ates' Impressions on Norwich training.
both technical and military. and their
relation. He touched on the value OF
military training III character building.
lie showed the relation of the State
subsidy. of the State scholarships to the
college men and their after careers
Many of them state that they would
not have entered college but for the as
sistanco Of the scholarships. The edu-
cation bill was in parts excellent, lie
said, but should not he enacted as a
whole.
Luther r. Johnson Of Randolph in re-
plying to the statement that state aid
tends 20 dry up the springs of private
giving said tina in the years during
which the grants have been made 10 the
colleges the private requests had been
-,. d.. r-o. ,, gar,,nritr
Col. r. r. r. Thomas touched upon
the value of military service.
VOCATIONAL TRAINING.
Attorney Fred b. Thomas OF Mont
pelier ollowed President Spooner and
spoke along the same lines, saying at
the outset hat from the time of the
landing of the Maytiower the colleges
| and common schools have walked side
by side and the colleges should not now
be overlooked in advancing the interests
Of the Common schools. He favored
vocational training as interpreted to
| mean agricultural training only so far
! as il did not limit education to that one
training. He thought it not at all strange
that the members of the Carnegie
foundation. likening them to disciples
under Andrew Carnegie, should not
favor Norwich, a military institution.
alexander Dunnett of ST. Johnsbury
| uueried President Benton AS 10 whether
he believed that every boy or girl in
Vermont should have an opportunity to
enter college with free tuition.
| Or. Benton replied without hesitation
that he believed that every boy or girl
J who desires a college education should
have il. The ideal situation would be 10
guarantee free tuition to college from
the elementary schools up, Mr.. Dunnett
then in~terrogated Or. Benton as TO
whether he advocated free t~ransporta-
ton as being of similar principles. Presi-
lent Benton replied that he did favor it