News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-11-03
The Industrial Exposition at
Rutland

drew large attendance. The exhibit
were numerous and showed what tn
young people can do in various lines, es
pecially in agricultural Developments.
Interesting addresses were made b,
Gov. Gates, Senator Page and other
upon the development of Vermont's agri
cultural resources.
( The senator said, in part
AS many of you know | have for sew
era years past given to the subject o
vocational education all the time could
spare from my general senatorial work
Up to the beginning of the last Con
gress the vocational education bill be
| fore that body was known as the Page
bill and the Page bill is the only bill
providing federal aid for vocational edu
cation which ever passed either House
of the National Congress.
Should that legislation prevail, il
would, believe, give to the boys and
girls on the farm such knowledge OF
improved farm methods as would in
spire them with the hope-perhaps I
NAV better say believe-yhat the Guilt
walton of our Vermont farms would be-
come a pleasant and profitable occupa-
ton.
The fear has been expressed that
should the education of our boys and
girls be too largely along vocational
lines it would mean that the university
and college would be neglected, and
lest my attitude touching this matter
be misunderstood, and the conclusion
be reached that am not sufficiently
appreciative of the Importance of that
cultural or disciplinary education
which results from a college training,
1 want to express the very nigh regard
which have for our Vermont colleges
and their work.
believe every boy and girl in Yer
mont who can do so should receive
college training, and to make il possible
for the greatest number 10 do this fav-
or generous bounty from our state
treasury to aid them
The only solution of the greatest Geo.
nomic problem which today confronts
the American people is to so educate
our farmers boys and girls as to make
farming pleasant and profitable.
There can be no more serious prob
lem before the American people than
the maintenance of the equilibrium of
between rural and urban
life, involving as it does that other
twin problem, the maintenance of the
between food production
and food consumption.
The attractions of the social life Of. the
city are very great, and the energetic,
active, enterprising farmers boy is
quite apt to believe that under farming
conditions as they now exist, the posi-
bllity of success is greater in the city
than in the country.
The problem that confronts us,
therefore, is how may we change these
conditions? In my Judgment. it is by
education and only by education.
Every town must have its plot of land
where experiments are carried on, and
every boy must have his own plot of
land on the fathers farm to cultivate,
rs his own, under the advice and in
struction of his farmer teacher.
Our farmers boys and girls must be
led to understand-for it is true-that
if we will bring to the business of agri-
culture the same knowledge and effici-
ency that men adopt who are engaged
in any successful manufacturing or
b lsiness, we will find that
a new era has sprung up in Vermont
agriculture and that there is no occu-
patton more independent, more health
ful, more safe, more pleasant, and J
believe may add, more profitable than
farming.
1t is now conceded that no nation on |
jhe face Of the earth has been as pro- |
yressive in matters of vocational educa- |
ion, not alone along lines of agriculture |
)ut in the trades and industries as well,
rs Germany.
In the war now going on in Europe |
The has displayed vitality and vigor
which has been the subject of universal
comment. For endurance and self suf-
has been absolutely unparal-
eled That she un derstands, better than
he other nations with which she is at
var, the best methods of conserving all
ler resources, is now undisputed. How
nay we account for this?
In my judgment it is because she has
given her children an education along
vocational lines which educators every
where now confess is superior to
hat of any other nation on the face of
he earth.
Germany has been cropping her land
or centuries and we must follow in her
footsteps in the matter of progressive