Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-01-27
SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
MADE COMP LSORY
If the State Has Right to Hang,
Hasn't it a Right to Educate?
NOT GOOD BUSINESS
To Have School Open 185 DAYS and
Children Attend But 1888
Per Cent Waste.

Last nights general session OF the
| Eleventh Maryland Conference of
Charities and Correction was held un-
der the auspices of the Education
| Committee. There was a good attend
ance in the old Senate Chamber, be-
sides the delegates and local COM
mittee, and a spr.nkling of legislators
The program was side-tracked. and
| altogether changed the last on the
| program coming first, and two who
were down for papers not being able
TO attend, viz: Mr.. A. j. McKelway.
secretary for the Southern States Ma
| tional Child Labor Committee, Wash
| ington, who was detained in Congress
because of the vote on the Child Labor
| Bill. and Mr.. Willard b King, director
| of the Industrial Education, State De-
| partment of Public Instruction, OF
Pennsylvania, who is i'll of grippe.
Despite the absence OF these two
distinguished gentlemen, the program
was most entertaining, instructive and
interesting. The session was opened
with invocation by the Rev. Father
Clair, C. SIS. r., of St. Mary's Church.
DR.. NJ. Bates Stephens, superintendent
OF the State Board OF Education. was
the first speaker.
DR.. Stephens proposed notable
changes in the attitude of the State
towards appropriations for higher edu-
cation and made other suggestions
along the line of educational reform.
| Dr.. Stephens suggested that the col
| leges of the State would progress
| more favorable if they ceased to rely
so largely upon appropriations from
the State Treasury.
DR.. Stephens referred to the fact
that the commission appointed by the
| Legislature to form a plan of union or
| federation for the colleges of the State
had not accomplished results, and
some of the colleges had shown un-
Willingness to further the plan.
DR.. Stephens said that the colleges
of the State received in appropria-
tons during each of the last two years
$17S,175, exclusive of the $50, 900 which
the Johns Hopkins Technical School
receives annually, and that the cost to
che State of each scholarship varied
in the different institutions from $402
to $1,674. He suggested a scheme of
app ppi lhAtOha ~ tll1
would save $91 900 and the number of
scholarships would be increased from
165 to 266.
DIR. Fell. OF st. Johns College. eX-
planned that the failure of the colleges
of the State to federate was due to a
lack of certainty as to the intentions
of the State.
DR. Edward +. Buchner, of Johns
Hopkins, took the place on the pro-
gram which was to have been filed by
Mr. A. McI<elway, of Washington. DR.
Buchner made a strong presentation
of the arguments upholding the right
of the State TO compel the education
/ of children
DR.. Buchner asked the question what
is the trouble with Marylands educa-
| ton? 1t is high time to find out after
| fifty years. We are eithe Sinking
| our responsibility or closing our eyes
/ to facts about us, and it is high time
/ to do some careful thinking. He said
/ there is something wrong with the
! State system He compared the "sys-
| tenn" to a beautifully embroidered
/ crazy quilt, which may be admired so
4 lOuS dS NOu hNGB at u NdlG 0tSAtAA1N
| and pay no attention to the color
/ scheme or geometrical arrangement
The State system of education, he
/ said is a problem that needs to be
dealt with from the ground up. 1t is
] the primary duty of the State to see
that children go to the place provid-
ed for their training. If the State has
a right to hang, it has a right to edu-
| cate. said DR.. Buchner Compulsory
| education applies relatively to few
| people There is not a single law
| compelling parents and wards to edu-
cate their children that has been de-
clared unconstitutional, and the first
began i'll 1852 with Massachusetts.
Is it good business, asked Or. Buch-
ner. to have schools open by law 1876
DAYS in the year and TO have the chill
dren attend rs days? What average
efficiency is there for all the outlay
Is Maryland satisfied with an eduea-
tional system of 81 per cent. profit,
and doesn't care snap of its finger
for a loss of SO per cent? Is that
good business Would any store
keeper or any other business man per-
nit such conditions The compulsory
school attendance law will reduce the
80 per cent. OF waste.
The question was opened for dis
cussion BY Prof Oscar p. Coblintz, .
member of the School Board of Fred
erick county, which county has the
nerve to enforce the compulsory
education law. He told of the defects
/ in the law The age limit, he said
should be from or Z to IA and not
from S to 14,as it is now lie also
said certain provision should be made
for the colored schools and white
schools IN rural districts. and proper
course of study provided.
The Conference viii close tonight
when the Hon Frank L. Duncan. OF
} the Juvenile Court, of Baltimore. will
be the speaker.