The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-08-09

Second, Is Senator Page
therefor?
Taking up the first question, Senator Pages
answer would be- Vocational Education is of
the most important pieces OF constructive legsla-
ton engaging public attention.
Why Because it opens up broad educational
policy which vitality and favorably affects every
state, county, town, and school district in the
United States and because it is measure designed
to give efficiency to every American boy and girl
not only in the workshop and the farm, but in
the home and it is a measure which is designed to
make into better citizens the boys and girls OF to-
day. who will constitute the citizenship of tomor-
row
On this question President Wilson speaks, in the
clean-cut language for which he is justly cele-
brated as follows;
There are two sides to the question of pre-
paration There is not merely military side
there is an industrial side And the ideal which
| have in mind is this. gentlemen: We ought
to have in this country a great system OF in
dustrial and vocational education, under FEEDER
al guidance and with Federal aid, in which
very large percentage of the youth of this
country will be given training in the skful
and application OF the principles of science
in maneuver and business.
Congressman James r. Mann, everywhere recog-
nzed as the great Republican leader of the present
House of Representatives, and the man who will
should the administration change, unquestionably
be the next Speaker Of the House says:
The subject of vocational education | think
is one of the most important subjects before
the American people today, or, for that matter,
before the people OF the world but particularly
with us We are going to be in competition
with other nations when they do better than
we by nstructing their youth in the vocations.
Answering the second question: rs Senator Page
responsible for this legislation" the following fact
is given as a matter OF official record:
In 1911 the Committee on Agriculture and
Forestry passed. without dissenting vote, the fol-
lowing resolution:
RESOLVED, that Senator Page, as sub
committee of one, be instructed to correspond
with leading educators and others interested
in the purposes of the proposed measure, and
to report to the full committee the result of his
investigation. and to submit bill amended to
conform to the suggestions he may receive
from such correspondence or any he might
have to make.
Acting in conformity with this resolution, Sena-
tor Page entered into correspondence with the
leading educators Of this country, which became 50
extensive that the Senator compelled 10 devote
thereto the larger part of his vacation period in the
i'll season and out of season, night and day, the
surplus energies of Senator Page have been large
" given TO this work To him it has been a labor
of love- and he has incurred expenditures with
reference to this measure out Of his private means
not reimbursable by Congress- of more than $4,000
That this great measure is regarded by the Ma
tional Senate as the child Of Senator Page IS mat
ter of general knowledge, but bearing upon this
point. quote below from speeches delivered in.
the United States Senate July 81, 1916.
Senator Smith, of Georgia, in discussing the
measure, said
The responsibility for this measure would
have continued with Senator Page rather than
to have fallen to me- but for the change which
took place i'll the organization of the Senate
three years ago. With Republican majority
he was leading in the work and ! was helping
him. Since that time as Chairman Of the
Committee on Education and Labor, the situa
ton is reversed just little, but | always
glad to stop at any time the opportunity is pre-