News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1916-08-09

Second, is Senator Page
responsible therefor?
Taking up the first question, Senator Pages
answer would be: Vocational Education is one
of the most important pieces of constructive
legislation now engaging public attention"
| Why? because it opens up broad educa-
tional policy which vitality and favorablv 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 on the
! farm but in the home and it is a measure which
is designed to make into better citizens the boys
and girls of today, who will constitute the citi-
zenship of tomorrow
On this question President Wilson speaks, in
the cean-cut language for which he is Justly cele
brated, as follows.
There are two sides to thequestion of prep
aration. 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 industrial and vocational educa-
ton, under Federal guidance and with Fed
eral aid in which very large percentage of
the youth of this country will be given train
ing in the skillful use and application of the
principles ofscience in maneuver and business
Congressman James R. Mann, everywhererec-
ognized as the great Republican leader of the
present House of Representatives, and the man
who will, should the administration change I'M
questionably be the next Speaker of the House,
says:
The subject of vocational educationI think
Ic IF he mo inn, artc
the American people today, or, for that
matter, before the people of the world, but
particularly with u.s. We are going to be in
competition with other nations when they
do better than we by instructing their youth
in the vocations.
Answering the second question, "Is Senator
Page responsible for this legislation, the follow
ing fact is given as matter of official record:
In 1911 the Committee on Agriculture and
Forestry passed, without dissenting vote, the
following resolution:
Resolved, that Senator Page, as subcom-
mttee 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 a bill amend
ed to conform to the suggestions he may re-
ceive from such correspondence or any he
might have to make.
Acting in conformity with this resolution,
Senator Page entered into a correspondence
with the leading educators of this country,
which became so extensive that the Senator was
compelled to devote thereto the larger part of
his vacation period in the fall of 1911, and from
that time until the present, in season and out OF
season, night and day, the surplus energies of
Senator Page have been largely given to this
work. To him it has been labor of love, and
he has incurred expenditures with reference to
this measure out of his private means, not reim-
bursable by Congress, of more than $4,000.
That this great measure is regarded by the
National Senate as the child of Senator Page is
a matter of general knowledge, but as 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 in 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 l am chair
man of the Committee Education and
Labor, the situation is reversed Just little
but am always glad to stop at any time
the opportunity is presented to give to the
Senator from Vermont every possible credit
for his splendid work upon this subject, and
almost regret that we have Democratic
majority and that he hasn't charge of the
bill instead of myself