Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-03-15
''achers and their friends at the presi
dents home
BANQUET AT SHERWOOD.
hr. hcnton. DR.. Hillcgas end r.. T.. Head
g." the Speakers

/ the speakers.
The tinie fo- neutrality has passed. :.
sa;d President Guy Potter Benton. b, q
speech at the banquet of the teachers
conference in the New Sherwood Friday
night DR.. Benton's topic vas The Atti-
! ture OF the Teacher Toward This World
war He was the first of three speak
ers, tho others being DR.. Milo B. lille
gas and Franklin q. Head of the states
relations service. United States depart
ment of agriculture. President H. D.
Casey of the Schoolmasters' club pre-
SIDED as POSTMASTER. At the close of
the speaking the club adopted the report
OF a special committee, embodying several
changes in the constitution. These en-
large the scope of membership to all
schools of the State instead of combining
It to secondary schools. to include any
male teacher whatever, superintendent or
executive school officer; and fix annual
dues at S1.00. permitting the executive
committee to assess members at its dis
erection provided that levy of not more
than so cents be made on any one occa-
sion. A. II. Hartman. president of the
state Teachers association, announced
that the annual report of the organiza-
ton was about to be sent out. Supervisor
u. w. Hill. John Z. Coburn, DR.. ]. F.
Messenger and G. r. Stackpole, secretary
treasurer of the club also sat at the
speakers table
DR.. Benton's speech was discoursive.
II is difficult to localize our thoughts
we are thinking in terms of our beloved
country" he said. by way Of explaining
his latitude of subject.
A judicial attitude toward the war ia no
longer possible. declared Dr. Benton.
America over all" was now the thing
to bear in mind. There was no longer
a democratic President at Washington
woodrow Wilson is President of the
United States" In another vein DR.. Ben
ton said he was glad to be a Vermont
schoolmaster. The schools of the State
following the Carnegie survey, were fully
20 years ahead of what they would have
been without it. President Benton urged
that patriotism be taught in the public
schools. He referred briefly to the meet
ing in Montpelier of the League to En-
force Peace, at which former President
Taft spoke. The league. he said. was
movement for the sane policing of the
world" The State university was a melt
ing pot. and 'out of that melting we are
trying to develop an American blend"
The other nigh. he overheard a young
man say on tho street he was responsible
to himself alone for his conduct. The
remark illustrated, in the speakers opin-
ion, the extreme individualism that was
cropping out in the country. Each man
was his brothers keeper. One view Of
patriotism was that of giving full value
received. Or. Benton closed his speech
with quotation at length from Kipling
on THE men who merely do the work
for which they draw the wage"
DR.. Hillesas with considerable heat
mentioned how the United States depart
ment Of education recently ignored educa-
tional progress in Vermont and classed
1t with one or two other States at the
bottom of the list in point Of expenditures
for education. AS a matter Of fact the
State spent more per capita for educa-
ton than most States of the Union. Ver-
mont's education had been misrepresented
long enough.
Mr.. Head referred briefly to the Smith
Hughes bill, which a Vermont senator
had initiated, and commended the pro-
gressiveness shown in the States sys-
tenn of education. which to him, as an
old Vermonter, caused a good deal of
pleasure. Better education and more of
1t is the best preparation we can have
at the present time" he declared