Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-23
CATORS IN SHARP
INT OVER ELECTION
Cblumbia Man Opposed for
President by Vocational
Experts Meeting Here
SOCIETY CHANGES NAME
Reorganization Occupies Last Ses-
sion of National Society for Pro-
motion of Industrial Education

4 IA dramatic protest against the cleo
/. tion OF Columbia University faculty
member as president OF the National SO.
ciety for the Promotion Of Industrial
4 Iaacation was only One of the episodes
that filed the final sitting of the society's
eleventh annual convention with pyro-
tcchnics at the Bellevue-Stratford today.
s Tho convention started Thursday and
, Il developed very little of interest to the
1ayman,. though the society members
Vocational training teachers, representa-
! tives of leading educational institutions
4 OF the country representatives of big
Industrial plants and representatives of
labor organization--found much to In
S terest them. Today there was excite
ment enough for all and plenty to repay
those members who had been waiting
around since Thursday morning for
something really exciting to tell their
I friends about when they got home.
y The most important concrete events
were the adoption of new constitu-
tion, changing the name and purposes
Sof the society and reorganizing it.. and
the election of DR.. David Snedden. Of
the Teachers College of Columbia Uni
versity. as president of the new organ
sization.
1NSURGENT MOVEMENT.
An insurgent movement was started
by Morris f. Siegel. of New York city,
who fought valiantly but almost alone.
He held his place as best he could in
the forensic trenches. but was severely
wounded when DIR. Cheeseman A. Her
rick, president of Girard College, who
was presiding said: 81 take it, Mr.. Siegel
you are speaking in favor of a motion
that was not seconded" Nevertheless.
siegel. having bound up his wound re-
turned to the fray and fired parting
shot, directing attention to the fact that
the society was not supporting itself
and ought to do SO.
When the society went about the
business of reorganzing itself, it learned
to sympathize with the tabled tiger, who
encounters such insuperable difficulties
when it undertakes the operation of
changing its spots. The society met with
many difficulties. and for more than an
hour every move made TO simplify tho
situation simply increased its complica-
tions. Good luck more than anything
else was responsible for the safe issue
out Of all the organizations trials and
tribulations
The episode of Columbia University
came about after the long struggle with
the problem of reorganization. Just
when everybody had about lost hope and
had become resigned to seeing the So
ciety's ship smashed and battered 10
pieces on the cruel and treacherous rocks
of parliamentary procedure, land had
been sighted and the society had pro.
ceeded speedily to the adoption of the
nomipating committees choices for pres.
ident. vice president and treasurer
These were, respectively. Dr. David
Snahhan I I POLL 4rY II
the Brighton Mills. of Passac n. j.. and
Frederic b. Pratt. of the Pratt Insti-
tute, New York City.
COLUMBIA MAN OPPOSED
Even before Doctor Herrick, retiring
president of the society, who was pre-.
siding at the time, could announce the
elections. Peter Brady president of the
Allied Printing Trades Council of New
York State. and chairman of the educa
tion committee of the New York State
3 Federation of Labor, jumped to his feet
IN the -ear'of the room, stretched out
his arm toward the chairman ant
shouted with much fire in his tone:
fn. II wish to go on record as being un,
alterably opposed to the election of any
representative of Columbia College &c
Cfiice in this society"
Brady sat down as quickly as hs
had got up. He showed his possession
OF the dramatic instinct by concentrat.
ing his strength in one quick, hard blow
Another man would have weakened tn,
effect by going on.
The minute Brady sat down DIR, +
H.. owen, OF one of the Chicago norma
training schools. jumped up and
/, stretched his arm toward the chairman
II want to request specially that thai
remark be placed in the minutes OF
this meeting. Any man who would say
n thing like that should be impaled or
the record !"
"You can put me in Jail if you're big
enough" shouted Brady. jumping to his
feet again.
In a corridor interview Mr.. Brady
explained his opposition.
1--WE are opposed to Columbia Uni.
versity," he said, because it is an en-.
dowed institution, which seeks more tc
accomplish the desires of its benefactors
than the public good Doctor Herrick
as far as i can judge from his public
statements, is devoted TO the Rookie.
feller idea of getting children cut OF
school and into industry just as soor
as possible. II is the theory that If a
boys father is a shoemaker the boy
ought to be one. and should not have
q chance to study up to the arts and
sciences."
II PERNICIOUS ACTIVITY CHARGED
Asked if he shared Morris T.. Siegel's
hostility toward Frederic B. Pratt
Brady said
Il have said nothing against Pratt
fHe has not been so perniciously active
as Snedden."
Doctor Snedden. who on the floor re-
fused to answer Brady, was told what
Brady said.
MY record is sufficient answer tC
him. said DIR. Snedden. 'All that is
necessary is for me TO refer you to my
published reports during the six and
Education Of Massachusetts. | have
salways favored keeping children out OF
Industry through the period Of com.
ppuIsory education up to fourteen years
and I think that age should be advanced
Ito sixteen"
s& The society's original purpose was &c
pccomplisb legislation for a federalized
lfuystem of Industrial education. This
having been accomplished I'M the passa 20
~ the Smith-Hughes act, reorgani.
Rtion committee had been appointed
nth Frank " Thompson, assistant su.
Z Uarlntendent of the Boston public schools
~ chairman. Mr.. Thompson did moi
rad the report, since copies of II had
+, Etcn distributed. but he made a speecl
4 ~ favor of IT, He said the educators
ave many problems to solve and went
. - "a mention some of them JJA. ia