Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-01

cry branch of unskilled labor. Hod
carriers draw on an average only
| $7.17 per month less than the teach
ers. Superintendent Dodd said
| After conducting devotional exer-
cises, Superintendent David A. Har-
man, of Hazleton. commented on the
method of conducting devotional ex-
ercises in some schools. Teachers in
many of the schools. he said, select
their Scripture selections without
much consideration. Often they are
quite incomprehensible to the pupil
and often decidedly Inappropriate. he
said. That the section of the law
providing ~. no comment in the
! reading should be interpreted lit
orally, superintendent Harman re-
CARDS as differing from the inten-
ton of the Legislators. There is no
objection to helpful Interpretation.
he believes, but the objection is made
cording to sectarian doctrines.
AS token of appreciation of what
DR.. F. e. Downes, superintendent of
city schools, has done in behalf of
the association. the organization yes
| terday afternoon adopted these reso-
lutions "a copy of which has been
forwarded to DIR. Downes:
| Whereas. Superintendent F. Z.
Downes. of this city, who has la
bored assiduously to make this and
ihany other previous conventions of
| this association successful, is con-
| fined to his bed with an illness that
for many days seemed mortal;
Resolved. That this association
extend its greeting and express it's
hope for an early recovery; further.
That this greeting be conveyed to
| his residence with floral token of
appreciation to brighten his sick
room"
The tremendous strides taken dur
ing the past four years in promot-
Ing educational reform were out
lined by Governor Martin G. Brum-
baugh, in the opening address at the
! first general session of the Pennsyl-
vania State Educational Association
in the Technical High School Audi
torium yesterday afternoon.
mo welcome to the teachers is
necessary" Governor Brumbaugh
declared. affirming that they have
made the state what 1t is, that 1t is q
concrete expression Of these teach
ers and that they are here by right
of emiRent domain.
One of the greatest advancements
made in educational reform during
the past four years is the childSla-
| Dor law. the Governor declared. The
establishment of continuation and
vocational schools have been re-
forms such as have not been made
| in the Pennsylvania system for many
years, he declared.
The system of continuation schools,
one of the first of its kind in the
United States, is meeting with stead
lily increasing favor everywhere, and
manufacturers are characterizing 1t
as one of the most human educa-
| tional laws in existence, the Cover
nor said.
State Is Active
The raising of the minimum teach
er wages law, the law raising of
superintendents and the law permit
ting the appointment of assistant
superintendents, the wider appli-
cation of mothers pension laws, the
enactment of the teachers retire.
ment act, all were mentioned as re-
cent important contributions to the
Pennsylvania school system.
During the past four years. eight
normal schools have been purchas-
ed, raising the total of such state
owned institutions to ten, with pros
poets of the ownership of the re-
naming three soon passing into the
hands of the state. The establish
ment of a bureau of vocational edu-
cation in the Department of Educa-
tion was mentioned as another inn
portant contribution to Pennsylvania
education in recent years.
Pennsylvania was lauded, for the
part she has played during the war
by the Governor in the closing part
of his speech. How Pennsylvania
game more than one-tenth of the
number of men to the whole armed
force and bore greater share OF
the casualties than any other state
was told in glowing words by the
Governor and his remarks were
greeted with round after round OF
applause for those men who have
given the best in them to make the
world safe for democracy.
Robert A. Enders, president OF
the Harrisburg school board, in the
illness of influenza of DR.. f. e
Downes, city superintendent of
schools, also spoke a few words OF
welcome.
Praise For DIR. DOwncs
J. H. Sweeney, superintendent oi
Elk county schools, made a short
response to the addresse of wei.
come. He also expressed a few
words of what DR.. Downes has done
for the Pennsylvania State Educa.
tional Association. President VIII.
son, once the scholomaster of Prince
ton, Mr.. Sweeney now characteriz.
es as the schoolmaster of the world
He also paid especial tributes tt
General John J. Pershing and Gen
eral Foch as schoolmen who have
made enormous contributions in the
successful prosecution of the worlt
war.
DR.. Edgar Fahs Smith, provos
of the University of Pennsylvania
delivered the first regularly sched.
u1ed address of the session on "Tht
Contribution of Chemistry to HUI.
man Nature"
Well equipped with his breakers
test tubes and crucibles, he demon.
strated some of the powers of chem.
istry. The powers of liquid air with
its minus 1914 degrees, Centrigrade
received especial attention from DR.
Smith who illustrated its freezing
powers on quicksilver. eggs, rubber
balls and alcohol
Chemistry, DIR. Smith declared, i:
an agency that effects human ma.
ture probably more than any other
The enormous contribution of chem.
ical elements, especially nitrogen, tc
the fertilization of the soil for farm.
ers, and of the same nitrogen ir
Manufacture Of explosives, were