The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-02-28

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financial ability or inclination want to
take the advanced course, but for those
who want to have or have to get at
their life work, the school is necessary
to teach in the shortest time and in the
best manner the essential methods, and
enough of the reasons, enough of the
cause and effect to enable them to intel
hgently do the work, and also train them
in the habits of application of system
and method in order that the work may
be done in the most efficient manner
with the least effort
There is no modern industry that could
survive if it were not for intelligent SUI
pervision and direction of the work. In
industrial establishments there is at the
head highly trained manager assisted
by trained experts. On the very large
farms more or less the same conditions
can exist, consequently the direction as
to how to do things can be separated
from the workers who can do the work
under direction with less training and
little or no special education.
The Vermont farmer, however, must in
most cases be both boss and workman
consequently the necessity Of thorough
training that he may work intelligently.
Vermont can we'll afford to reduce ex-
penses in many ways before it cuts down
the essential training which underlies its
chiefest industry. Any slip-shod imper-
feet education is worse than none and
tine youth need not 20 TO school to get it.
If you intend to educate the youth in the
best agricultural methods you must have
the best possible school Two poor ones
are worse than none, and one poor one
is worse than none, for it ruins by false
training the man power" of the future;
that is crime. Much better let the
youth pick up his education in the ordi-
nary way than allow him to spend his
best formative years in learning halfway
methods and bad working habits.
If you cannot have two agricultural
schools. have one, and if you cannot have
that of the best. don't have any. The
state has had its experience in normal
schools. Don't repeat it in agricultural
training.
The agricultural school at Lyndon was
started for the purpose Of demonstrating
the advantage Of such school Funda-
mental education Is the province of the
state. 1t was never my intention to
carry on this school beyond the demon
stration of either its usefulness or use
lessness. II was never my intention to
run in competition with the state. 1t
was only to pioneer and show the advan-
tage, if any
When Vermont established second
agricultural school, it was assumed that
the state had done so because that ad-
vantage had been established and not to
square a local political difficulty.
The gift of the Lyndon property was
made to the state supposing that the
idea had become established but OH the
condition that unless it was continued
on the same lines, the property should go
to the Lyndon institute, where we are
trying to establish for the girls a sys-
tenn Of education for rural life.
If Vermont cannot make a sufficiently
| liberal appropriation to establish the two
agricultural schools, but is willing to
make it for one, and that one because Of
local interests must be established at
Randolph, by all means let that be done.
There is no need for two schools at
present, but if properly carried on, there
will be need for many, there could be
hardly too many.
/ Let the alternative course be pursued
and the property go to the Lyndon insti-
/ tute and be devoted to its permanent
establishment. If this is DONE the state
| should also appropriate $4,000 to make
good the property, at least tS cover the
| depreciation of the property since the
state took charge. Certainly it would
| take that amount to put it all back in
! the condition that it was when the state
, took it. As this would go to Vermont s
! education Vermont would be the gamer
! As to my personal feelings to which
/ you were kind enough to refer, while ]
shall be disappointed, want it distinctly
! understood that | would rather see the
of some of the sO-called abandoned
farms, for which better term would be
neglected farms of shiftless proprietors
than to have it carried on in any half.
hearted, halfway manner ] would rath,
er see those sidehll properties called
Walls folly" than to see the youth OF
/ Vermont going year after year to an in.
stitution which fell short of what il
should do for them and fasten onto those
youths the habits of work and of think.
ing that would be enough to make them
wanting in all that makes for success.
No matter how good may be the inten
tions or desires of the educational com
missioners or of any superintendent Of
education or of the school system-a
school cannot be made without generou:
support sufficient to meet the purposes
for which it was intended.
am enclosing a couple of leahet:
which will give some of my ideas on edu
cation.
Thanking you for your interest in, anG
kind expressions about this matter, am
Very sincerely yours,