The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-02-26
EDUCATION AND BONUS
FOR ALL EX-SERVICE MEN
State Would Appropriate Ten Millio1
Dollars Under Plan of DIR. James
A. Nydegger.

A. Nydegger.
A proposition that would give q
cash bonus or educational training to
every Maryland man who served in
the army or navy during the war, as
the States memorial in recognition of
their services, is before the State
Board of Education for approval and
may be brought before the Legisla-
ture during the present week. The
proposal would supplant the sugges-
| tions that the State build a bridge.
| building or monument in memoriam of
the service men, and would at the
same time give the men the bonus
they have been asking. This bonus
is provided for in a bill for S10,-
100000 appropriation, pending in the
Legislature, so that the new plan
would combine the memorial idea and
the proposed bonus.
DR.. James A. Nydegger, head of
the Public Health Service in Balti-
more, presented the plan to the State
Board of Education, and was assured
that deep consideration would be Civ
en- to it.
An educational form of memorial.
in the opinion of DR.. Nydegger, would
go much further in benefitting the
State than would building or mon
ument in cold marble, because it
would raise the educational standard
of its citizens, and the money expen-
ded would be returned in due time in
better citizenship, efficiency in gain
ing livelihood, and in extending this
raised standard to the progeny of
those directly benefited through fu-
ture generations.
DR.. Nydegger proposes that to ev-
cry Maryland man that was in the
service for two months Or more the
preference be given of either a cash
bonus or an educational bonus. The
cash bonus would be about ten dol
lars for each month the man served
in the army or navy, while the edu-
cational bonus would equal $50 a
month, to be expended in sending the
soldier to some college. vocational
school or other institution, with all
expenses paid by the State Each SOL
der would know before hand how
much money the State would spend
in his education, and could therefore
determine where he would 90. how
long and what subjects he would take.
The educational plan would apply to
every branch of learning, from COM
pletion of an academic college course
through all the mechanical trades and
vocational occupations. The State
educational institutions would be util-
lied, the men being sent to Maryland
universities, colleges, normal schools.
high schools, preparatory schools and
vocational schools to be established.
Every man would be trained according
to his qualifications.
Education is living and an en-
nobling thing" said DR.. Nydegger,
"and would be of far greater benefit
than if we put many millions into cold
mable or stone. And | believe that
if it Is put up to our men whether
they want cash bonus or educational
assistance bonus, the greater majority
of them will say they want an educa-
ton. The war has stimulated in their
minds the desire to acquire better
education, and believe they will very
quickly grasp the offer of free train
ing and will appreciate such a memo
rial far more than if some monument
or building were erected. They have
been surrounded by the results of ed
ucation- big guns, chemicals, engi-
neering feats, airplanes and so on
and desire the ability to create these
things themselves. Why not take the
money We were going to spend on
someth ng else for them, that PEI
haps, they do not want, and give them
what they want.
81 feel strongly that our $4,000
Maryland men who served in the wal
should be consulted in this matter.
feel that ifa QUESTIONABLE were sent
out to them they would all prefer the
education or bonus rather than a
bridge, monument, building or what
not. l feel that so important is this
matter to the people of the State that
they should give it careful considera-
ton before extending their approval
to any plan to build monument or a
building"
Special Meeting Oak Lodge No 7