The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-10-19
PRESSING NEED
HBETTER AND
MORE TEACHERS
Splendid Address B y
President Harding At
Installation Of New
Head Of the William
and Mary College At
Williamsburg, Va, To-
day


williamsburg, Va. Oct. 19.-De~
claring the nation confronts an "edu-
cational crisis" through lack of
teachers and public school facilities,
President Harding appealed in an ad-
dress here today for patriotic support
ior an educational system cGmmen-
surate with national resources.
II wish it were possib e, said tha
president, TO drive home to the whole
American people the conviction OF
needed concern fer our educational
necessities.
we must have more ard better
teachers. and to get them the profes-
sion must be compensated as il de-
serves"
Mr. Harding spoke before gather
ing OF students and alumni Of the col
lege ol William and Mary as part OF
= ceremony which inducted Dr j. 4.
c. Chandler into the presidency of the
institution. An honorary decree was
conferred On the chief executive. VINO
came here with 4 distinguished group
Of goyei nment officials after deliver
ing an address during The morning at
Yorktown
1T is no CXaggcra ion, sa Il PrrSi-
dent Harding, TO say that the nation
confT ntS an educational crisis From
every corner of the land. from c1un-
/ Try, town and city, comes the same re-
port that the housing capacity Of our
pub fc schools is inadequate; that
tens Of thousands cf pupils have no
place Tor their studies; that teachers
cannot be listed in sufficient mum
Lers. ard tina school revenues are
insufficient. Ii may be said that, in
this rcalln of education we have been
drawing on our capital instead of
spending the annual increment only;
we have been taking the teachers
away from the schools and leaving Il
constantly increasing defseh IN our
capacity to turn out that product OF
disciplined minds which only can be
insured through ever-cXpanding facil-
4 tiles.
Let me hasten to add that this is
q condition that leads us to pessimism
or misgivings. would not wish it
otherwise. No people ever approach
cd the lavishness with which from
public revenue and private purse.
Americans have given to support edu-
cation; yet the more generously we
provide today the greater is the def
cheney tomorrow, and | am glad it is
thus. So long as the eagerness for
education Outruns our most generous
provision of facilities there will be
assurance we are going ahead-not
backward. SO long as l find the pro
portion of revenue properly devoted
to education is increasing, desire to
lie counted among those i'll public life,
ready and anxious to struggle with
the problem of raising the necessary
revenues. ! wish it We're possible for
us to drive home to the entire Amer
lean people the conviction of needed
concern for our educational neceSSi-
ties. We must have more and better
teachers, and to get them the profes
sion must be compensated as it de-
serves. | would lift up a Macedonian
call in behalf of our schools and col
leges to men and women who feel the
urge of public usefulness. More even
than money and endowments, our ed
ucational establishment needs the de-
vout, unselfsh sustaining support of
people moved by instinct of patriot
ism and service. l am not sure that
our people are living up to that full
estimation OF education'S worth.
doubt that there is as much of plain
living and high thinking in academic
shades as there was once, or might
well be now. | cannot prescribe the
cure but much OF the unrest today is
chargeable to our living too rapidly,
and too extravagantly. and colleges
/ have seen the reflex of it.
Along with this there is the obli-
CATION to maintain and encourage the
smaller colleges, among which none
/ is entitled tc claim so romantic and
appealing history as this institution
whose guests we are today. 1t is the
small college that democratizes the
higher education; that brings it with
in the vision and means of the aver
age young man and woman We hear
much Of the traditions Of famous uni
versities; but if we look into them we
commonly find that they concern men,
men who have stamped their person
alities, who have given of their gem
erous natures, who have colored the
intellectual atmosphere about them.
And men who are big and strong
enough to do that are as likely to he
found in the modest as in the impress
sive environment