The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-02-17

thought his institution might like to take
up the offer of the Carnegie foundation.
He did not urge any of the reasons
he now gives at that time" said Mr.
! Webber, but when his trustees did no
think it advisable to- have the teachers
college affiliated with Middlebury. he now
takes the attitude of the dog in the man,
ger and gives strong reasons why the Uni,
versity of Vermont should not have it
/ What the doctor really fears is that if the
college goes to Burlington, the Legislature
in time might take away from Middlebury
its $4,000 appropriation for teacher
training
The speaker closed by calling attention
to the local interest Of the champions of
the Stearns bill-Mr. Stearns for Johnson
and DIR. Thomas and DR.. Collins for Mid
dlebury college.
superintendent Harvey Burbank of
PasSumpsic, w. Il. Lance of plainfield. 5.
{. Hutchinson of Montpelier. and J.. ID.
Whittier of Burlington spoke for the
teacher college bill. alleging the great
scarcity of teachers for, the primary
schools and urging that the teacher train
ing courses were the only way i'm which a
supply of teachers could be kept up.
There are 140 towns in Vermont"
said Mr.. Whittier. where there are no
graduates of normal schools teaching in
any of the schools. Are you prepared to
lcgislate those teachers out of existence
and deprive those children of the ~instruc-
ton they are now getting?"
Commissioner Clarence II. Dempsey
answered the argument of unfairneSS to
the normal schools by showing that at the
time the standards were lowest there was
only an enrolment of 2JT. not too many
for one efficient school. He showed that
the Stearns bill. if enacted into law, would
certainly kill the training classes owing
to the harsh requirement that only two
years teaching could be done by gradu-
ates without returning to the normal
schools.
The speaker figured that the actual cost
to the state. after considering the state
subsidy of $4,000 annually, would be
from $500 to $1,000 per graduate. He
called attention to the entangling alli-
ances of the Stearns bill, which would
affiliate education with three institutions
not owned or controlled by the state.
Mr.. Dempsey outlined the plans for the
teachers college. which he said would be
free from frills and fads. but would deal
strictly with elementalS, such as arithme-
tic. reading, spelling, geography, disci-
plinP. etc.
Mrs. r. c. Ransome Of CaseIton created
n diversion by asking the state board if it
were not n fact that no member of the
board or DIR. Hillegas had been in Castle
ton during the past four years with the
exception of Mr.. Hewitt of plainfield. a
query which brought out Il spirited an
Swcr hy Rev. Arthur W. Hewitt i'm which
tie SdIu the state BOARD nau Deen aDOut as
popular in CastletOn as the devil at a
prayer-meeting.
Meanwhile Senator S~herburne shot
back at Mrs. Ransome Il crosS-fire in
which he asked if she had not said to him
in the senat chamber that it was the ulti-
mate plan of the normal school people to
have four normal schools and to abolish
the teacher training classes entirely. Mrs.
RanSome said that she had made such a
statement.
Mr.. Hewitt's address spanked with his
familiar wit. humOr and satire as he an
Swcred some of the arguments made by
DR.. Thomas and others. bringing to a
climax what is perhaps the most remark
able series Of hearings held on legislative
matters in the past decade.