The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-02-07

Ivy CdIANOJ DC Icu1ONSO Dy OIKecC az
tack. 1t requires the skillful work of
a social engineering board
The community engineering board
viii put the community principle into
operation. The construction of this
engineering board requires tact and
skill. The right persons to undertake
this enterprise are the victims of the
disease of over-organization-the
business men who are compelled to-
bear the overhead burden.
The men selected for members of
the board of social engineers should
be chosen for their ublic-mindedness.
They should be gifted with q, sense
of humor to give them a keen sense
of relative values, so that the task
can be approached with intelligence
and sympathy.
The three professions most nearly
akin to the social sciences are those
of law. teaching and ministry. Mem
bers of these three professions who
have the desire and capacity to do
constructive work would make ad-
mirable members of such a board.
The practice of law, however, is
fast becoming not a profession but a
trade, and to restore it again to the
status of a profession it must be
welded to the work of the social en-
gineer.
The ommon law is the body of
recognized principles to regulate hui
man relationships. Therefore the
study of the common law furnishes
an appropriate framework around
which to build the social structure.
Therefore the social ENGINEER is a
common law lawyer, ar attorney for
the people. He represents "the peo-
| pies bloc" It is the practice of pre-
~ventative law. In the modern court
contest one side wins and the other
= side loses. But in the settlement
made by the social engineer both
sides win. 1t saves the itigants
time and money, and what is more
valuable than either time or money,
good will, which is not only a per-
S sonal but a business asset.
The social engineer is not a "spe-
cialist," but a "ge~neralist." His dis
tinguishing mark should be public
mindednezs. The lawyer must be q
lawyer plus a statesman, a minister
plus a statesman, a mechanical engi'
neer plus a statesman. He should
: think Of the nation as a society, anc
s deal with the social and economic
Z forces which control governments
s create law, and build a normal human
{ body.
5 In almost every city, town and vii
& lage the money required for taxes
5 clubs, churches, charities and innu
1 nlerable social agencies, both govern
= mental and volunteer, has become
s ~burdensome overhead community ex
9 pense-
AS pathfinders, the New England
3 pilgrims contributed two valuabl
8 institutions to America-the public
2 school and the town meeting. Thes'
5 first corners from Europe were PEG
8 ple of considerable education. The.
5 early established the public schoo
system in Massachusetts.
3 1t was the greatest and finest 80
cial enterprise ever given to Amer
= lea. but by the first third of tn
s nineteenth century public educatlol
e had fallen into decay, and the I'm
8 ideals of its founders had vanlshe
2 and what was left of it vas Of loN
3 order.
2 Then came Horace Mann, a gres
E social engineer. the first man wh
2 really understood the educatlons
needs of a nation. He started a n
! vival in public education, restored
] to its fine social basis and modifle
it to meet new conditions, and I
reach every description Of our peopI
from the least to the greatest an
had the practical capacity to max
his reforms effective.
If the public school is now our bl'
pest asset and achievement, 1t is al
to Horace Mann, who is justly Gale
the father of American education.
The town meeting likewise fell IN
decay. and what Horace Mann did Il
the public school is what now nee
70 be done for the town meeting lde
This is the big item in our nation
unfinished business, for an intelhge
organized and cultivated public OPT
ion, which will be q guarantee
progress in all lines of social e
deavor.
Truly the work of the board of
cial engineers is sorely needed IN
community, the county, the state a
the nation. We are drifting out
the frontiers, far away on the dista
and desert verge of civilization, J
the reason that society is not q
ktructed on life as a whole, but on
m-ercenary principle Of selfishness q