Evening capital. [volume] (Annapolis, Md.) 1922-1981, 1923-01-18
DIR. FITZHUGH GIVES
VIEWPOINT OF CITIZEN

Declaring that education is the
backbone of the State government.
and that il is the greatest object of
The State government to give TO every
boy and girl equal opportunity to reach
elect in life, Governor Ritchie de-
livered an address before the annual
conference of the State Board OF Ed
ucation. the County Boards OF Edu-
caion and county superintendents of
education in the House of Delegates
chamber at the State House this aft
ernoon. The Governor spoke upon the
general theme Public Education from
The viewpoint of the States Execu-
tive" Another address that featured
he conference was by DR.. Henry NJ.
Fitzhugh. president of the State
Board. whose object was Public Ed
ucation from the Viewpoint or the
Citizen of the State"
Governor Host At Luncheon
The meeting brought together prac-
tically the full complement Cf edu-
cation officials in the several coun-
ties and Baltimore city. and was pro-
nounced the most successful meeting
Of the kind ever held The party
numbered more than 100, including a
number OF women now holding Office
on county boards, and all were en-
tertained at luncheon at the Executive
Mansion as the guests of Governor
Richie and his mother, Mrs. Albert
Ritchie.
DR.. Fitzhugh presided over the
meeting and prefaced his introduction
of the Governor with remarks in
which he referred to the great good
hat has feen accomplished through
holding such business and social gath
orings of school officials since the in
luguration of the custom a few years
lgo. He referred to the County Board
as the "shock absorhers' between the
public and the professional end OF
the situation.
Important Duty OF Boards
The Governor spoke OF his hearty
accord in holding such conferences.
saying that they served to thrash out
differences Of opinion on public school
matters. to develop ideas, and correct
mistakes. He declared that in the
hands of the county boards rests the
fulfillment of the highest duty that
can be performed to the State; that
those responsible for the public school
system are charged with developing
that which is highest and loftiest in
! character and public duty
Drawing comparison of govern
ment and business, the Governor said
that the two are separate and dis
tinct. Business, he said, deals with
the handling of money. corporate in
terests, etc, but that the function of
+ I State government is that of dealing
with human rights as distinguished
from property rights. Our GovernA
ment, he said, is essentially Amer
ican: the one idea being that all
should have an equal opportunity to
/ succeed in life; that the son OF a
millionaire and the son of a pauper
may start out hand in hand. and that
the fellow who possesses the real grit
and sand to go ahead is the one who
will be at the top in the end. It is
the duty of the government, he de-
| clared, to see that human rights and
equal opportunity are equalized He
said that the laborer working in the
coal mines, and taking all sorts of
chances in life has a job equally as
big as the executive head of a big
corporation or other Official Touch
ing upon the interests of the farmer,
the Governor said that agriculture is
the backbone of prosperity OF State
and Nation; that the farming inter-
ests need brains, and talent to prop
erly carry on the industry to produce
the best.
DR.. Fitzhugh's Address
DR. Fitzhugh. speaking Immediately
following the Governor, began his ad-
dress by giving an outline of how he
explored in order to acquaint himself
with the obligations that confronted
him as an educational official. Fol-
lowing a rather extensive recital
along this line. he summed up his
conclusions on education from the
viewpoint of a citizen as follows:
Education And Capacity
What we call public education is
simply the effort that the state makes
to impress its future citizens by in-
fiuences designed to develop charac-
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