The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-31

Der of their children able to attend col lego. Under the heading of the bust nsss mems children the most notable increases come from the homes of our butchers, grocers, and coal merchants. Restaurant keepers also show up well. The dry goods business makes a rather poor showing. A
 These facts come from records com piled by the University of Illinois, for the ten year period, 1913-1923. Total registration increased Al per cent.
 But the increase in children or wards of farmer folk increased only 70 per cent Those of skilled laborers no less than PAT per cent; much the greatest gain of all. @
 Business shows an increase of 169 per cent.
 All other classes show decreases.
 The College of Agriculture at the 5 came university reveals similarly un- pleasant picture of economic and edu- cational conditions farmwise.
 Less than 43 per cent of the FOG stud ents last year came from the soil.
 Some 37 per cent of the total presum- ably, a large proportion of youths not bred and born on farms
 Contrast this with the1 showing made at the university by the children of parents engaged in other occupations. Between 1913 and 1923, as Glenn Cris- Wold points out, the registration of the ehildren of carpenters, increased from 62 to SIS, mechanics from 52 to IA, electricians from nothing to 22, barbers from 15 to 31, miners from 19 to 55, painters from 8 to 37, plumbers from to 35, tailors from IS to 56.
 The total of e94 children of skilled iaborers registered last year contrasted with PA in 1913.
 5 T
 No fewer than 155 children of un- skilled laborers were attending the university last year, including 16 chil- dren of tearnsters, Il oNs janitors, 8 of watchmen, of sextons md of hotel porters. M
 The most striking fe4ture of these figures are the severe drop in agricultu- ral students and the notable increase in students from the homes of work naen.
 What is the future likely to have in store for sons of farmers?
 My belief is that we are destined to witness in this country an evolution in Agriculture similar to the evolution which has been under way in indus stEEy during the last 25 years. believe Eo are going to see large scale agri- lulture just as we now have large Icaie manufacturing, distributing and Setailing.
 Operating an ordinary farm does not bold out a glittering appeal to the ma Iority of university-trained young men of energy and ambition. These youths want a broader field, a bigger stage for the exercise of their education and talents. The ordinary farm does not promise a big enough fortune for the go-getting young American of today But the progressive American farm oi tomorrow is to be very different in. Etitution from the farm of yesterday The multiplication of labor saving ma chinery and implements,t the advent oi the tractor, the motor truck, the auto mobile, the arrival of good roads, and above all, the prospective availability of unlimited electric power are combin' ing. and will combine to make large scale agriculture feasible and profit able. This has already been demon strated in several states.
 The prospect is, therefore, that by and by agriculture will hold out oppor tunities rivalling those of industry, fl nance and transportation. Americs will raise up Napoleons of agriculture just as we have raised up Napoleon' of finance and industry and trans portation. And large scale agriculture will be able to send its sons to uni versailles in numbers matching thos' from city homes.
 As for the showing made by soni of workmen, 1t is to be welcomed hear tily The solution of virtually all oul economic and social problems must come from the spread of education from fuller understanding of funda mentals, from continuance of thu happy process so characteristic of thu nation by which the laborer of toda! becomes the employer of tomorrow.
 Is college education worth while1 .s-.N- Ar kI.s.2 e.