Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1930-05-08

around the table by quietly saying.
perhaps you are to be congratulated
that you are at an age when sense
of humor covers multitude of sins.
but personally can not enjoy that
which gives me pain.
II am a representative university
man, seriously asking myself and you
whether the system we call education
educates?" The silence became OPP
pressive. The men were thinking.
Perhaps" he continued, II should
have put you more at ease by telling
you at the beginning that I have
never experienced the Joy Of fashion,
ing articles with my own hands. Nor
anything useful for that matter. Here
we are then; group Of men on whom
university has set its stamp. We
produce nothing to cat, we could not
even lend hand in the making of
anything we see around us, and truth
compels me to venture the suggestion
that In ninety-nine cases out of a
hundred the chief motive of college
education is to escape participation
in just such work as gives, or ought
to give, Joy to the worker.
"a timekeeper performs useful
function, so does cash register, but
she function of education is not to
ourn out timekeepers or cash regis
ters. 1t has been truly said that If
ten bachelors of art were wrecked in
nid-ocean they could not build pom
| loon to save their lives! They would
oe equally helpless in any critical
emergency were practical knowledge
| Of the ordinary things around us was
lnperatively necessary. A statement
If the problem is not a solution and
We do not gain much by stating that
he system is to blame, and we are
not.
you certainly are not to blame.
jou are the victims of whatever sys-
;em we have. I cannot say that am
olameless. I do not believe that q
;mattering of languages, Of niathma-
les and history is education. I be-
.ieve the system of examining these
Kings to pass an examination is per-
licious. So, having been asked for
he first time in my life to make an
address, made 1t an opportunity to
enter my protest.
Education is to prepare and equip
or the duties and responsibilities of
life, not to turn out industrial and
commercial bosses, CATERS, timekeep-
RS and cash registers. would hard
y be justified in taking up your time
With these observations alone. So, in
addition, want to say this: Most
If you are destined to be masters of
men. You will organize and mobilize
their labor you will oversee it.
when you see men around you
/! actually creating beautiful things with
their hands, I would like you to
remember that it was my opinion that
actual labor in the arts and crafts
and industries is an infinitely nobler
contribution to the happiness Of man
kind than clipping coupons and living
OH the sweat of other mems brows.
ut will not come in our day, but
the world will ultimately come tc
understand that the training of the
mind is as necessary as the training
of the body. Why should it be con-
J sidered ar unthinkable thing that q
J blacksmith or a carpenter should need
an education? Why should college
men consider it degrading to handle
| tools and make useful and beautiful
things?
why should university perpe.
tuate such " revolt against nature
in which the man who does no usefu
work at all is considered gentleman
) and the creator Of wealth and beau
tiful things should be considered low
cast, in Anglo-Saxon civilization?
II want to point out to you that the
. highest form of culture and refine.
l ment known to mankind was ultimate.
! ly associated with tools and labor
; In order to do that I must present
5 to you a picture, imaginative, but ir
1 dSCOlQ WILL UAAC laws Va AlAouSty GIN
} experience"
: He pushed his chair back and stooe
a few feet from the table. His face
, betrayed deep emotion. His voice
became wonderfully soft and irresis
Y tibly appealing The college men hae
a been interested; they were now spell
y bound.
i Gentlemen" he said, may intro
{ duce you to a young Galilean who Il
a a master-builder-- of Nazareth!'
= 1t was a weird act The silence be
e came oppressive. AS if addressing al
n actual person he continued:
Master, may ask You, MS asked
e these young men, whether there i
S anything in this room that You coult
t make with Your hands as other mel
O make them?"
# There was pause, brief momen
(" or two, then with the slow, measure,
It stride of an Oriental he went to tn