Evening star., 1938-01-23
AGRICULTURE UNIT
CONDUCTSSCHOOL
1000 Students Interested
in 81 Classes of Wide
Variety.
BY BLAIR BOLLES.

BY BLAIR BOLLES.
The South Building of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture. 20 big visitors
occasionally mistake 1t for the Depart
ment Of Commerce, has something the
Commerce Department hasn't-l2
class rooms with built-in blackboards.
one-arm chairs and lecturers desks.
The class rooms are visible proof
that the Agriculture Department con-
ducts an educational institution,
which, although 1t has more than
1000 students interested in 81 subjects
from income tax procedure to adr
vanced glass-blowing, Is one Of the
least-known agencies Of the Govern
ment In Washington.
The Department Of Agriculture
Graduate School tomorrow begins the
second semester Of its nineteenth
year. It was opened In 1921 by Secre-
tary Henry Wallace, father Of the
present Secretary Henry Agar wallace,
because Controller General McCarl
refused to permit department workers
attached to university experimental
stations to study at the universities
on Government time.
Mainly for Graduate Study.
Although some elementary subjects
are offered, especially in languages,
the institution is primarily for
graduate study and its certification of
work Is acceptable to universities
throughout the country.
Last June 100 certifications were
made to men and women seeking M.
AS or Phi. DIS from Cornell, Univer-
sity OF Pennsylvania. Penn State,
Iowa State Teachers College, Univer-
sity Of Chicago. Johns Hopkins UNI
versity, Radcliffe, University Of Cali
fornia at Los Angeles, University Of
Iowa, University of Missouri, Harvard,
College Of the City of New York,
Louisiana State University, Michigan
University, New York University
School Of Education, University of
Oregon. University of Nebraska, North
western. University of California, Syra-
cuse, Kansas University, Maryland
University and American University.
I'VE get along very we'll with the
universities because We don't offer
degrees" Director A. F. Woods, who
once was dean at Maryland and at
Minnesota. explained. I'VE don't have
any snap courses. either"
Most Students in Government.
The school had seven courses and
$50 students when DR.. Woods took
charge Of it In 1926 Most of the
students are earnest Government
workers. but the breakdown Of the
roster of 21ll enrollees for the year
| 1856 shows that 1877 Of them had
no official aftiliation.
ITO maintain the efficiency in a sci
entific organiza ton under civil serv-
ice regulations some provision must
be made for adequate training Of
those who enter the service in the
lower positions" Secretary Wallace
announced when the school was Or
ganized.
TO meet this need the department
has provided for graduate training
in various lines for the Scientific
workers. The work is given outside
Of ONCE hours. is supported entirely
by the students and is therefore un-
of1cial in nature"
Twenty-eight new non-snap courses
! are available this semester. perhaps
the most timely Of which is the series
Of lectures on labor law. Mondays
and Wednesdays at 5 pm, by Ed
ward Berman. senior economist Of the
| w. P. A. and consulting economist
for the Brotherhood Of Sleeping Car
Porters.
Economics in French.
Those who like to do things the
hard way can study economics IN
French Fridays from 4:45 to $50
pm. from DR.. Walter Bauer, who
conducts the symphony orchestra of
the Farm Credit Administration, where
he is an economist, and who holds the
degree Of doctor rerum politicarum
from Leipzig Germany University.
Other subjects newly offered in
clude first and second year account
ing, political economy and law, his
tory OF social thought and theory,
social ethics, history Of philosophy,
modern philosophy, current social
problems. management and supervi-
sion, survey Of public personnel prob
lens, elementary statistical anal
ysis, beginning algebra, mathematics
Of finance, trigonometry and analytic
geometry, linear algebra, basic pho
Biography. radio engineering. practical
public speaking. descriptive English
grammar, government correspondence,
creative writing, Tennyson, English
criticism, elementary and advanced
italian and Spanish, and shorthand.
Courses in the principles and prac-
tice OF graphic presentation of eco
nomic data and in the nervous sys-
TEN and animal behavior are also
available. In the social sciences the
school co-operates with American Uni
versity.
Books Show Profit.
The books of the school show a
profit of $12,000.94, $7.000.94 Of which
Is held In cash and $4,000 of which
Is invested in Government bonds.
The tuition is $l2 a semester for
two-hour-a-week studies and $l8 q
semester for three-hour-a-week stud
! les.
The lecturers are paid usually IS
an hour, although such men as Prof.
r.. A. Fisher and Dr. N. Neyman
Of London University, supposedly the
worlds greatest Statisticians rAceive
$50 and expenses from New York City