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Educational Progress.
(Some of the public schools of Philadelphia are
putting needlework in the course for boys.
There are now 13,793 living Yale graduates of
the 23,446 who have received degrees at that uni
versity. About 150 die each year, as opposed to
about 700 graduated each year.
A new professorship, to be called the Professor
ship of (Social Legislation, will be established at
Columbia University. Dr. Samuel McCune Lindsay,
professor of sociology in the University of Penn
sylvania, will occupy the chair. His duties will be
begun next (autumn.
The following editorial from Collier’s of January
19th touches upon certain most valuable and inter
esting steps in educational progress as related to
the teaching of physically and mentally defective
children:
“Experiments are being made, in various parts of
the country, toward educating the defective. Un
graded classes have been established in Boston,
Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York. In the public
schools of the last-named city there are now forty
one thoroughly organized ungraded classes, under
the direction of a special instructor, and the work
will be extended. The Board of Education has
given leaves of absence to teachers with an apti
tude for this work, that they might study defective
children in state institutions. Such unfortunates
can in many cases be made wage-earners, and can
usually be helped to many of the enjoyments of
human life; an advance, surely, from those days
when the defective child sat upon a high stool and
wore a dunce’s cap. Today, when a child is slow
at reading, its eyes are examined by a medical
inspector. If it be stupid in response, its hearing
is investigated. In general the training piovided
for the defective is a development of the kinder
garten idea—a happy environment and a gentle
gradation from the concrete to the abstract. Such
children are often as starved for sympathy and
love as they are for the body’s food; and the de
fective mental qualities frequently spring from
malnutrition. In many homes a first step is to in
duce mothers to substitute milk for tea oi coffee
and cheerful looks for gloom.”
The exclusion of the Japanese from the public
schools of San Francisco has naturally aroused
much feeling in Japan, and the press of that coun
try has been giving it even more attention than
it has received in the United States. After the
way the question was treated in President Roose
velt’s message, the Japanese press became much
calmer in the matter, but recently are showing
signs of discontent by reason of the fact that
nothing has seemed to result from the message.
The Nippon (Tokyo) says:
“We must say that we regard the statement
made by Viscount Aoki, Japanese Ambassador at
Washington, to the effect that the Japanese indig
nation with the Californians has subsided, as pre
mature. The indignation of the Japanese has not
yet ceased. On the contrary, the statements re
ported to have been made by Mr. Miller, Senator
Hayes, and some others have greatly incensed the
Japanese The nation is remaining tranquil because
it has confidence in the ability of the President to
end the trouble, but if it becomes clear that the
The Golden Age for January 24, 1907.
State of California will not obey the President,
the indignation of the Japanese will not fail to
reassert itself with augmented strength.”
The Japan Weekly Mail contains a communica
tion from a correspondent in which away out of
the difficulty is suggested:
“It is difficult for the Japanese people to see
why a special regulation should be directed toward
their children. To them it seems that any embar
rassment growing out of the congestion referred
to might have been relieved by certain general reg
ulations which would have borne equally upon all.
No thoughtful Japanese could fail to approve of a
rule which forbade adults or adolescents attending
the lower grades of the public schools. Such a
rule would be founded on practical universal ex
perience. Neither would they object to the intro
duction of a language test for all applicants for
admission (to the public schools. A certain stand
ard of efficiency in the use of the English language
might very wisely be established, the attainment
of°which should be essential to admission to any
but special schools.
“Furthermore, no one could object to the seg
regation of any and all pupils who might show
themselves morally unworthy.
“If the Japanese community suffer more than
others from the strict enforcement of regulations
framed in the spirit indicated, no complaint wouKd
be heard from any responsible persons, certainly
not against the regulations themselves, and an in
ternational question could not arise. The central
point in the Japanese complaint is, not that certain
of their countrymen have suffered through their
children, but that they have suffered through the
operation of a law in direct violation of a clause
in the existing treaty which says, in effect, that
they shall not be made the objects of special legis
lation or of special administrative treatment; for
that is whait the most highly favored nation clause
in the treaties means, if it anything. And
this is just the question at issue. ‘Does the treaty
afford any protection whatever from local preju
dice?’ It is natural that the Japanese of all classes
should wish to have that question answered.”
At the Boys’ High School.
The pupils of the Atlanta Boys’ High School
held special exercises Friday, January 18th, in com
memoration of the one hundredth anniversary of
Gen. Robert E. Lee’s birth. The features of the
event were the orations delivered by eight of tine
youthful orators upon various phases of General
Lee’s life and character. There was a good crowd
present, the public having been invited.
James A. Terrell, recently elected president of
the Alciphronian Literary and Debating Society,
presided. ,
Prof. William M. Slaton, principal of the Boys
High School, acted as master of ceremonies. He
introduced each speaker, telling some incident con
nected with the general trend of his thought.
The following program was carried out:
“Lee as a Son”—Roy Goree.
“Lee as a Student”—Edward Clarkson.
“Why did Lee Side with the South?” —C. C.
Fleming, Jr.
“Lee Loved by His Men” —Wm. Campbell.
“Lee as a Teacher” —Joel Hurt, Jr.
“Lee in the Mexican War”—Carey Calloway.
“Lee as a Character”— Baylor Landrum.
“Lee in the Civil War”—Walter LeCraw.
Mrs. C. C. Fleming read the proclamation from
Governor Swanson, of Virginia, declaring Lee’s
birthday a legal holiday.
Short talks were given by C. C. Fleming and
Dr. W. W. Landrum. J- W. LeCraw.
In Case of Fire.
A Germantown man was talking about the fa
mous Dr. Henry Van Dyke, of Princeton.
“When Van Dyke was a little chap,” he said,
“I went to school with him.
“One day, before school closed for the Christ
mas holidays, we expected a visit from a certain
director. This director always questioned the chil
dren about one: thing—namely, what they’d do in
case of fire. So the teacher coached us all the
morning before he came, preparing us finely on
the course to be taken if fire should break out.
“Well, sure enough, the director called, but
when he got up to address us, he said:
“ ‘lt is good to be here at this jolly Christmas
season among so many rosy, smiling young face®
You are a very bright looking lot of children, and
I wonder what you would do now if I wore to
make you a little speech on the best way to cele
brate Christmas?’ I
“Quick as a flash, young Van Dyke piped out:
“ ‘Form in single file and march quickly out.’ ”
•
Teacher.
It was visiting day at the kindergarten, and the
young teacher was proud of her little pupils as
they went through their drills and exercises, and
beamed with pleasure ait the appreciation shown
by the visitors, who applauded generously. I hen
came the lesson, and the teacher announced the
subject.
“Children,” she said, “today we are going to
learn about the cat, and I want you to tell me what
you know about it. Tommy, how many legs has
the cat ?”
“Four,” replied Tommy, proudly conscious of
rectitude.
“Yes, and Daisy, what else has the cat?”
“Claws an’ tail,” murmured Daisy, shyly.
Various other portions of leline anatomy weie
ascertained, and finally the instructress turned to
one of the latest acquisitions of the kindergarten
and said sweetly:
“Now, Mary, can you tell me whether the cat has
fur or feathers?”
With scorn and contempt, mingled with a va£t
surprise, Mary said:
“Gee, teacher, ain’t you never seen a cat?”
And the lesson came to an abrupt end.—Buffalo
Evening News.
Father Well, Freddy, what did you learn at
school today?
Freddy—Humph! I didn’t learn anything.
Father Didn’t learn anything? What did you
do, then?
Freddy Didn’t do nothing; a woman wanted to
know how to spell dog, and I told her.
W. T. WINN, General Insurance, representing
several of the best companies in all the lines.
Phones 496. 219 Empire Building.
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