138 The State and the Farmer 



schools, and such supervision is undoubtedly 

 necessary; but if this supervision is to result 

 in complete domination by a central authority 

 at the capitol, we can well afford to wait. 



There seems to be little personal life-motive 

 in our education. The process produces pas- 

 sive or static results. It does not seem to 

 develop the quality of leadership, as it should. 

 We over- emphasize the importance of mere 

 verbal accuracy and breed in our pupils a de- 

 pressing fear of making mistakes. The schools 

 do not send their graduates home to work in 

 village-improvement societies, civic clubs, farm- 

 ers' organizations, mosquito extermination, or 

 to give them a just point of view on the com- 

 mon affairs of the community. Part of this lack 

 is no doubt due to ineffective home training. 

 With the growth of leisure in cities and towns, 

 children are not trained to the responsibility of 

 work. They read novels and entertainment- 

 periodicals, and are afraid of soiling their 

 clothes. We are developing a kind of artistic 

 idleness. The pity is that it is considered to 

 be respectable. 



