726 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXIX. No. 749 



rine engineering, two in horticulture, one 

 in irrigation and three in ceramics. 



The combined courses offered by state 

 universities, other public and private col- 

 leges, and the special technical schools (one 

 hundred and forty-four institutions) are 

 as follows : ninety-one in electrical, one hun- 

 dred and thirteen in civil and ninety-four 

 in mechanical engineering, twenty in archi- 

 tecture, fifty-nine in agriculture, fourteen 

 in sanitary, fifty-two in mining, four in 

 marine, ten in metallurgical, thirty-four in 

 chemical and seven in railway engineering, 

 four in naval architecture, four in irriga- 

 tion, nine in forestry, twelve in horticul- 

 ture, five in textiles, and five in ceramics. 

 These facts show the meager opportuni- 

 ties offered for intensive technical work, 

 especially in the light of our rapidly devel- 

 oping resources. The mere fact that there 

 are one hundred and forty-four institutions 

 where education of the character indicated 

 may be had, is not at all an answer to the 

 point made. In most of these institutions 

 calling themselves colleges, and in many of 

 which the traditional subjects are well 

 taken care of, the equipment, the location, 

 the general facilities and the character of 

 the instruction given in technical lines are 

 not such as to fit for leadership or for 

 executive positions, or to equip for expert 

 work, nor are the humanities always so 

 taught as to develop richness of mind. 



What has been said of the narrowing 

 influences of courses of study in schools of 

 technology of to-day, applies in greater or 

 less measure to every such institution in 

 the country. Even those of greatest repu- 

 tation are not free from this criticism. 

 Some of these colleges are breaking the 

 bonds of tradition and are broadening their 

 curricula. The fact remains, however, that 

 if we are to equip, not machines, hut men, 

 if the product of the school is to be first a 

 man and then an engineer, it follows that 

 the conservative measures of the past must 



be disregarded and that we must demand 

 a more logical treatment of our technical 

 college schedules. 



That the training given in the technical 

 college be not over narrow and restricted, 

 to the science, mathematics, drawing and 

 shop work must be added such of the hu- 

 manities as experience may show to be es- 

 sential. The graduate of an engineering 

 college or of a school of technology fre- 

 quently fitnds hiroself in possession of suffi- 

 cient facts connected with his profession, 

 but with a knowledge of the language he 

 uses so inadequate as to seriously handi- 

 cap him in pursuing his vocation. The 

 business side of his education he also finds, 

 when too late, has been sadly neglected. 

 To adequately express oneself and to per- 

 fectly understand all business forms, such 

 as papers of conveyance, deeds, bills of 

 lading, etc., are matters to be ignorant of 

 which is absolutely inexcusable. Details of 

 common law, training in questions of na- 

 tional and political economy, of general 

 history and of commercial geography are 

 fundamentally essential. 



Herein is where the failure is so often 

 made. The specialist can perform the task 

 allotted to him, he can construct the plant, 

 install the equipment, but can go no fur- 

 ther. The management of the enterprise, 

 the business side of the project, he can not 

 grasp. For this purpose a business man 

 is required, and the latter, having no ac- 

 quaintance with the technical features in- 

 volved, makes failure of his administra- 

 tion. The engineer must be an executive 

 engineer. His training must be such as to 

 enable him to tie together the various spe- 

 cialties. He must understand accounting 

 and know how to make proper apportion- 

 ments ; in other words, he must be familiar 

 with the commercial phases of his profes- 

 sion ; he must have a knowledge of business 

 methods, of political and economic condi- 

 tions, of the development of trade and in- 



