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SCIENCE 



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



college, less danger, and with a better op- 

 portunity to "try out" his powers and 

 determine his inclinations, the boy may 

 spend his added two years in high school. 



It happens many times that the moral 

 atmosphere of the coUege is undesirable, 

 especially so to the boy fresh from the 

 small high school. Moreover, the quality 

 of the instruction offered in the first two 

 years of many of the larger institutions is 

 far inferior in grade to that which may be 

 had in the well-conducted high school. 



On the successful completion of these two 

 years of work, a diploma should be given. 

 It would then be possible to advise the 

 student as to whether or not further college 

 work would be to his advantage. 



While there is much truth in the forego- 

 ing argument, it remains to be said that it 

 is next to impossible, under present condi- 

 tions, to induce those best qualified for the 

 work to continue more than four years 

 beyond the secondary school. Considering 

 the readjustment of schedules, it is certain 

 that there are many husks that may be 

 thrown out. This matter of elimination 

 must be taken up from the very beginnings 

 in school work. All along the line (per- 

 haps in the technical school less than else- 

 where) much time is spent upon those 

 things that are neither practical nor cul- 

 tural. Then, too, it is quite as common an 

 error to underestimate the ability of the 

 student as to overestimate it, and much 

 that is now taught would be absorbed with- 

 out regard to teacher or course of study if 

 the student were allowed to do so. 



Year by year, new discoveries and re- 

 searches, greater advances and broader de- 

 velopments, add a vast fund of material to 

 the technical courses. Since there is a 

 maximum limit to the years one should 

 spend in training, we must constantly trim 

 away the unnecessary material. Only the 

 essentials can remain, and through organ- 

 ization and systematization, through care- 



ful selection and concentration of effort, 

 not only may the student in training get 

 from his four years at school more than he 

 now receives of the technical side of his 

 work, but he may also broaden his vision 

 and become better prepared than he now 

 is to take up the duties of his profession. 

 For, to quote MacDonald in Sir Gibbie : 



There is a great deal more to be got out of 

 tilings than is generally got out of them whether 

 the thing be a chapter in the Bible or a yellow 

 turnip, and the marvel is that those who use the 

 most material should so often be those that show 

 the least result in streng'th of character. 



Through this readjustment more shop 

 work may be given than is now offered. 

 In some schools the time devoted to shop 

 courses is at a minimum, the idea being 

 that a knowledge of shop processes can be 

 gained later. To prepare fully for tech- 

 nical work the various shop processes 

 should be understood, even though they be 

 not taken up in detail, that the proper 

 connections may be made. Considerable 

 attention should be given to the construc- 

 tion of apparatus, instruments and ma- 

 chines. In the technical school is offered 

 the best of opportunities for reconciling 

 the methods of commerce with those of the 

 educator. The two should dovetail. 



There is another reason why every stu- 

 dent in a technical school should have con- 

 tact with and thoroughly master each ma- 

 chine and process. Too often the graduate 

 of the school seeks a position in the office 

 or at the desk. He does not believe in 

 hardening his hands or soiling his clothes. 

 He has not been in the habit of ' ' taking off 

 his coat" while in school. The student 

 who has mastered the shop process has 

 learned how to work, and appreciates the 

 joy of working, and he is neither afraid 

 nor ashamed to begin his professional 

 career in an inferior position and thus lay 

 the foundation for advancement. 



All technical college courses then, under 



