DECEMBER 6, 1918] 
strictly in accord with facts, but it is becom- 
ing more and more nearly true. A little more 
than three and a half centuries ago Robert 
Recorde, author of the first book in English 
dealing with algebra, remarked that “ My for- 
tune is not so good to have quite tyme to 
teache.” Notwithstanding his valuable serv- 
ices to education he was compelled to spend the 
last days of his life in prison on account of his 
debts. 
Some of our modern teachers still feel that 
their fortune is not so good as to give them 
quiet time to study, and hence they are using 
their spare time to add to their financial in- 
comes. It is very unfortunate that the so- 
called “ Tangible Rewards of Teaching’ are 
still so meager, but these rewards have steadily 
increased, especially during recent years. In 
a large number of cases they are now sufficient 
to permit complete devotion to the duties of 
the position and the necessary study for self- 
development. According to the report men- 
tioned above, page 318, there was at least one 
school in this state about six years ago which 
paid its teachers less than fifty cents a day. 
It is to be hoped that such conditions do not 
exist to-day. 
The alleviation of the mathematics teachers 
position is, however, more largely due to the 
improvement in general library facilities and 
the maintenance of good mathematical period- 
icals than to improvements in salaries. It is 
interesting to note that our leading mathe- 
matical journal for teachers of the college 
grade was started in this state, and was main- 
tained for eighteen years (1894-1912) mainly 
through the sacrifices of one of your college 
professors. In 1916 it became the official 
organ of the Mathematical Association of 
America. 
Such periodicals have done much towards 
establishing closer contact between mathe- 
maticians, and are thus giving to people every- 
where a large number of the advantages for- 
merly enjoyed only by those living near the 
great centers of mathematical activity. They 
SA bulletin relating to teachers’ salaries was 
published under this title by the U. S. Bureau of 
Education as Bulletin, 1914, No. 16. 
SCIENCE 
557 
have extended the mathematical advantages 
of Paris to the whole world. It is still too 
early to comprehend fully the marvelous 
mathematical transformation due to the ad- 
vantages of mathematical journals of various 
grades. This transformation has been gradual 
and hence it aroused little comment, but it 
has largely annihilated distances from mathe- 
matical centers, and mathematical research of 
high order may reasonably be expected to be- 
come more and more cosmopolitan. 
In recent years a new and important oppor- 
tunity for service has come to the high school 
teachers of mathematics. Public libraries 
have increased in a most encouraging way, but 
useful mathematical literature is frequently 
very inadequately represented therein. Teach- 
ers of mathematics everywhere should help to 
correct this situation. They should not only 
supply those in charge with lists of most suit- 
able mathematical books and journals but they 
should also encourage their own students to 
use the mathematical facilities offered by these 
libraries. If I could encourage the teachers 
of this state to make a strong effort to have 
mathematical literature properly represented 
in their local public libraries I should feel 
amply repaid for coming to this meeting. 
Few students can read such an elementary 
book as “ Philosophy and Fun of Algebra,” by 
Mary E. Boole, without getting new light as 
regards the real meaning of elementary al- 
gebra. The student of elementary geometry 
will not only take great delight in reading 
such books as E. A. Abbott’s “ Flatland,” but 
he will also acquire from it new and important 
notions as regards the nature of geometric di- 
mensions. Mathematical clubs show that gen- 
eral mathematical questions attract many of 
our ablest young students and it seems reason- 
able to suppose that this will always remain 
true. 
It is one of the mathematics teacher’s great 
privileges to help to direct the thought of the 
younger generation towards a subject of sus- 
taining intellectual interest. One of the in- 
teresting experiences of my own student life 
in Paris was to see two gentlemen beyond the 
age of sixty follow regularly a course of 
