JULT 26, 1907] 



SCIENCE 



107 



the advancement of any measure which might have 

 a tendency to accelerate that happy period. 



The happy period referred to in this 

 quotation has manifestly made its appear- 

 ance, but it is right to give sober thought 

 as to the effectiveness of its coming and 

 whether much is not yet to be done to 

 accelerate the period. It is particiilarly 

 appropriate for us, of this society, to take 

 this sober thought and give consideration 

 to this matter on account of the close rela- 

 tion that engineering instruction ought to 

 bear to the industrial affairs of the nation. 



It is a question to be seriously considered 

 whether the faculties of the engineering 

 schools have yet duly recognized the re-^ 

 sponsibilities for the extension of the edu- 

 cation through which comes " morality, 

 sobriety, enterprise and industry," which 

 rest on them because of their relations to 

 industrial affairs. I believe that the agri- 

 cultural schools, whatever their defects in 

 altruism, have done better through more 

 distinctly recognizing and assuming their 

 part of such responsibilities. 



The engineering schools, like their 

 friendly rivals, the agricultural schools, 

 have before them a field which may be 

 divided into three parts— a triple field- 

 two parts being semi-professional or com- 

 pletely professional, and the third voca- 

 tional and subordinate to the others. The 

 engineering schools have occupied only one 

 effectively, though a few are now growing 

 towards an occupation of the second. 



These three parts to which I refer are 

 the divisions of the educational scheme of 

 the nation in which fall: (a) engineering 

 research and the advanced professional in- 

 struction which is being given here and 

 there to a few graduate students; (&) the 

 engineering courses of study as they are 

 now ordinarily planned; and (c) the 

 instruction of artisans and especially 

 instruction adequate to the needs of in- 



dividual foremen or sub-superintendents, 

 that is, master craftsmen. 



The second of these educational divisions, 

 in the order here named, it seems to me 

 the engineering schools are occupying very 

 well, but even here there is a lack of 

 effectiveness which seems due to lack of 

 correlation between the schools and lack 

 of study of pedagogic history by those 

 persons responsible for the direction of the 

 schools. Reasonable independence and in- 

 dividuality in methods of teaching are due 

 to the individual men who are experienced 

 and worthy in each school, and the in- 

 dividuality of the several schools must not 

 and can not be infringed; but, unhappily, 

 in the past there have been contrasts of 

 pedagogic views and professional ideals 

 that can not be justified, for in these things 

 (matters of judgment though they be) 

 truth can lie only in one direction, how- 

 ever diverse may be the paths over which 

 it may be approached. In harmonizing 

 these differences, pointing out the better 

 paths to follow, and bringing the profes- 

 sional work of the several schools into 

 correlation with professional practise, and 

 especially in advancing the interests of 

 engineering research and advanced profes- 

 sional studies which go to the solution of 

 those numerous great problems of engi- 

 neering which can best be solved by men 

 independent of commercial industrial con- 

 trol, but working in full harmony with the 

 best engineers and manufacturers of the 

 day, this society ought to have a large in- 

 fluence. I regret to feel that the society 

 has not heretofore maintained a large in- 

 fluence in these directions, but these mat- 

 ters will be brought before you for discus- 

 sion in connection with a resolution which 

 I propose to later introduce and in con- 

 nection with certain proposed constitu- 

 tional amendments that will come before 

 you. 



