THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 0^ 



and soon fall behind in the race of life, not from over use but from 

 an equally deplorable disuse. 



On all sides it will be admitted that this age is also in danger 

 from the fact that old fields of labor are fast becoming exhausted, not 

 only from the want of that productiveness which might supply the 

 demands that would have been made by our forefathers, but because 

 there is such a keen competition from so many more occupants being 

 in the field, that they are driven to seek new fields which will soon 

 suffer from exhaustion unless something is done to regulate this 

 competition and make a better adjustment of the time at our dis- 

 posal. 



We must seek for relief therefore, and in our methods of 

 education naturally think that we will find that great assistance can 

 be obtained, but unfortunately not so much as we wish and this I 

 think is due to the fact that too much is now expected from our 

 professional schools of education while we neglect the domestic 

 school. 



There is also a tendency on the part of the home authorities to 

 shirk some of the responsibility that rests upon them. I have al- 

 ready endeavored to show some of the reasons for this, noteably the 

 great want of time in this busy age. 



Another factor is a peculiarity of human nature that we see 

 illustrated in the dealings of the public in general with other public 

 arrangements for their welfare, for while at one time they would look 

 askance at the proposals of educators to help them, now they expect 

 everything from them, even as in the case of hospitals and asylums ; 

 at one time the public could hardly be induced to send their relatives 

 and friends to them for treatment, while now a great difficulty that 

 those in charge of these institutions have to face is how to prevent 

 unsuitable cases being sent to them. 



There is also a tendency to shirk responsibility shown in another 

 way on the part of the domestic school. We are constantly being 

 treated to dissertations on the amount of home work that is imposed 

 on scholars. Now I am quite willing to admit that there is considerable 

 foundation for the charge, and it forms in fact one feature of that state 

 of affairs I have referred to, viz., the disposition in these days to multi- 

 ply occupations and so absorb too much of our time. But there are, 

 as in every case, two sides to this question and I think there is a 



