Evening star. [volume], January 01, 1922, Image 17

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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EDITORIAL PAGE
NATIONAL PROBLEMS
SPECIAL ARTICLES
EDITORIAL SECTION
griie
Society News
Part 2?12 Pages
WASHINGTON, D. C., SUNDAY MORNING, JANUARY 1, 1922.
RESTORE PROSPERITY TO AMERICA
BY MAKING FARMERS PROSPEROUS,
PROGRAM OF SECRETARY WALLACE
Part of Big Plan to
Get Workers Back
oil Job.
When Farmer Is Buying
Wheels of Industry
Are Kept Turning.
HI WILL P. KEWKDV.
BECAUSE the farmers comprise
more than 40 per cent of the
entire population of the
United States and represent
approximately half of the purchasing j
power in this country, thus constitut
ing the one big basic industry, the
department of Agriculture has girded
its loins to herculean efforts toward
economic readjustment which will
bring about general prosperity.
There can't be any general pros
perity or any stimulated business
unless the farmer does two things?
tirst. produce raw materials to be used
in manufacture, and, second, sell that
raw material at sufficient price so
that he can buy back the commodities
made in manufacture from the raw
material.
Recognizing this fact and emphasis
ing the need for developing both
agriculture and industry to get a
"well rounded nation." President
Harding has just instructed Secretary
Wallace to call a national conference
to consider agricultural problems as
related to national welfare and pros
perity. In directing that this con
ference be held the President ex
, presses his accord with the program
the Department of Agriculture Is al
ready working upon to strengthen
business from the ground up.
The farmers' share of the purchas
ing power of this country is better
than 4i> per cent, so he is really the
preponderant balance of purchasing
power. If the farmer isn't selling his
goods and isn't able to buy his share
from the manufacturing Industries,
the wheels of the entire structure of
Industrial machinery must slow up
and the country will have idleness.
* * * *
This is the picture of the national
situation as Secretary Henry C. Wal
lace sees It. and he Is directing the
activities of the Department of Agri
culture along many lines so that this
basic industry will take its proper
place in the economic and Industrial
revival looking toward general pros
perity. and in a way that will not
only meet the present emergency, but
will work for permanent economic
agricultural and Industrial prepared
ness. (
So keen is the interest of the De
partment of Agriculture In bringing
back prosperity and then keeping It
that Secretary Wallace has been
bending his efforts chiefly on a reor
ganization of the army of paid em
ployes and the still larger army of
voluntary helpers so as to bring about
the best results with least efforts.
There are approximately 20.000 em
ployes on the Department of Agricul
ture payrolls, either full or part-time J
workers. There are jO.OOO to 75.000 j
not on the payrolls who are co-oper- i
ating with the department, who are]
at full-time work in state colieges.
etc. There is an additional 250.000
persons furnishing voluntary reports
on crops, weather, fires, etc. Thus
Secretary Wallace has the co-opera
tion of the best experts on agricul
ture advising and working with him
to bring about and itoaintain pros
perity?in the same way that Secre
tary Hoover has gathered about him
the experts In industry and business.
? ? ? *
Right here it is proper to quote the]
reply of Secretary Wallace to the
question. "What are the steps neces
sary in 1922 to hasten a return to
normal business conditions?" He
>8aid: "Forty per cent of our people,
represented by those who get their
living from the farm, are on a price
level for their products, the result of
their labor, which is on the whole
substantially below the pre-war price
level. Most of the remaining 60 per
cent are still on a price level con
siderably above the pre-war level.
That Is anothtr way of saying that I
the purchasing power of the farmers,'
who represent 40 per cent of our
population. Is out of ail proportion,
and the result is both an agricultural
and an Industrial depression. We
cannot hope to have general national
prosperity untij the normal ratio is
fairly well restored.
"It would be much better for all of
us* if farm prices could be brought j
up to their normal ratio with the1
prices of other things. Including
wages, transportation, taxes, etc.
Since this cannot be done altogether,
then other prices must come down
and farm prices must come up until
they reach the normal ratio once
more. When that happens our
troubles will be over.
"It Is human to resist falling prices
for the things one has to sell, whether
tbey be labor or commodities, but it
Is not fair to the nation to t*ake SUcli
resistance when it interferes with
the return of general prosperity
Every good citizen ought to be will-'
ing to bear his part in these times of
economic troubles, just as every good
cltlsen was willing to bear his part
during the war.
? * * *
?X think we can look forward into
IMS with hope,'.' the Secretary con
Unced. "We cannot expect the return
of prosperity all at once, but there
are signs that conditions are improv
ing. Farm prices give promise of
Improvement, while prices of other
things show signs of yielding to the
InMitable/ Surely 1J22 should be a
better year in a business way than
1IIL Once there s reason to believe
that the worst Is past and that con
ditions are on the mend, we shall
probably go forward more rapidly
than wa have bean expecting.
?7)Mr? are large numbers of people
SKt KKTARY WALLACE.
on the farms, as well as in the cities,
who are forehanded, who have a sur
plus laid by. They have responded
to the general psychological efTect of
falling prices and have avoided spend
ing. With reasonable assurance that
the worst is over, these people will
set their dollars at work again, both
in buying things they would like to
have and in extending their agricul
tural and business enterprises."
* * * *
Specifically. what is the department
doing to help bring a business revival
and general prosperity? There are
so many ramifications it is practically
Impossible to give more than a
sketchy outline. A major activity is
to produce new crops and seeds, so
that this country may give the world
the things it needs with least ex
penditure of effort. Then there are
activities for finding foreign markets
for what the farmer produces. The
federal department is looking into
the foreign markets all the time, with
a?force of people overseas searching
out places to sell wheat and corn and
cotton and meats. Reports are com
ing In from these overseas agents
dally, and other agents of the depart
ment are thus able to furnish the
companies that have these commodi
ties for sale reliable information re
garding the foreign demand and the
economic conditions surrounding that
market. Statistical reports on pro
duction and probable production of
these countries are also being com
piled. This is being done largely
through getting figures on the acre
age and moisture conditions.
There is the regular work assigned
to the department by Congress, which
is not being neglected and which is
doing its bit toward bringing back
prosperity. For example. Congress
very recently appropriated J75.000.000.
to be matched by at least as much by
the states, to be used for good roads
development, with a view also to Its
furnishing employment. By the time
that this federal money works down
into the counties it is frequently
trebled and even quadrupled.
* * * *
All of the work being fathered by
the department here in Washington
is being spread out into the thou
sands of communities throughout the
country by county extension agents,
of whom there are more than 3.000,
both men and women. It must not be
overlooked that there is an entire co
operative education system set up by
the department for getting to the
farmer the authoritative and tested
information that will be of value to
him In getting best yields and to
meet market requirements at the least
expenditure of labor and money.
In addition to these direct federal
helps to the farmer, there are also
federal-aided experiment stations and
colleges of agriculture in every state
doing the same kind of educative
work. In their smaller territories
they are doing exactly what the fed
eral department is doing with a na
tional policy, scope and program.
The reorganization being worked
out by Secretary Wallace includes as
one important feature the heading up
of all these extension activities un
der Assistant Secretary C. W. Pugsley,
in charge of "public contact" work.
The big idea is to bring the scientists I
of the department into the closest
co-operation with the farmer and
business man whom he can help
through a supervisor or director, -who
will take the scientific facts of the
ihvestigator and transmit them In
practical, every-day, common-sense
business and workable form to the
farmer and business man.
This carries along the plan of re
organization which Congress has al
ready approved in part. Last year,
Congress established a director of
scientific work, or investigations, and
a director of regulatory work, or ex
ercise of police powers. Congress is
going to be asked during this session
to establish also a director of public
relations, along the line upon which
Mr. PMgsley is now working.
* * * =?
To get the background for the
specific things the Department of
Agriculture is doing to stimulate
business and to get and hold general
prosperity, one cannot do better than
run through eleven suggestions by
Secretary Wallace as to what ought
to be done to foster our agriculture,
not for the selfish benefit of the
farmer, but for the benefit of all the
people. In some cases legislative ac
tion will be required. In others admin
istration by government and state
agencies, in still others co-operation
between the farmers themselves and
between farmers and other groups.
These suggestions are:
1. In the administration of our
credit machinery, whether by govern
ment agencies or otherwise, the effect
on agriculture must be given more
consideration than in the past.
2. Credit for productive and im
provement purposes must be made
available to the farmer on terms
which the seasonal character of acrt
No Selfish Purp ose
in Aims to Help
Tiller of Soil.
All Interests Are Hurt
When Price Levels
Are Inequitable.
cultural production makes necessary."
3. Improvement in marketing meth
ods through the organization of co
operative associations should be per
mitted and encouraged.
4. Farm products should be trans
ported at the lowest possible costsj
consistent with the maintenance and
satisfactory operation of the trans
porting agencies. ?
5. The collection of statistical in
formation as to production and con
sumption of agricultural products at
home and abroad shohld be greatly
extended and made more generally
available. Also, as far as can be
done safely, such information should
be interpreted with a view to bring
ing about a better balanced and there
fore more stable production of crops
and live stock.
6. The extension of cultivated land
should not be encouraged until care
ful survey has made plain the prac
ticability of establishing a profitable
farming or live stock enterprise.
There should be a. decided tightening
up of our policies of land settlement.
Including those dealing with reclama
tion projects.
7. Painstaking study of the costs
of production and marketing of farm
crops is a necessary preliminary to
the reduction of such costs. This
study should be made all along the
line from the farm to the consumer's
table.
S. A better understanding of the
forces which influence prices is very
much to be desired and is necessary
to the intelligent adjustment of pro
duction to the needs of consumption. <
9. A reascnable margin of safety
for our people requires a rate of pro
duction which in good years will re
sult in a surplus. The prompt dis
position of such surplus is a. condi
tion of maintained production, and to
this end there should be systematic
and constant study of foreign mar
kets.
3 0. Heretofore large production
has been without regard to the pos
sible exhaustion of the fertility of the
soil, which Is our greatest national
material asset. A system of land
tenure which leads to an Involuntary
conspiracy between landlord and
tenant to impoverish the soil is a
public menace. Tenancy of Itself is
not necessarily an evil, but the in
evitable and logical result of high
land values. Our task is to promote
a system of tenure which will pro
tect the public interest without doing
injustice to either landlord or tenant
11. Federal supervision of such in
stitutions as public stock yards and
market agencies, grain exchanges and
the like is not only expedient, but
very necessary to the efficient and im
partial functioning of such institu
tions, and should result in beneflt
alike to the agencies themselves, the
farmers who furnish the raw ma
terials and the consuming public.
* * * *
That gives the platform on which
Secretary Wallace ts working as a
| cabinet member and as director gen
eral of the great army of paid and
[ volunteer agricultural experts?to
make all business and Industry safe
and stable and profitable, by putting
the basic industry, agriculture, on a
profitable and stable foundation.
And now for a couple of particular
illustrations of how this general
polices being carried out?In count
less activities. A new bureau of ag
ricultural economics is being organ
ized out of the three existing bureaus
?markets, crop estimates and farm
management?and Congress is going
to be asked to order officially such a
consolidation and co-ordination, begin
ning July 1 next. Of direct Interest
to business men are such activities of
this consolidated bureau as: Collec
tion and dissemination of crop news?
acreage, conditions, vieijg; collection
and disseminatiea of market news?
supplies, movement, prices; compila
tion. tabulation and Interpretation of
statistics through long series of
years?facts, trends and tendencies
standardization of farm products and
their containers?mandatory, permis
sive, tentative (cotton, grain, live
stock and meats, fruits and vegeta
bles); inspection service?mandatory
and voluntary (cotton, grain, ware
house, perishables); storage investi
gations?amounts, movements, costs,
standarization, licensing; studies of
market places and market buildings?
types, plans, establishment, mainte
nance; cost studies?production and
marketing; correlation of crop and
market work being done by the
states?to prevent duplication of
work and conservation of funds;
completion of work of domestic wool
section of the War Industries Board:
study of foreign production?supply,
consumption, Remand, surpluses and
deficits.
The reorganization of these three
bureaus into one ts the result of Sec
retary Wallace's determination to
marshal all the forces of the Depart
ment of Agriculture engaged in
economic work into one fighting unit
to attack the economic evils that have
brought about the present serious sit
uation in American agriculture.
? * * *
In the bureau of chemistry was re
cently established a special service to
take the scientific discoveries and de
velopments, have them worked out to
* practical commercial scale and then
(Continued on Third Pace!)
What of the New Year?
BY N. O. MESSENGER.
POSSIBLY when this chapter
is being read In cold type
the thought In the back of
every one's mind, born of
the day. is:
"What will the new year bring
forth?"
President Harding was asked
that question last week in thfe
course of one of his talks with the
newspaper men, whom lie receives
at the White House twice a week
to set them right on the drift of
governmental and administration
afTairs. It Is the understanding
that he is never to be quoted on
these occasions, although the writ
ers are permitted to Indicate high
est authority for the statements
they make, based on the informa
matlon he gives.
The query addressed to the Pres
ident bore upon material afTairs,
the country's present and prospec
tive prosperity, as indicated by re
ports and Information In the hands
of the government departments.
The occasion might well have been
utilized, if the President had dc
x sired to paint a glowing picture
for effect without regard to the
background of reality, for a boom.
But he did not so elect; he is a
ca us man and canny, and does
not over-enthuse about anything.
* * * *
So. the Impression his hearers
obtained?carefully avoiding quo
tation?the impression, to repeat,
was that he believes the country
is conservatively started on the
up-grade toward solid betterment
of the times in every field of in
dustry and endeavor.
The prospect is especially en
couraging. his auditors gathered
from his gratified remarks, for the
railroads. The government finds
itself in a position to carry on
some desired financing, without
further appeal to Congress,
through means already provided
by legislation. As was pointed out.
any distinct Improvement existing
in the condition of the railroads Is
bound to be reflected in trade and
Industry generally. With the financ
ing and settlement of accounts be
tween the government and the
roads, the carriers will be enabled
to carry out enterprises and im
provements whose beneficent effect
will finally be felt by wage earn
ers, and. through them, by trades
men and the thousand and one
leaders of industry.
? * * *
So. there Is a New Year message
of hope and cheer from a high and
informed source?not a flamboyant
utterance as of sounding brass,
but the measured words of one
who would rather fall short of
stating than to overstate.
Next November, from the same
source, will come a proclamation
invoking thanksgiving for the
benefit* the year has brought.
Gamaliel was a prophet; may his
mantle have fallen upon the Presi
dent. '
* * * *
Politicians note, and with some
surprise, that since women ob
tained the right to vote they are
not pressing for appointmenf to
office as some of the hard-boiled
politicians apprehended would be
the case, and neither are they com
peting to the extent feared in the
race for elective ofllce. This
writer recalls that one of the
eastern states a few years ago
refused the franchise to women,
and one of the most widely circu
lated and emphasized argument*
used In the campaign was the
complaint that If women were
given the vote in the state "there
would not be enough offices to go
around for the men.
It was a selfish argument?Just
like man, the brute?but It proved
powerfully effective and turned the
tide for the time against the wom
en in that state, who did not come
into their own until the constitu
tional amendment was ratified. But
it is a fact, the politicians say.
that the women are not crowding
the men. and seem satisfied with
the right to vote without its per
quisites of patronage.
* * * *
But, way down deep in their
hearts. the hard-boiled politicians
know that the woman voters are
on the alert, and let any great
moral Issue come up for settle
ment at the polls, they will vote,
and the woman's bloc will be a
tangible and potential thing. Pos
sibly it is a satisfaction to the
women to know that if they do
cot want to hold office themselves,
they have the power to keep men
out who do want it. if they are
not considered worthy, and put out
others who have it and failed to
measure up. ^ ^ +
.On the eve of the reassembling
of Congress after the Christmas
holidays, with the expected re
sumption of political discussion in
both houses through the winter
months, the democrats, through
the chairman of their national
committee. Cordell Hull, sounded
the first biff-caliber gun of the
Impending campaign. Judge Hull,
In a speech delivered before the
Tennessee democratic executive
committee last Wednesday, made
It clear that an aggressive cam
paign against the republican party
and administration has begun In
earnest, and that the opposition
may expect po quarter from now
on. /
Judge Hull went after the op
posing political party. Its promises
and performances, ruthlessly, al
though he carefully refrained from
personalities. Democrats in Con
gress are said to have been won
derfully heartened by his vigorous
leadership and preparing to fol
low him loyally in the coming
battle, whose object will be -to
break the ranks of the opposition
by seizing the House of Repre
sentatives, if possible, in the on
ward march to the democratic
goal, the presidency in 1924.
* * ? *
The new year begins with less
ened hopes of a large measure of
accomplishment expected from the
arms conference, although with a
partial realization of expectations
in that branch of the international
meeting and a record of real prog
ress in the political branch, deal
ing with the far eastern situation.
President Harding and Secretary
Hughes from the first warned
against expecting too much from
this initial move for lessened
armaments and for settlement of
world problems through conference
and counsel. They both are of
opinion that a great deai has been
effected, while wishing, of course,
that it could have been more.
In reduction of naval armament
it is contended that the agreement
for limitation of capital ships,
which will stand, can be pointed
to as meeting in gratifying degree
the demand of the taxpayers of
the nations for materially lessened
expenditures. The capital ships,
whose cost runs high into the
millions, absorbed the money of
the taxpayers as the sands of the
desert suck up the glacial streams
from ths Rockies.
If the pending proposition to
limit the sixe and armament of
the auxiliary vessels goes through.
It Is insisted that the conference
can justly claim to have, done
something for the overburdened
taxpayers, even though the num
ber of such ships may not be as
closely restricted as could be de
sired.
* * * *
It is also pointed out that even
though nations may be left un
restricted as to the construction
of submarines, there yet remains
the consideration that a certain
restriction trill be put upon them
by their own financial ability to
construct burdensome navies of
submersible*.
It is said that it is one thing for
a nation to feel free to build as
many submarines as it desires and
another to find the wherewithal,
wrung from the taxpayers, and a
government or administration
that seeks as a point of honor to
save Its face, will in the end have
to account to the people?who
pay the bill.
* * * *
In addition to the agreement on
limitation of capital ships, and the
restriction on fortifications and
naval bases in the Pacific, the con
ference is expected to be able to
point to a. record of achievement
In the International political field.
It la expected that out of the
conference will come treaties for
purposes having profound bene
ficial effect upon the peace of the
world. The most important will be
the four-power pact, by which the
United States, Great Britain.
France and Japan agree to settle
differences that may arise over
far eastern questions by mutual
council, and to respect th* rights
of each other in the Pacific
Islands and dependencies of the
signatory flowers.
There will also be a treaty
signed by the nine powers repre
sented in the far eastern branch
of the conference, designed to
safeguard China and eliminate
friction which might arise from
disregard by any nation of China's
rights.
An important treaty will be the
one agreed upon in principle which
protects American rights in cable
communications In the far east.
* * * *
And to be regarded as an ac
complishment of the first magni
tude In value will be the abroga
tion of the Anglo-Japanese alli
ance, Involved In the four-power
pact.
PRESCRIBES THE KIND OF MUSIC
ONE SHOULD HAVE WITH MEALS
Prompted by recent discussions
of "musical meals," Sir James Dun
das-Qrant, a prominent British
surgeon, has arranged a model
menu-program in the belief that to
be a real alJ to digestion, music
must be appropriate.
"My Idea." says the doctor, "is
that the dinner should start with
something light and fanciful and
gay. such as a two-step, with the
hors-d'oeuvre. The soup should be
taken with something happy and
frolicsome, the flsh with a sooth
ing. pensive air, which should be
followed ?&the entree stage by a
return to the sprightly mood, for
here the diner* are warming: up to
the meal and becoming comforta
ble and at ease. An amorous tune
should go with the joint.
"Game should always be accom
paniedy by some beautiful waits,
the sweet with something delicate
and dainty, and the savory with a
bright yet reposeful dance meas
ure."
There is one adjunct to a man's
dinner, however, that Sir James
declares should be enjoyed in
quietude?"in a short space for re
flection and ease, meditation and
i memory"?the oig&r!
BETTER PAID SCHOOL TEACHERS
AND BETTER TEACHERS FOR PAY
IS COMMISSIONER TIGERPS IDEA
Only Way U. S. Can
Get Schools Up
to Standard.
Education Through Eyes
Is Method of Future,
Utilizing Movies.
?c
THE people of the United Slates
are doing a lot of "flour-fiush
ing" about being Interested In
education and being the best
educated country in the world. As a
matter of fact, they are not interested
primarily in education, but in money
making. and their interest in education
is for the most part chiefly as a means
to making money. This is the startling
opinion of the new United States com
missioner of education. John James Tig
whom President Harding re
cently brought' here from the Uni
versity of Kentucky. He thinks the
l>ig problem is to awaken the United
States Into a real interest in educa
tion for its own sake and to enrich
the knowledge, culture, science and
art of fufure generations.
He believes that the education of
the coming years Is "visual educa
tion. takintr the real, everyday,
genuine world to the children rather
than having them hibernate in an at
mosnhere of dead languages, mathe
matical nuzzles and mind-cluttering
historical data.
* * * *
This man Tige^t is a real fellow,
not yet forty years old and of Inter
national fame as an athlete. Last
year he was selected as head linesman
for the big game between Harvard
and Central College. Fayette. Mo.,
where he formerly occupied the chair!
of philosophy and psychology. His
father and grandfather were bishops
of the Methodist church. It was his
grandfather who persuaded Commo
dore Cornelius Vanderbilt to con
tribute a million dollars with which"
to found Vanderbilt University. He
yas the first from Tennessee to win
a-Rhodes scholarship, where besides
taking many scholastic honors he
represented his college. Pembroke, in
rowing, tennis and cricket, and was)
a member of the all-Rhodes scholar
bas? hall team. ?
While at Vanderbilt he was an all-I
round athlete, captain in foot ball and ?
basket ball, and was an all-Southern
full back. Before becoming federal
commissioner of education he was
vice president of the Southern Inter
collegiate Athletic Association and
advisory member of the national bas
ket ball rules commission. He worked
for years for clean sports and to elim
inate professionalism In college ath
letics. He was a college president
when only *7 at Kentucky Wesleyan.
* * * *
f'oqpfnissioner Tiger* realizes. as
all thinking men realize, that the
teaching profession?the men and
women carefully trained who are!
consclenciously devoting their lives
to the education of the youth or the
land and instilling into them high
ideals?is scandalously ill-paid and
has not been getting a living wage.
But he looks at both sides of the
question and has felt his way around
the whole vicious circle. He points*
out that the teaching profession Is
largely not up to standard and specifi
cations. but that the pay is not suf
ficient to induce the right sort of
people to train properly for teaching
as a great life work.
In 1916 he finds that the average
salary of teachers, both in high
schools and in elementary schools, was
$563, and in one state in the Union
was as low as $234, while if the high
schools were excluded the average
salary would be much smaller. By
1918 the average salary had climbed
to $635. The United States bureau of
education aims to get out a biennial
survey of the standing,' but, owing
to congestion of work, this survey
has not yet been completed. An esti
mate. however, indicated that the sal
aries in the-high schools has increas
ed since 1918 about 52 per cent. Tn
1918 it was $1,099 and now is about
$1,642. The average of all elemen
tary and high school salaries Is now
estimated at something less than
$900.
* * * *
Teachers' salaries at no time in
creased as fast as wages of either
unskilled labor or skilled labor, or as
fast as the cost of food or living ex
penses generally rose. The cost of
livinlg is now dropping some, so that
for the first time In nearly five years
the teachers' salary can buy as much
as It did before the war.
In critclsing the entirely inadequate
salaries paid to the teaching profes
sion, Commissioner Tigert says that
to be fair we must recognize two
things: First?We haven't a really
well trained profession, showing J>y
contrast the medical and legal pro
fessions. where one cannot think of
practicing without having made a
specal stiudy of well recognized
courses. Then he says that accord
ing to a survey recently made of all
those teaching In this country today,
not more than one in five has been
professionally trained, according to i
standards agreed upon by educators, j
Second?As long as it is impossible
for a teacher to get proper enumera
tion after years of preparation, where
for the most part, the teacher gets
less than unskilled labor, less than
the janitors or street scavengers, it
Is going to be extremely difficult to
get the right type of men and women
to prepare themselves professionally
commissioner tiwkht.
to teach the youth of the country. I
That is the vicious circlc.
? * * *
Commissioner Tigert is not blind
to the fact that there are many
teachers today complaining that they
cannot live on their salaries, who. he
is sure, would starve to death if they
quit teaching. There are others who,
he recognizes, are doing heroic work,
suffering countless self-sacrifices,
who could go out Into other lines of
work and make more money, who are
devoting their lives as a sacred duty
to the cause of education. There are
a great many, though, he says, who if
they showed no more efficiency In
eommerical occupations than they do
as teachers couldn't hold their jobs,
because no progressive business house
could afford to carry' them. He be
lieves in looking fairly at all sides
of the educational problem.
Then, regarding the attitude of the
people of the country toward educa
tion. the commissioner, says: "The
people in the United States are rather
Indifferent. We do a great deal of
toasting about our public school sys
em, calling it the best in the world,
vaunting about our free institutions
and equal opportunity. Much of this
is bosh. In practice it does not prove
to be a fact. We delude ourselves
into the belief that we are more
interested in education than in any
thing else. As a matter of fact we
are more interested for the most part
In making money. As is usual in a
country that abounds in natural re
sources. we are not primarily Inter
ested in education. The nations that
have contributed most to education, to
culture and to science are the poorer
nations." He gives as an illustra
tion Greece, and points out that all
lawmakers today are honored with
the name of Solon of Athens: that
in the time of Pericles was worked
out the modern system of democracy;
that Demosthenes is still recognized
as the world's greatest orator. He
points also to Socrates. Plato. Aris
totle, to the sculptors and architects
the very ruins of whose works are
more beautiful than anything done
"The average American today. If
you happen to interest him in educa
tion, wants to know right away how
it will train him to make money," he
said. ."You find the average man
throughout the country today does
not know much about the man or
woman who is teaching his child, how
they were educated, what principles
or habits they have; but that same
average man is mighty particular
about who handles the machinery in
his factory and what their habits
are. He 'is more particular about
the ability of the man who takes care
of his automobile than of the one
that is training his children."
Commissioner Tigert realizes that
How to Gel Dollar
Too Much the Aim
of U. S. Schools.
Would Have Them Strive
To Produce a Higher
Grade of Citizens.
the great need of the country?of the
future citizenship?Is that "the Amer
can people should be aroused to a
greater interest in education. They've
got to stop blasting: and do some
thing: practical." he says.
The world war gave Commissioner
Tlgert a broadened view of the
young men of this country close up.
In June, 1918, he went overseas to
do educational work for the Y. M.
C. A. He taught and lectured through
out the entire A. E. F. with the Army
educational corps, and for part of
the time was with the 1st Division
in Arxbach, Germany.
Out of his experience as teacher
and lecturer in several colleges, and
out of his broadened vision during the
war. Commissioner Tigert says, 4,I
am convinced that 'visual education*
will sweep the country within the
next few years."
* ? * *
"Without going into hair-splitting
analysis of the philosopher and psy
chologist, we can readily recognize
that the eye is man's chief source of
knowledge." he continued. "Thomas
Edison has estimated that 85 per cent
of the sensuous knowledge that we
receive comes through the eye, ?
per cent throujrh the ear, and 6 per
cent through the other senses. Our
methods have greatly accented ab
stract thinking, and not enough see
ing in our schools.
"A great many new devices are
being brought Into the fi^ld at the
present time, such as daylight screens
and projectors, projectorscopes for
the protection of opaque objects, pa
per reels, etc. Various inventors,
commercial producers and enthusiasts
are putting forward the particular
thing in which they happen to be
interested, financially and otherwise.
"What Is badly needed Is an im
partial study of the various materials
in an experimental way in order to
determine the comparative value, the
most effective organization and the
proper relationship of these materials
so as to produce the best results from
an educational standpoint. The ques
tion of economic production is abso
lutely fundamental and is perhaps the
greatest problem involved, but effi
ciency from the teaching standpoint
must not be sacrificed to commercial
interest.
? * * * 1 *
"It required a great deal of thought
to produce, develop and perfect the
motion pictures for commercial and
amusement purposes, but it will re
quire still more thought and vastly
more investigation and experimenta
tion to discover the best adaptation
of materials for educational work.
Under what circumstances to use the
film, the slide and the other aids to
visual education must be investi
gated; when such aids should be used
in connection with text books, with
talks by teachers, with discussions
by the pupils, for the most satisfac
tory results, and countless other con
siderations will have to be experi
mentally determined.
"Of the ultimate value and triumph
of visual aids to education I have not
the slightest doubts. Imagine\the
vast difference the motion pictures
of historical events now being en
acted will have to teachers in the
generations to come. The future
civilization will not be blinded to the
vision of the great history makers
of our times, nor will their ears be
deaf to their living voices, perpetu
ated in tbe phonograph."
SMALL REVENUE INCREASE
A GREAT BOON TO CHINA
BY JLKILS B. WOOD.
China's annual revenue will be in
creased 30,000.000 yuan by the change
which the Washington conference
proposes to adopt In its maritime cus
toms duties from a nominal to an ac
tual 5 per cent ad valorem. A yuan
is the Chinese republic's equivalent
for ft Mexican dollar, so named from
the image of the late President Yuan
Shih-kai on Its face. Their purchasing
power varies In every city. In fact
nobody but an astute expert In a Chi
nese money exchange can guess what
a'Chinese dollar will be worth by the
time its purchaser reaches the next
exchange booth, a block distant. Try
ing to outguess the Chinese on this
h^s, caused the crash of several
American and other foreign Arms in
China in recent months.
China's currency is as complicated
as its language. Occidental banks in
the orient farm out their cash ex
change counters to Chinese and let I
there wrestle with the Intricacies of
large money, small money, taels. yuan,
mace, candareen, cash and different
coins and bills for every province or
city. China uses the silver standard of
which the Haikwan taol, 583.3 grains.
1,000 fine, is the standard. It is used
in calculating the maritime customs j
duties. In 1915. it was worth 79 Ameri
can cents; in 1919. $1.29; in 1920, $124.
and In 1821, considerably less.
There sre eighteen different taels
from as many cities. However the tael
is aot a coin, merely- a standard of
*
value, and all cash trnsctiuns are
made with local currency, each being
computed according: to its value In
taels. A business house in China uiu
aily has three separate acounts In
its bank?taels, American currency
and local dollars. The traveler before
paying bis rickashaw man or hotel
bill, flrst changes his good money into
taels' which means nothing to him, and
then changes his credit in taels into
local bills and small money, paying
a commission on each change.
A 30.000,000 yuan annual increase
in revenue may seem small for a na
tion of 4,278.352 square miles and
some 420,000,000 people, but when it
is considered that practically no rev
enue except what is collected under
foreign control reaches the central
government, the gain is appreciable
for Peking. A Peking vernacular
newspaper recently printed a table
to show that out of 300,000,000 yuan
revenue collected in the provinces,
only 20,000,000 yuan and reports
reached the central government.
The 8alt Gabelle Aider foreign su
pervision. of which Sir Reginald A.
Gamble is the associate chief inspec
tor, collects some 80.000.000 yuan an
nually, of which 60.000.000 is credited
to the central government, though
25.000.000 is merely reports from the
provinces which have held the cash.
The collections of the maritime
customs for this year will approach
50,000.000 Uaikwan taels, or 70,000,000
Shan glial-dollars.