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ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6TH.

FORENOON SESSION.

The Department of Superintendence of the National Educational Association met in the hall of the National Museum, Washington, D. C., Wednesday, March 6, 1889, at 10 o'clock A. M.

The Department was called to order by the president, Fred. M. Campbell, superintendent of schools, Oakland, Cal. President Campbell delivered his Inaugural Address. (Page 23.)

Hon. J. W. Holcombe, chief clerk of the Bureau of Education, was next introduced, and delivered an address of welcome. (Page 24.)

The following committee on resolutions was announced: M. A. Newell, Maryland; George A. Littlefield, Rhode Island; George Howland, Illinois; William E. Anderson, Wisconsin; and John Hancock, Ohio. All resolutions were to be referred to this committee.

Superintendent A. P. Marble, of Worcester, Mass., president of the National Educational Association, offered the following resolution; which was adopted:

Resolved, That a special committee of five be appointed by the Chair, to inquire into the needs of the Bureau of Education, in order to increase its efficiency, and report at a future session of this body a series of resolutions looking to the attainment of this object, to be presented to Congress and urged for adoption; and that Hon. E. E. White, of Ohio, be chairman of this committee.

TRAINING OF TEACHERS.

Nicholas Murray Butler, president of the College for Training Teachers, New York City, read a paper on the subject: Psychology in its relation to Pedagogy. (Page 26.)

This paper was discussed by D.-L. Kiehle, superintendent of public instruction, Minnesota. (Page 42.)

The next regular paper was presented by W. S. Jackman, principal of the high school, Pittsburg, Pa. Topic: City Training and Practice Schools. (Page 45.)

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The president announced the following committee, in accordance with the resolution offered by Mr. Marble: E. E. White, of Ohio, chairman; A. P. Marble, of Massachusetts; A. S. Draper, of New York; M. A. Newell, of Maryland; and Henry Sabin, of Iowa.

The Department adjourned to meet at 1.30 P. M.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

The Department reassembled at 1.30 P. M.

The discussion on the topic, City Training and Practice Schools, was opened by W. B. Powell, superintendent of schools, Washington, D. C. (Page 52.)

S. S. Parr, principal of the State Normal School, Greencastle, Ind., followed. (Page 60.)

The next paper was read by A. G. Lane, superintendent of schools, Cook County, Ill. Topic: County Institutes. (Page 69.)

This subject was first discussed by Dr. John Hancock, commissioner of common schools, Ohio. He was followed by Henry Sabin, superintendent of public instruction, Iowa, and by E. E. Higbee, superintendent of public instruction, Pennsylvania. (Pages 76-84.)

A paper on the subject, State Teachers' Institutes, was read by John W. Dickinson, secretary of the State board of education, Massachusetts. (Page 84.)

EVENING SESSION.

MANUAL TRAINING.

The Departmemt met at 8 P. M.

The subject for the evening was, Relation of Manual Training to Body and Mind.

The discussion of this paper was opened by C. M. Woodward, director of the Manual Training School, Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. (Page 91.)

The following joined in the discussion: E. E. White, superintendent of schools, Cincinnati, Ohio; W. H. Maxwell, Brooklyn, N. Y.; H. M. Leipziger, New York City; W. E. Sheldon, Boston; W. E. Anderson, Milwaukee, and N. C. Dougherty, Peoria, Illinois. (Pages 102-110.)

THURSDAY, MARCH 7TH.

FORENOON SESSION.

The Department was called to order at 9.30 A. M. by President Fred. M. Campbell.

The following resolution was offered by W. E. Sheldon:

Resolved, That a committee be appointed to wait upon Senator Blair, chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor of the United States Senate, and invite him to visit the meeting and address this Department.

This motion passed, and the chair appointed W. E. Sheldon a committee of one.

W. T. Harris, LL. D., Concord, Mass., presented the first paper. Topic: The Psychology of Manual Training. (Page 117.)

Mr. W. E. Sheldon reported that he had called upon Senator Blair,. and had secured the promise of the Senator to be present on Friday evening.

To What Extent and How can Manual Training be Introduced into Ungraded Schools? was the subject of a paper read by Jerome Allen, professor of pedagogy, University of New York. (Page 133.)

The discussion of this subject was opened by George P. Brown, edi tor of the School Journal, Bloomington, Ill. (Page 153.)

Further discussion was postponed till the afternoon session.

W. E. Sheldon moved that the Commissioner of Education, Hon. N. ́ H. R. Dawson, be a committee of one to wait upon the Secretary of the Interior, Hon. Mr. Noble, and invite him to meet the Department and make an address. Adopted.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

The Department reassembled at 1.30 P. M.

Superintendant M. A. Newell, of Maryland, introduced the following resolution, which was, on motion, adopted:

Resolved, That the Department of Superintendence thank Mr. Cabell most cordially for his courteous invitation, and regret that a regular business meeting of the Department on the same evening will prevent many members from paying their respects to him.

The president announced that President Harrison would receive the members of the Department at the White House on March 8, at 1 o'clock P. M. It was further announced that Senator Leland Stanford would address the Department on March 8, at 11 o'clock A. M.

The next paper was presented by Edwin P. Seaver, superintendent of public schools, Boston, Mass.; subject: Mechanic Arts High Schools. Page 160.)

W. E. Anderson, of Milwaukee, Wis., chairman of the committee on Manual Training, made the following statement:

"Mr. President, Gentlemen, and Ladies: I regret to say that I have to take the platform to announce to you that this committee, appointed a year ago I believe, to solve the as yet unsolved problem upon this question, have been unable to agree upon a report: though some effort was made during the year, by correspondeuce and otherwise, to arrange for a report upon this question, the limited time afforded for conference during our meeting here has not enabled the committee to come to a conclusion which they feel ready to present to this body. I regret very much to make this apology for the committee, and ask that you allow this committee further time."

The resolution appointing the committee was here read by the secretary of the association.

On motion of Mr. Ellis, the request was granted.

The president read the following; which, on motion, was referred to the Committee on Resolutions:

Resolved, That the attitude of President Harrison upon the subject of education, as shown by the noble utterances of his recent inaugural, affords us the greatest satisfaction and encouragement.

J. W. Holcombe announced that the Secretary of the Interior had accepted the invitation to visit the Department, and would be present at 4 o'clock P. M., March 8th.

Second Vice-President Luckey was called to the chair.

The Committee on the Bureau of Education, through its chairman, E. E. White, of Ohio, made the following report:

To the Department of Superintendence of the National Educational Association:

The special committee to whom was referred the need of legislation to increase the efficiency and usefulness of the Bureau of Education, beg leave to submit the following report:

The act of Congress creating the Bureau, passed March 2, 1867, established it as an independent Department of Education, and entrusted its management to a Commis sioner of Education, with a salary of $4,000 per annum.

In 1869 a strong opposition to the new Department of Education manifested itself in Congress, and the act creating it was so amended as to reduce the Department to the subordinate position of an "Office of Education" in the Department of the Interior, and to make the management of the office by the Commissioner "subject to the direction of the Secretary of the Interior," and the annual salary of the Commissioner was reduced to $3,000.

Under these unwise limitations the Bureau of Education has been conducted for nearly twenty years, and the fact that it has been able to render such valuable service to the cause of education is due largely to the fidelity and self-sacrificing spirit of the men who have filled the position of Commissioner. Few realize the embarrassments which have beset the duties of the Office, and fewer know how greatly its possible efficiency has been lessened by the lack of official appreciation and adequate pecuniary support.

But in spite of all limitations and embarrassments the Bureau of Education has fully justified the wisdom of its creation. Its great value as an educational agency of the General Government is no longer questioned by any one who knows its history and work. It has not only furnished needed assistance to those entrusted with the organization and conduct of schools and school systems, but it has from time to time responded to the call of Congress itself for valuable information on school affairs. It is believed that the time has now come when the Bureau of Education should be restored to its original position as an independent Department, and its management be again entrusted to the Commissioner in charge. The salary of the Commissioner should be increased to not less than $5,000-the present salary of the Commissioner of Labor and the recent salary of the Commissioner of Agriculture. The position of the Commissioner of Education never can assume its proper dignity at the seat of Government so long as the Commissioner is obliged to live on the present salary, and it is certainly too much to ask the Commissioner to supplement this salary by his private means.

The Department of Education should receive an annual appropriation sufficient for the efficient discharge of the important duties entrusted to it, and all its reports, cir

culars, and other information respecting educational progress should be promptly published and distributed. The practical value of the successive Annual Reports of the Bureau has been greatly lessened by their tardy issue and circulation.

It is recommended that a committee be appointed by this body to memorialize Congress to these ends, and, if possible, secure necessary legislation. It is also suggested that this committee make an effort to secure such supervision of the education schedules in the next decennial census by the Commissioner of Education as will result in more accurate and valuable statistics in this department.

Respectfully submitted.

E. E. WHITE, Ohio,

M. A. NEWELL, Maryland,

A. S. DRAPER, New York,
HENRY SABIN, Iowa,

A. P. MARBLE, Massachusetts,

Committee.

Mr. Campbell moved the adoption of this report, and moved further that the committee presenting it be continued as a permanent committee to bring the matter before Congress and its committees, to the end that the action desired might be had.

The report was unanimously adopted and the committee continued. The discussion of the subject of the introduction of manual training into graded city schools was opened with a paper by John D. Ford, U. S. N., principal of the Manual Training School, Baltimore, Md. (Page 168.) The second paper in the discussion was read by H. W. Compton, superintendent of schools, Toledo, Ohio. (Page 173.)

W. E. Anderson asked that he be relieved from the Committee on manual training, and suggested that Nicholas Murray Butler, of New York, be substituted. On motion of E. H. Cook, this request was granted, and Dr. Butler was placed on the committee.

Mr. Anderson moved that this committee be requested to define "manual training" in their report one year hence. After a running debate Mr. Anderson withdrew his motion. (Page 179.)

He then offered the following resolution:

Resolved, That a committee of seven members of this body be appointed, to report at its next meeting, what changes are needed in the course of elementary schools, as to subjects taught, as to the elimination of unprofitable and surplus work, and as to the addition of what is practicable and desirable as regards manual training.

Mr. Anderson continued: "I present this resolution in the firm conviction that this is the contestable ground of the whole question, and that it is on this very territory that we are about to declare an armistice, and to appear in one year and fight these old skirmishes over again. It is in the elementary schools, if anywhere, that this fight of the work of manual training lies. I think this association ought either acknowledge the fact that this is the ground, or else take it up and discuss it where it belongs."

The resolution was, on motion, referred to the Committee on Resolutions,

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