THURSDAY AFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 28, 1918 The following program was presented: "The Rural School as a Social Center"-Mrs. Thomas W. Hayes, county superintendent of schools, Roswell, N.M. Discussion. "Training Teachers Already in the Service"-J. N. Hillman, secretary, State Board of Education, Richmond, Va. C. CONFERENCE OF SUPERINTENDENTS OF CITIES WITH POPULATION OVER 250,000 THURSDAY AFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 28, 1918 The Conference of Superintendents of Cities with Population over 250,000 met in the Rose Room, Traymore Hotel, at 2:30 p.m., E. C. Hartwell, superintendent of schools, St Paul, Minn., presiding. The following program was presented: "Why the Cost of Public Education Is Constantly Increasing"-J. H. Francis, superintendent of schools, Columbus, Ohio; J. D. Shoop, superintendent of schools, Chicago, Ill.; H. S. Weet, superintendent of schools, Rochester, N.Y. "Educating the Public to the Financial Needs of the School"-G. D. Strayer, professor of educational administration, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, N.Y. Informal Discussion. "Efficient Finance for the City School System"-Frank W. Ballou, assistant superintendent of schools, Boston, Mass. Discussion-C. E. Chadsey, superintendent of schools, Detroit, Mich.; Albert Shiels, superintendent of schools, Los Angeles, Calif. D. CONFERENCE OF SUPERINTENDENTS OF CITIES WITH POPULATION BETWEEN 25,000 AND 250,000 THURSDAY AFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 28, 1918 The Conference of Superintendents of Cities with Population between 25,000 and 250,000 met on the Million Dollar Pier, at 2:30 p.m., Henry C. Johnson, superintendent of schools, Ogden, Utah, presiding. The following program was presented: "Leadership in Education": a) "Leadership as Found Today in Instruction in Interpreting the Curriculum": 1. "In the Superintendent"-Z. C. Thornburg, superintendent of schools, Des Moines, Iowa. Discussion-Fred M. Hunter, superintendent of schools, Oakland, Calif. 2. "In Principals and Supervisors"-R. O. Stoops, superintendent of schools, Joliet, Ill. Discussion-J. H. Beveridge, superintendent of schools, Omaha, Nebr. b) "How Leadership in Making New Adjustments in Education Must Be Provided” -Ernest Horn, professor of education, Iowa State University, Iowa City, Iowa. Discussion J. W. McClinton, superintendent of schools, Pueblo, Colo. c) "Direct Instruction in Citizenship in the High School"-Milton Bennion, dean of school of education, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. Discussion—H. B. Wilson, superintendent of schools, Topeka, Kans. d) "Thrift in Relation to Public Schools"-Laura A. Smith, primary supervisor, public schools, Atlanta, Ga. Discussion-Ernest A. Smith, superintendent of schools, Salt Lake City, Utah. Discussion from the floor-five-minute speeches. E. CONFERENCE OF SUPERINTENDENTS OF CITIES WITH POPULATION BETWEEN 15,000 AND 25,000 THURSDAY AFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 28, 1918 The Conference of Superintendents from Cities with Population between 15,000 and 25,000 met in the High School Auditorium, at 2:30 p.m., L. H. Minkel, superintendent of schools, Fort Dodge, Iowa, presiding. The following program was presented: "War Problems": a) "Economy of Time-A Twelve Months' School, Divided into Four Quarters"F. E. Palmer, superintendent of grade schools, Mason City, Iowa. b) "Conservation of Resources-Schools Savings Accounts and Thrift Instruction" -Arvie Eldred, superintendent of schools, Troy, N.Y. c) "Increast Food Production-Home Gardening"-E. C. Sherman, superintendent of schools, Englewood, N.J. Discussion-J. H. Beveridge, superintendent of schools, Omaha, Nebr. d) "A Practical Program of Patriotic Instruction"-Francis G. Blair, state superintendent of public instruction, Springfield, Ill. Discussion-A. E. Winship, Editor, Journal of Education, Boston, Mass. F. CONFERENCE ON COMPULSORY EDUCATION, SCHOOL CENSUS, AND CHILD WELFARE THURSDAY AFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 28, 1918 The Conference on Compulsory Education, School Census, and Child Welfare met in the Park Avenue Hall, Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel, at 2:30 p.m., J. M. Gwinn, superintendent of schools, New Orleans, La., presiding. The following program was presented: "Enforcement of the United States Child Labor Law"-Grace Abbott, Child Labor Division, Children's Bureau, Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. "Child Welfare and Child Labor Laws of Minnesota"-S. A. Challman, State Inspector of Special Classes in Public Schools, St. Paul, Minn. "Child Welfare and the War"-Philander P. Claxton, United States Commissioner of Education, Washington, D.C. "The Need of a Continuing Census of Children of School Age"-John W. Davis, director, Bureau of Attendance, Public Schools, New York, N.Y. "Causes of Absence from Rural Schools"-Edward N. Clopper, secretary for Northern States, National Child Labor Committee, New York, N.Ÿ. Discussion. "Part Time v. the Special Teacher as the Economic Solution of the Speech-Disorder Problem in Public Schools"-Walter B. Swift, medical supervisor of speech classes, Fall River, Mass. Discussion-Hector L. Belisle, superintendent of schools, Fall River, Mass.; Wilmer Kinnan, assistant superintendent of schools, Lynn, Mass.; John Christopher, superintendent of schools, District 2, Philadelphia, Pa. G. CONFERENCE ON PHYSICAL TRAINING THURSDAY AFTERNOON, FEBRUARY 28, 1918 The Conference on Physical Training met in the High School Gymnasium, at 2:30 p.m., E. H. Arnold, director of New Haven Normal School of Gymnastics, New Haven, Conn., presiding. The following program was presented: "Physical Welfare Work with School Children in War Times": "Outline of Work Planned on National Scope"-Randall D. Warden, director of physical training, Newark, N.J. "The Vital Necessity of Physical Training for the Country Boy and Girl"-Dudley A. Sargent, director, Hemenway Gymnasium, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. "Minimum Essentials of Exercises"-William Stecher, supervisor of physical training, Philadelphia, Pa. After a brief talk by President Finegan, in which he exprest his persona appreciation to the people of Atlantic City for their entertainment, to the officers of the department and allied associations, and to those taking part on the program for the success of the meeting, the meeting adjourned. LIDA LEE TALL, Secretary PAPERS AND DISCUSSIONS ADDRESS OF WELCOME CALVIN N. KENDALL, STATE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, TRENTON, N.J. I suppose no one would think for a moment that your comfort would be any greater because of these addresses of welcome. If they were omitted altogether you would not accuse us of inhospitality. You would not think that your presence here was undesirable. You, of course, are welcome. Be assured and be comfortable. Visitors are always welcome here; the more the better. I have attended these conventions for twenty-five years. You never have been to a place where you were so welcome as here. Where would this city-so unique among American cities-be were it not for such as you? It would not be here at all. I did not mean to say "such as you," because there are none such as you. We do not care that we were your third choice; we are not sensitive about this. You would come some time anyway, for all roads lead to Atlantic City and all roads lead across New Jersey to our suburbs, New York and Philadelphia. You from the West have done well to emulate the example of George Washington and cross the Delaware, coming, as did he, toward New Jersey. You will find here more comfort than you would have found in the sunny South at this time of the year, and more than in cold New England. The fates have been kind to you to send you to New Jersey; they have been kind to me, and the longer you stay the kinder they will be. You will find no mosquitoes here-in fact, the alleged presence of mosquitoes in New Jersey is a myth. No one of you has seen a mosquito since he came to New Jersey. The explanation of the legend of the mosquitoes in New Jersey is this: Researches have shown that the mosquito is a very intelligent animal; it has great power of discrimination; this faculty is highly developt. The mosquito is a migratory bird; it has traveled much. It has used its power of discrimination to such good purpose that it has found that of all parts of this country New Jersey is the most favored, the most beautiful, and the most attractive. Such is its admiration of New Jersey that it always registers from New Jersey. In this way has arisen the myth of the Jersey mosquito. When you get back to your homes, every one of you should teach his pupils that New Jersey, so far as your observation goes, is absolutely free from mosquitoes. It is good for us to have you here; good for the educational interests of the state. The state feels honored because you are here. It has been honored by no more distinguisht body of men and women than this. This is not the language of compliment or hospitality, but the language of fact. This midwinter meeting has long been recognized as a vital force in the direction of education in the United States. What is said here, what is done here, affects educational policies and practices in every nook and corner of the United States. This convention, with the meetings which have attacht themselves to it, is a great clearing-house for education; so we of New Jersey are cordial in our greetings. Considering these serious and unprecedented times, which on the one hand make new demands upon the schools and on the other demand that we should make efforts to prevent the curtailment of the processes of education, this is the most important educational gathering yet held in this country. Education in this state feels the strain of these war times-no more than anywhere else, perhaps, but enough to make us serious minded as never before as to the present and the future. We feel therefore that it is well for us that you should spend the week with us. You will reanimate our courage and give us new faith in what we are trying to do. We are indebted to you for coming here. Our press will report your proceedings, and large numbers of Jersey men and women will carry from Atlantic City the gospel that is preacht here. The people in this state believe in education and practice that belief. There was written into the constitution of this state this far-reaching and splendid provision: "The legislature shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thoro and efficient system of free public schools for the instruction of all the children in this state between the ages of five and eighteen years." This provision has been the inspiration of many New Jersey school officials for many years. It in part accounts for whatever excellencies the school system of the state has. We hope, of course, that your stay here may be pleasant and that you will feel that it is a valuable use of your time to be here. We hope you will not overlook the board walk. Lest you may overlook it I beg you to see it. The board walk is not merely an Atlantic City institution, not merely a state institution, it is a national institution, and in itself is an education, if the proper study of mankind is man, as Pope says, and the study of woman too. You are in a state where there are nearly 600,000 pupils in the public schools, and 17,000 teachers; whose current expense for education aggregates about $20,000,000 a year; in a state which has an investment of more than $70,000,000 in school buildings and grounds, which appropriates more than $400,000 a year from state funds for industrial and vocational education; in a state conservative and yet progressive; in a state with nearly 40,000 pupils in its kindergartens and with a high-school enrolment which has practically doubled in six years; in a state where an unusual number of men and women are professional in their practices in education; in a state in which the township administration law was establisht a quarter of a century ago; where the office of county superintendent is absolutely removed from politics; where women helping teachers are employed as assistants to county superintendents, who also are appointed strictly upon merit. These helping teachers with the county superintendents make rural schools better. We have a considerable number of rural schools in New Jersey. You are in a state where universal physical training is establisht by law, this law providing that two and a half hours a week shall be devoted to physical training; in a state in which tenure laws have been establisht for all teachers, who share the benefits in a state-wide pension system with generous provisions for retirement; in a state in which all plans for schoolhouses must be of certain standards; in a state which has establisht 160 schools for defective children. The state distributes to the schools from a state railroad tax and other sources upward of $4,000,000 a year, independent of local taxation. We hope that you will some time stay long enough to see some of the productive and prosperous farming regions of New Jersey, to see something of the marvelous beauties of the hills of northern New Jersey, to visit some of the numerous historical places in the state, to visit some of the other seaside resorts which stretch all the way from Cape May to Jersey City along the Atlantic coast-a veritable recreation ground of all America. You are in a state which is hospitable to teachers and superintendents from other states. In common with you we have our problems and difficulties, but for this week, which is a red-letter week for us, we propose to forget largely these difficulties in the inspiration of your presence here. May you have so comfortable a time that you will want to come again and soon. RESPONSE TO ADDRESSES OF WELCOME MARY C. C. BRADFORD, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, AND STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, DENVER, COLO. The Service Flag of the National Education Association, whose folds have just fallen into place behind me, stands for the glowing devotion of the teaching force of the United States. Each star means a life nobly lived and nobly offered at the country's call and in the service of freedom and governmental justice. Invisible but nevertheless in reality there, there are hundreds of living stars gleaming in the schools of America, whose rays of daily . |