in shorthand without sacrificing a single necessary principle of speed or legibility. This objection is common to all systems.

Imaginary "short cuts" should be discarded. A single illustration will suffice. A dot may be written much more quickly than a disjoined stroke like that for the ending" ing." It is, therefore, concluded that the "-ing" dot is the quicker, hence nearly all teachers and Pitmanic textbooks recommend the dot whenever "-ing" is final in a word. A careful test will prove that the joined "-ing" in the word "coming" can be written from 10 to 20 per cent. more quickly than by using the disjoined dot. The explanation is simple. The lifting of the pen requires more time than the writing of either the stroke or the dot. Many similar objectionable features might be eliminated from every system of shorthand.

g) The number of words and phrases for which contracted outlines may be used to advantage and the method of teaching the word and phrase signs should have careful attention. A wide difference of opinion exists in regard to these matters. An abbreviated outline for a word or phrase becomes a real hindrance to speed unless it is one which occurs with sufficient frequency to enable the average stenographer to recall instantly the proper contraction. One which does not occur with sufficient frequency to enable the stenographer to recall the contraction without the least hesitation will cause a loss of more time trying to recall it than it would take to write the entire outline several times. I believe Benn Pitman has the best judgment as to what words and phrases may best be represented by contractions. He gives considerably less than a thousand such signs. The good teacher will be conservative in this matter and not attempt to have his students learn long lists of abbreviations many of which will be a real hindrance rather than a help.

The best method of learning the word signs is to introduce a very few in each lesson, those being selected which are based upon the principle being studied. The student should fix these in mind by writing them over and over again in natural sentences illustrating the use of the principle given in the lesson.

h) The teacher should recognize human limitations. Many teachers expect too much from students. They do not understand the average student's limited natural endowments, as well as lack of adequate preparation, and failure to receive any help in the home.

III. MAINTAINING THE INTEREST OF THE STUDENT

The average teacher of shorthand neglects this very important part of his work. The peculiar nature of shorthand makes very important the work of maintaining the continuous interest of the student until the end is reached. The following are some of the methods which may be utilized:

a) Frequently relating interesting stories of what has been accomplished by young men or women who have mastered the art. A teacher can readily recall numerous instances in which some ordinary young man or woman has stuck to his shorthand through all kinds of discouragements and has in the end

made a brilliant success. Current history is full of interesting stories of this kind and the proper telling of them will prove a powerful incentive to students.

b) Do not emphasize too strongly criticisms of pupils' errors. Do not overlook errors, but give more attention to and say more in commendation of what the student has done correctly. If the student is judiciously praised for everything that he writes correctly, the little that may be necessary to say about his errors is not likely to discourage him.

c) Appealing to one's pride has a powerful influence over the average student. The same idea may be applied by making the student feel ashamed to fall behind and give up while his classmates are going ahead successfully.

d) Offering prizes is another method by which the interest of the pupil may be maintained. Usually offering a very simple prize has a marked effect. It is often possible by this means to induce a student to do twice as much work.

The old saw, "practice makes perfect" is altogether too general and too meaningless a term. How to practice, what to practice upon, when to begin speed practice, how long to practice at a time, and whether to write the same matter over and over again or whether to write new matter continually, are questions deserving the attention of every teacher.

a) How to practice. Practice work should be just as nearly as possible like actual work. Always practice from dictation. The wise teacher insists. that his pupils write all their exercises from hearing the words spoken that the ear may be trained to hear every word distinctly and the mind trained to formulate the proper outlines as the words are heard and instantly to form pictures of them for the hand to copy. These operations should be developed simultaneously that each may be carried on at the same time at high speed. This can be accomplished only by writing what one hears and not by copying. The student who cannot have somebody dictate to him should always speak each word aloud as he writes it. He will, by so doing, become a better reporter.

b) While learning a principle, practice matter should consist of simple sentences containing many words involving the application of that principle. These should be given to the student in great abundance and written over and over again. General speed practice should never be undertaken until after the principles have all been thoroly learned and carefully reviewed. Material which will enable one to develop a voluminous shorthand vocabulary should be used at first. Following this, material as nearly as possible like the matter the student will have to write in an office should be selected. The large majority of shorthand students become amanuenses in business and professional offices and their work is principally letter writing. Therefore letter writing is the most suitable material for practice work. Better still if the student is given actual business letters for practice. Some teachers of shorthand make it a part of their business as teachers to handle the correspond

ence of some business firm for this especial purpose. The student will derive more benefit from writing a hundred such letters than from writing a thousand letters which he knows will go into the waste basket.

c) When to begin speed practice. It should begin with the very first lesson. The first exercise should consist of words involving only the use of the principles introduced. The student should first learn how to write such words correctly and then write them at dictation many hundreds of times. There are three distinct advantages in this:

(1) It is the best way firmly to fix the principle in mind.

(2) It thoroly overcomes the student's tendency to form the habit of drawing his characters.

(3) It develops speed at the start.

The student who does this from the beginning always finds that the time necessary to acquire a working speed is reduced about seventy-five per

cent.

d) It is far better to write an article many hundreds of times or until it can be written with absolute accuracy and neatly at a high rate of speed than to write hundreds of articles each one time. The explanation of this is simple. In writing new matter one is continually hesitating while he formulates outlines for unfamiliar words. This acts as a distinct clog to the necessary harmonious develòpment of the ability to receive a continuous volume of words, to formulate proper outlines for each one, to produce a mental picture of each, and to record that picture on paper. The only way that these various processes can be uniformly developed and the faculties trained to work in perfect harmony and rapidly is to do work under such conditions that there will be nothing to interfere in the operation of any of them, and to do it over and over again.

V.

THE ACQUISITION OF A LARGE SHORTHAND VOCABULARY

a) Its importance cannot be overestimated. The more extended the student's knowledge of shorthand outlines and familiarity with the use of them, the more readily will he be able to do all kinds of reporting work and the more rapid will be his advancement. The teacher should thoroly understand this and see that the student have at the proper time such exercises for practice as will increase his vocabulary of shorthand outlines as much as possible. Usually the better plan is to make selections for practice for this particular purpose from a great variety of dictation material-scientific, historical, legal, medical, commercial, etc. The student should practice on such articles slowly at first, until he is capable of writing them correctly and rapidly.

b) Such practice is especially valuable as it increases one's shorthand power in every way. It develops ability to decide instantly and without a moment's hesitation upon outlines for new words.

c) Such practice also increases the student's translating power and as such it is especially valuable.

VI. TRAINING THE PUPIL TO READ SHORTHAND RAPIDLY

More students fail in shorthand because of inability to read their notes rapidly, or at all, than from all other causes. This may be accounted for in several ways.

a) Lack of knowledge of words is one of the chief causes. The limited English vocabulary of most young people is something appalling. If the stenographer does not understand the meaning of a word the chances are that he will not hear the word correctly or not write the proper outline for it. b) Inability to get it all down. This is due to lack of sufficient speed practice. The only remedy is for the teacher to insist that the pupil be kept at speed practice until he is able fully to meet necessary requirements.

c) Failure to apply the principles correctly. One of the greatest troubles the average teacher of shorthand has to contend with is the failure of pupils to apply principles correctly. They do not realize that in actual reporting they will make the same errors. Unless the teacher insists constantly that all students be painstaking and accurate, serious trouble is sure to follow.

d) Another important source of trouble in translating is failure to make use of the context. Exercises especially prepared to give the student drill in the use of the context should be used freely. The pupil's attention should be frequently called to the benefit which may be derived by constantly considering the relation of the words to the thought which is being expressed.

e) Ability of the student to concentrate his mind upon his work. Failure to do so means poor writing. Poor translations are sure to follow. To overcome mind-wandering is an important part of the work of shorthand teachers.

f) Few teachers give sufficient practice in reading shorthand notes. Most teachers seem to think that the all important thing is to "get it all down." The idea prevails quite generally that if a person can write a thing, he can read it. This does not follow at all in shorthand. The teacher should remember that it requires an entirely different mental process to recall the word from a shorthand outline from that required to recall the shorthand outline upon hearing the word. One must have training in reading as well as in writing. The one requires quite as much training as the other. The teacher should see to it that the student make it a practice, and adhere to it rigidly, to read over at least once (twice would be a great deal better) every outline he writes. The student who does this faithfully will read his shorthand notes accurately and quite as readily as he writes them. The teacher should make it a part of his daily work to overcome the inability of his students to read their notes. If he does so his pupils will accomplish a great deal more in a given time and will become far better stenographers.

TO WHAT EXTENT MAY A COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL TRAINING BE PROPERLY INCLUDED IN THE

GRAMMAR-SCHOOL COURSE?

H. M. ROWE, AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER, BALTIMORE, MD. Considering the crowded condition of the grammar-school curriculum, any discussion looking to still further additions to it might seem useless. To those of us who believe in the doctrine that public schools should supply that kind of instruction which is most helpful and of the largest practical use to the greatest number, the situation does not seem so difficult, because we have recourse to the privilege of selection and elimination. Most of us, I think, who believe in this doctrine feel that there might be some changes made in our present curriculum without loss to anyone.

The finishing school for many.-The grammar school is the finishing school for over 70 per cent. of those who have advanced beyond primary instruction. Seven out of ten are not able to go on to secure the more advanced training of the high school. They have received just enough education. to be something better than mere manualists in the world's work, but not enough to take advantage of the larger opportunities that will come to them.

The ideal education is the one that best prepares the boy or girl to meet the conditions of his or her environment. The best education for this 70 per cent. is utilitarian first, and cultural afterward, because the most pressing problems of environment have to do with earning a respectable living, and with the supplying of creature necessities and comforts.

Worthy manhood and womanhood and good citizenship rest upon honorable self-support. It would be difficult to conceive of a self-supporting member of society who is not to some extent a commercialist or an industrialist.

The rights of the majority.-It would seem that no argument is necessary, in view of what has been said, to justify our claim that more attention should be given to those studies which will be useful for these seven out of ten. No matter what our own opinions may be as to what should be included in the grammar-school course, we must give heed to the pleadings of these young people who say to us in effect, "We are not able to go on to high school; we must go to work. We want you to give us that training in the last years of our school life which will best fit us to meet the problems and requirements of the new life—the life of labor and of self-support upon which we are about to enter. This is our necessity. We want the state to do this for us so that we can return to the state the largest measure of usefulness in being productive factors in its support, and in securing for ourselves and those depending upon us the largest degree of comfort and of happiness and of contentment."

This, my friends, is the proposition that is before us. The rights of this 70 per cent. who are hedged about by circumstances that limit their opportunities place upon us, as educators, a responsibility which, I am free to assert, has not always been met in the spirit in which it should have been met.