presented by the student body as a whole. What could not a musician. of ability, a man of personal force and magnetism, a man of noble ideas and high ideals, accomplish with the choicest human material which the country possesses? With our youths and maidens trained to understand, appreciate, and love good music, we should rapidly approach the time when thruout our land our homes would be homes of refinement, love, and happiness, our communities composed of peaceful, law-abiding citizens, and the nation an example of ideal democracy. Of course, I do not offer music as a panacea for all earthly ills, nor as a charm that shall secure to men uninterrupted happiness; but I do believe that life with music is infinitely richer than life without it, and that it helps to soften our sorrows and enhance our joys.

I have not touched so far upon any other form of musical development than the general vocal training, of which practically all persons are capable, provided this training begins in childhood. Individual voiceculture, the study of instrumental music on a keyed, stringed, or wind instrument, lies outside of the present subject of discussion, because it concerns chiefly the few who are especially talented, not the people at large. At the same time, the influence of good instrumental music thru the medium of popular band and orchestral concerts should not be underrated. They help to create that atmosphere which is absolutely necessary to musical development.

Such organizations as the Boston Symphony Orchestra can do and have done a great deal in this direction; but, in my opinion, they have not accomplished the hundredth part of what they are capable of. They now reach between four and five thousand people-for argument's sake let us say ten thousand-of the class which already possesses cultured minds and tastes. These are filled with music to overflowing. Too, the people who most need it, get nothing! It is true, the doors. of Symphony Hall are open to all, let all enter who will; but most people do not know what they most need and must be told. They are fettered by ignorance, by cares, and by false ideals, and do not realize that the good things of life lie close to their hand.

It may be difficult to reach and teach the adults of this generation what good music could do for them, but that is not the case with the youth. In every city there should be established a series of weekly orchestral concerts for the pupils of the high schools. Each program should be carefully prepared by the music teacher of each school in such a way that the pupils would listen with understanding. That this is possible and of great value has been proved by the symphony concerts for young people which I have given in New York during the last five years In Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Pittsburg, and Philadelphia, where permanent orchestras, liberally subsidized, are in existence, this should be done as a matter of course. In other cities it would not be difficult to

organize such concerts on a smaller scale with local musicians, and would be an impetus toward the establishment of regular orchestras. In this way thousands of our citizens would be brought under the elevating influence of music who would otherwise not even know of its existence.

But, excellent and necessary as are these influences which come to us from without, the greatest good comes from within—that is, from doing. The music we make ourselves may not be equal in quality to that which is brought to us from the outside, but it is part of ourselves, the result of our own effort, and the exercise of functions which help us to rise to a higher plane and in the use of which we are developing the nobler side of our nature. Opportunities should, therefore, be given to people to stimulate the exercise of these functions; and, in my opinion, nothing is better adapted to this purpose than choral singing.

Eleven years ago I invited the working people of New York to attend Sunday classes in sight-singing. Thousands have taken advantage of this instruction, which is now given in numerous classes in all parts of the city, and which culminates in a People's Choral Union which has a membership of a thousand voices. The great oratorios-the "Messiah," "Elijah," "Samson," "Israel in Egypt," "The Seasons," etc.-have been read at sight, studied and performed with orchestra. The movement is self-supporting, the expenses of hall rents and music being met by a fee of ten cents for each lesson. The teachers accept no compensation. Similar movements have been organized in Boston, under the able direction of Mr. Samuel W. Cole, and in many other cities, and they have · stimulated an interest in good music in thousands of people who until then had never heard of Händel, Bach, or Mendelssohn. And they carry these works into their homes; these heroes of music sit at their tables in squalid tenement houses, and by their intercourse transform the hovel into a palace, the beggar into a king.

Here again, I would emphasize what I said before in reference to the musical education of children in schools: Give only the best! My Choral Union likes Bach and Händel and all great music better than any that merely tickles the ear. Great music plows deep into the soul, and it brings forth fine and fair fruit. Little music merely scratches the surface, and the result is weeds.

The songs of a people express its character. What are our songs today? Most of them are borrowed from other nations; of the rest we are not proud. Our national hymn, "America," is the union of a fine English tune with a fine American poem; but, oh, what a mésalliance! Where the tune demands an accent, the words refuse to give it, and vice versa; where the words require an upward progression in the melody it promptly goes down; in short, words and tune constantly swear at each other. "The Star Spangled Banner" was an old English drinking song before it became our national song. "Hail Columbia" is, I believe, indigenous to the soil,

but it is nothing to be proud of. And yet, in spite of all, it is a splendid thing that our people's hearts cling to these songs, because they are part of their youth, their history, their national life. It shows that we can be stirred by music which represents great ideas, even if in itself it is not great music. Let us create an atmosphere of good music thruout our land which will elevate the people's taste, and we shall then sing songs which. will express our true feelings and of which we shall be proud.

No one can do so much to accomplish this as we, the educators of the young. Our seed falls on good soil; it grows under our daily, watchful care, and it is, therefore, our fault if the results are unsatisfactory. Do not tell me that you cannot do things because you are hampered by ignorant school authorities. If you set yourselves high ideals, give nothing but the best and accept nothing but the best. Your work will speak for you, and you will win to your side all the best elements in the community. If you believe that your town or village needs a choral society, organize it, teach the members to read from notes, and give them great music to sing. Do not lose time waiting for others to find out that they want it. Do not expect to get rich from the salary connected with the leadership. You will probably get no money, but you will get other things which money cannot buy. If you need orchestral concerts, organize the instrumentalists of the town into an orchestra and give your concerts. As soon as people find out that you are working for high aims, you will receive hearty support. Do not expect to accomplish things in a hurry. It takes years for a tree to grow. Things which ripen quickly die quickly.

Our field of labor is enormous. Our opportunities are unlimited. There is no nobler mission in the world than to bring beauty and happiness into the homes of the people thru the culture of good music, and to teach them to express their deeper feelings in the only adequate language in song!

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS EDUCATION

SECRETARY'S MINUTES

FIRST SESSION.-TUESDAY, JULY 7, 1903

The department was called to order in the First Church in Boston at 9:55 A. M., by the vice-president, Templeton P. Twiggs, director of the commercial department, Central High School, Detroit, Mich.

The following program was then presented:

Vice-President's Address, Templeton P. Twiggs.

History in the Curriculum of the Commercial High School," Cheesman A. Herrick, director of the course in commerce, Central High School, Philadelphia, Pa.

Discussion: I. O. Crissy, C. B. Ellis, O. C. Evans, Frank O. Carpenter, W. C. Stevenson, I. R. Garbutt, and Mrs. Sara A. Spencer.

"Mathematics in Commercial Work," E. L. Thurston, Business High School, Washington, D. C. Discussion: W. C. Stevenson, Carl C. Marshall, and H. B. Brown.

On motion of I. O. Crissy, the vice-president appointed the following committee on resolutions:

I. O. Crissy, of New York.

W. C. Stevenson, of Maryland.

B. H. Donnell, of California.

Adjourned.

SECOND SESSION.- WEDNESDAY, JULY 8

The vice-president called the department to order at 9:30 A. M.
The program for the session was as follows:

"Commercial Geography: The New Science," Frank O. Carpenter, master of the English High School, Boston, Mass.

Discussion: C. A. Herrick, Richard Waterman, R. T. Green, Jr., F. A. Tibbitts, and H. C. Hustleby. Science in Commercial Work: Its Practical Value, Character, and Place in High-School Work," Frank M. Gilley, instructor in physics and chemistry, High School, Chelsea, Mass.

Discussion: W. R. Butler and H. B. Brown.

"Disciplinary Value of Bookkeeping as a Study," Enos Spencer, president of the Spencerian Business College, Louisville, Ky.

Discussion: C. B. Ellis, H. M. Rowe, H. G. Green, and Carl C. Marshall.

"The Disciplinary Value of Stenography and Typewriting as Studies," W. H. Wagner, teacher of stenography and typewriting, Commercial High School, Los Angeles, Cal.

Discussion: F. J. Stein.

The Committee on Resolutions submitted the following report, which was unanimously adopted:

The Committee on Resolutions begs leave to submit the following:

Resolved, That it is the sense of the members of this department that the commercial course in the high school should be equal in time of instruction, in educational content, and in disciplinary power to any course in the school, and that any commercial course falling below this standard is not to be regarded by this department as complete.

That we hail with satisfaction the increasing facilities for higher commercial education offered by colleges and universities, which we believe cannot fail to redound to the prosperity and glory of our country.

That we respectfully but earnestly urge upon the normal schools of the country the necessity of at once undertaking the preparation of commercial teachers, to meet the growing demand for such teachers, which cannot even at the present time be supplied.

That we fully appreciate the value of the better class of proprietary business schools, and recognize that they have done and are doing a work which could not be performed by any other existing institution.

That we congratulate the commercial schools and the nation upon the establishment of the Department of Commerce in the cabinet of the president, in the belief that such establishment will prove of incalculable value in improving our commercial relations with all the nations of the earth, adding new dignity to commercial education and marking a new epoch in our national development.

That we cordially thank the officers of the department for the able manner in which they have done their work, and that we especially congratulate the vice-president on the satisfactory performance of duties which somewhat unexpectedly devolved upon him.

That we tender to the generous citizens of Boston, and especially to the President of the Association and the local committees, our thanks for the many courtesies by which our stay in their hospitable city has been made so notably pleasant and satisfactory.

The following officers were unanimously elected for 1904:

President - Cheesman A. Herrick, Philadelphia, Pa.
Vice-President-H. B. Brown, Valparaiso, Ind.
Secretary-Thomas H. H. Knight, Jr., Boston, Mass.
Adjourned.

I. O. CRISSY.
W. C. STEVENSON.
B. H. DONNELL.

C. E. STEVENS, Secretary.

PAPERS AND DISCUSSIONS

HISTORY IN THE

CURRICULUM OF THE COMMERCIAL
HIGH SCHOOL

CHEESMAN A. HERRICK, DIRECTOR OF THE COURSE IN COMMERCE, CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

Any treatment of the topic assigned to me must take into account two notable reports on historical studies in secondary schools: that of the subcommittee of the Committee of Ten, known as the Madison Conference Report (1892), and that of the Committee of Seven of the American Historical Association (1898).

The reports just noted include some discussion of civil government and political economy. It has not been thought wise, however, to introduce any treatment of these subjects in the present paper; they are deemed of sufficient importance for commercial work to warrant an independent discussion of them. The report of the Madison Conference also includes recommendations concerning historical work in the elementary schools; it does not seem advisable to introduce the elementary-school problem in this connection.

The recommendation of the subcommittee of the Committee of Ten is for a study of Greek, Roman, English, American, and French history, with one year to be devoted to the intensive study of some one period, and provides that European history be taught in connection with the history of England and France, or in the final year of intensive study. This committee favors the pursuing of historical studies continuously thru the four years of the high-school course.