law. The poor are neither humiliated nor encouraged in pauperism; do not have to beg for their supply.

Objections: Possibility of contagion; no encouragement to permanent retention of books, nor purchase of private library. Lack of books for reference in homes. Lansingburg.-Benefits: All have books. Many would not have them at all or

late in the term.

Saratoga Springs.-Benefits: Uniformity, abundance of books. No waiting for pupils to get books, hence a gain in time. Ability to change unsatisfactory books. Objections: I can see none.

Syracuse.-Benefits: Schools ready for work at beginning of term. Do not have to wait until pupils get ready to buy books. No trouble to change textbooks. Saving of one-sixth of cost.

Objections: None.

Yonkers.-Benefits: Books and supplies can be bought more advantageously for the taxpayers when bought in large quantities by board. Objections: We have found none.

PENNSYLVANIA.

Allegheny.-Benefits: Saving in cost of 40 per cent. getting classes supplied. Largely increased attendance. school system.

Greater promptness in
Absolutely free public-

Objections: No objection whatever. All the theoretical objections urged before we adopted the system have failed absolutely to materialize.

Altoona.-Benefits: Cost to the district 25 to 50 per cent less than at retail. Objections: Carelessness and extravagance on part of pupils.

Erie.-Benefits: Greater regularity of attendance; longer continuance in school, especially in high school, where cost of books was burdensome; benefit to poor, because free books promote freer attendance.

Objections: Absence of books in home after child leaves school. Lessens interest of parent in school and therefore lessens his sense of individual responsibility in making provision for education of his children. Books being free, children become careless in use of them. .

Harrisburg.-Benefits: Saving of expense to parents. Pupils always supplied with books. Increased attendance.

Objections: When a pupil leaves school he has not text-books at home. Danger of disease.

Hazleton.-Benefits: We have them on hand for immediate use. All are supplied. Easier to get very best. More supplementary books can be obtained. Hundreds of children come to school who could not do so before; this is particularly true in grammar and high-school grades.

Objections: Some danger from infection. Less books found in homes. Pupils are without books during the vacations. First and third objections, however, are obviated by local regulations, and the second by establishing libraries.

Potterville.-Benefits: Better attendance at school, especially in the higher

grades.

Objections: Books used by different pupils. Pupils not returning books at close of school.

Reading.-Benefits: More pupils take advantage of educational privileges as there is no increase of taxation to parents for school purposes.

Objections: Pupils do not own books after leaving school.

York.-Benefits: Less cost to community. All provided with necessary material. Relief to the poor.

Objections: None that can not be met.

RHODE ISLAND.

Bristol.-Benefits: Places all pupils on same footing.

Pawtucket.-Benefits: Increased attendance, particularly in higher grades. Saving of time; scholars always well supplied.

Objections: Some claim handling of books by different pupils and carrying them into all kinds of homes is unhealthy for scholars; liable to carry disease. Peacedale.-Benefits: Every pupil is supplied.

Objections: None.

Woonsocket.-Benefits: Increased attendance. Saves time, books always on hand. Easier to change books when old and out of date.

Objections: Microbes. Lack of interest because there is not individual ownership. Children have no books after leaving school.

VERMONT.

Bellows Falls.-Benefits: Pupils all have books ready to start in together. Lifts burden from poor and enables many to attend high school who otherwise could not possibly go. Lengthens school life of average child.

Objections: Unless care is taken there is slight danger from contagious diseases, though this is oftener from pencils or penholders. In some families about all the books purchased were text-books; tendency now is to have no books at all.

Bennington.-Benefits: Economy; greater variety and number of books possible; better condition of books.

Objections: Many of the text-books should be owned by pupils for future use. Responsibility of teacher in care of books.

Rutland.-Benefits: All pupils supplied alike and more regular attendance. Objections: I know of no serious objection with us.

WISCONSIN.

Berlin.-Benefits: Uniformity of books; all supplied and at a cost less than to buy, while school with careful management meets with a small profit.

Eau Claire.-Benefits: Many pupils attend schools who would not be able to meet the expense of text-books and would be obliged to drop out of school. Objections: Only objection is using books after they are soiled.

La Crosse.-Benefits: Greater economy to the people. No loss of time for lack of books. Greater variety of books may be used. Easier to keep up to date with text-books. Gives better satisfaction to patrons. Better attendance. Objections: After a time have to use some soiled books. No sense of ownership in books by pupil.

Marinette.-Benefits: Everybody has material and books of the right kind to work with. Pupils are trained to take care of books. An obsolete text-book may be readily exchanged. By system of transferring all of the best readers and supplementary reading may be had at no greater outlay than if but one reader were used throughout.

Objections: Great care to teachers and superintendent. to economize, thus lowering quality. Paternalism fostered. learn to expect to be given things.

Possibility of trying
Parents and pupils

Portage.-Benefits: Children of the poor are not subjected to any humiliating distinction. Economical. Teachers are relieved of all annoyance resulting from an insufficiency of books. Any desirable change in books can be made without friction and without loss.

Objections: Have never heard any objection raised that was not frivolous.

a From the Michigan School Report of 1898, Part III, pp. 100–109.
b Several years.

This includes clerk hire and repair of books.

II.-Average cost per pupil in free text-book cities-Continued.

Since the close of the Franco-Prussian war the development of Germany has been remarkable. Hamburg has risen from the sixth largest port in Europe to nearly the first; German cottons are sold in Manchester, German steel in Sheffield and Leeds, German silks in Paris, and “Made in Germany" is a familiar mark to us. From 1875 to 1895 the population increased from 45,730,000 to 52,250,000. The working energy, during the same period, increased from twentyfive to more than forty-six million foot-pounds daily, or about four times as fast as the population. Between 1889 and 1896 the exports from Germany to China

a Abridged from a paper on the need of technical education, by Prof. Victor C. Alderson, dean of the Armour Institute of Technology, read before the Chicago Literary Club, October 20, 1902, and printed in Nature February 12, 1903.

increased 86 per cent; to Japan 92 per cent. The tonnage of German vessels trading with these countries has trebled since 1886. The number of German. steamers in 1871 was 150; in 1897 this number had increased to 1,125. During the same period the tonnage increased from 82,000 to 900,000. That Germany has been successful in a commercial way during the past thirty years is not to bedenied. Her success can be traced to her belief in the industrial value of scientific research and to her fostering care of the technical education of her people. From an examination of special industries we can obtain a clearer idea of this.. influence. Consider the beet-sugar industry. In 1840 154,000 tons of beets were treated, yielding 8,000 tons, or 5 per cent of raw sugar. In 1899, with improved scientific processes, 12,000,000 tons were crushed, yielding 1,500,000 tons, or 13 per: cent of raw sugar. This increase from 5 to 13 per cent is the direct result of the work of technical men in control of the industry. Not only is Germany no longer dependent upon the West Indies for her sugar, but in one year she has sold Great Britain $50,000,000 worth. The manufacture of alcohol from potatoes is another lucrative field for German technologists. The cost has been reduced to about 25 cents per gallon, and experiments are in progress to determine its efficiency as fuel on steamers. The manufacture of artificial indigo by a chemical process, was discovered in Germany in 1866. Less than 40 workmen were then employed; now more than 6,000 men and a staff of 148 scientific chemists are employed in the industry. The natural indigo is almost driven out of the market. They have also discovered a method for obtaining from steel processes ground slag which is used as a fertilizer, and England, although she produces quite as much steel as Germany, has become a good customer for the article. Recently there came the discovery by a chemist named Giebler of a process of hardening steel which makes it, it is said, 14 per cent stronger, 50 per cent lighter, and one-third less costly than the Krupp or Harvey steel. Twenty-five years ago the English and French makers of scientific instruments of precision were far in advance of the German. However, through the organization of the Reichsanstalt, an institution for original' research and the standardizing of instruments, supported by the Government, Germany has become the manufacturer of the best scientific instruments in the world. The value of her exports in this line is nearly $2,000,000, three times what it was fifteen years ago, and the work gives employment to 15,000 people. The Germans are fully alive to the necessity of being well prepared to engage in the struggle for industrial supremacy. Prince Bismarck once said: "The war of the future is the economic war, the struggle for existence on a large scale. May my successors always bear this in mind and take care that when the struggle comes we are prepared for it." Bismarck's behest has been heeded. The Germans, by dint of long and thorough preparation, are ready for an economic war. For more than thirty years they have been preparing, and we can see in all directions the steps that have been taken to improve the technical sides of education, so as to produce men who are capable of carrying Germany to the front in this industrial and commercial struggle. The system of German technical schools. comprises first a group of Technischen Hochschulen, situated at the capitals of the German States, like those of Berlin, Dresden, Munich, and Carlsruhe. These are. of the very highest grade, admitting only students who have completed a Gymnasium or Realschule course of study. They have without exception developed gradually from mere trade or building schools. Most of them were founded in the twenties and thirties of last century, and one-the Charlottenburg-was, founded as early as 1799. These schools are all beautifully housed, have superb. equipments, and are doing a high grade of professional engineering work. Next below them in educational rank comes a great number of trade schools, like the textile school of Crefeld. These trade schools are located at the center of

ED 1902-41