customary viewpoint, and their success was all that could be wished. There may yet be occasion to refer to an instance "below normal," but not at present. We will continue with the subject of these courses.

COMPARISONS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PRESENT COURSES It is likely that there will be some desire for a characterization of the present courses. In order that this be possible it must be done in terms that do not require a special knowledge such as that required in the case of a technical occupation to enable any one to judge of the value of that discerned. It must be in ordinary terms and about something which is common knowledge in order that every one may be able to know the worth of it. Some ordinary operation about which there are barely a few who do not know how to perform, or one which nearly everybody knows a little, will be selected.

COMMON TYPE

We will take the case of learning to swim. There was once heard of a man who desired to learn to swim, and he decided not to go into the water, at least not until he thought he knew how.

He took up the study of the properties of liquids under which he became familiar with the items, specific gravity, center of buoyancy and center of gravity, and the relation of these to one another. He also took a course in mathematics. He decided that he should have some experiments to prove certain things and also see what he could discover, so he procured a tub of water and into it he put a frog and a fish. He noted that the fish could swim high and low and navigate with agility. He also observed the movements of the frog and saw him dive and come up again and swim across the tub with head out of water, and remain stationary at the surface if he chose. He then studied the anatomy of the fish and the frog, also that of himself, all of which we must grant he could have as scientific knowledge. He made calculations and estimates wherein he made allowance for the differences between himself and the frog and what their effect would be. This done entirely to his satisfaction he went to the water. It is hardly necessary to announce the result. He could not swim.

There is no question if given a reasonable time, should he persist, all things being equal, he would become very skilful. But he must have the experience which will give him the inurement.

This represents a certain type of school that is very common-in fact a universal type. It is possible to carry the illustration to the end that it will characterize not only the present courses in this school but also that of several other types of schools. It is of no consequence whether it be swimming or something different, the type is that which is desired to be exemplified and that only. The illustration exaggerates somewhat and only for the purpose of bringing the type into view.

PARALLEL TYPE

Had this man been a beginner in a service wherein he was receiving remuneration as a swimmer, for example, and these subjects which he studied, there being an indication that they were somewhat selected but not adjusted on the basis of his real production, it would then be an illustration of the former courses, the correspondence course and any others of their type. This type is related to his occupation by

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being in parallel with and contiguous to it. The type presumes to give information in how to perform his services while in fact he is certain to receive and may already have, as in most cases, information that is more practical. It is impossible to eliminate or even curtail or preclude its coming from his occupation, which is its source. If this type were made obligatory it would be imposed upon him. The former courses in the school were a compromise on the source of this information, but as has been shown, they were inexpedient. This type, while it is a branch paralleling the occupation and while it is a shoot put out from a long established trunk, it is root and branch produced by a different cultivation.

PRESENT COURSES ARE OF THE CONCURRENT TYPE

On the other hand if that information is recognized and credit given for the exercise of judgment that is required in order to have precision for efficiency, a step is taken toward another type. There must be admitted that there is observation of things going on in the surroundings. He learns by experience from a guided practice that is productive and in which every effort must be contributory to or be an execution of some service that as soon as performed has remunerative value.

He learns by seeing others doing their part and by working with them. When he first enters the occupation, he is put at some simple performance and continued at it until the surroundings become familiar to him, and as he comes to be put at different parts he therefore has some information regarding the part that is new to him in service before he cons that part. By exercise and practice he acquires efficiency and cleverness. And it all occurs under the influence of incentives that are a circumstance to real production and remuneration for services.

The course to be based upon all these facts about his manual progress must recognize them. The course must require certain facts to be known or found out in his experience; it must require also certain relationships to be seen in the same way; it must not attempt to present certain facts and relationships that can be had in practice, but it must use them, however. There are other facts and relationships that the course should and of necessity must bring out, but not those that it should require to be had from the other source.

There is thus the necessity for the specialized course adjusted by a worked-out refinement based upon that foundation. The course must not parallel the industry, but it must be concurrent with it. It does seem for that reason that it is the industry itself that should direct and manage the school that gives these courses.

The reason is perhaps obvious why so many of these men have been enabled to make the progress that they have made in mathematics and science, remembering that they had not the "preparation" from the customary standpoint and not required to be exceptional men.

WASTE AND PREPARATION BASIS

Since it is impossible to ignore that there is experience acquired in an industry and all which is acknowledged to be learned therefrom, which is a basis for the production of men of greater efficiency, is it not

therefore a waste of one of the products of industry not to make use of it in some such way as this? TEXT-BOOKS

Text-books can be had such as are in ordinary usage, but they are not related to this type of course in the way that their authors prepared them for the course they were intended. It would be better if specially prepared books were used. It is believed that such books should not be of the text-book character as ordinarily produced or in the form of a discussion treatise. In these courses text-books are used but their use is qualified.

TRADES SCHOOL TYPE

There is is another type of school that may be briefly characterized. Suppose that the man who wished to learn to swim had gone to the baths and taken lessons in swimming. He may be regarded to have done some studying. We would then have an illustration of the trades school. This type is like the first two in not being based upon real production. The product requires seasoning experience to render it most. useful because it was not produced within the environments of practical production.

TRADITIONALISM

The first, second and last type, namely the common or universal type, the paralleling type, and the trades school type appear to have a common position relative to that which comes afterward.

It sometimes seems that we cannot help, no matter how much we attempt to do otherwise when we design a school, being prone to give it qualities that have descended to us from the remote past. Our ideas appear to be an inheritance, a sort of legacy, that has been bequeathed upon us. And there does not seem to be the ability to behold more than the one idea no matter how much we change the form of the school to usefulness.

Suppose a well-equipped school of mines were given a mine, a mill, or a metallurgical plant entirely of its own choice and let the school conduct the mine and mill, there would still be the traditional idea unmistakably present. There is no question that such a mine and plant would be a great help toward instruction, but there would not be the didactic that there might be if the industry itself controlled the school. This is not an antagonistic statement. The purpose in this report is to bring attention to a type that has been overlooked. It seems that there should be room for all the types. A university or any other school cannot do what is done in a school like this, and conversely this school cannot do that which is done in a university or other school. There is not any one who would be more enthusiastic for a school of any of the other types to have a mill and plant than would be the writer.

The traditionalism seems to transcend our ideas and before we attempt or think of considering education in any of the many aspects of it there appears to be an obsession.

The trades school might at first be thought to be free from it.

SELF-PRESERVATION THE FIRST INCENTIVE

It is with the trades type as it is with the other two referred to, for this particular field, that the environments are lacking. The struggle for existence on the part of the pupil is put off; it does not begin

when he enters the school; it is held in abeyance and the effects of all that are incentive are lost when they should be active. Self-preservation is anticipated and not immediately at hand. The parallel type is rather deceiving in this respect. The basis of preparation for a course does not recognize that the source of the preparation is in common with that for self-preservation. The parallel and concurrent types have been quite thoroughly tried out in order to know this.

SMITH-HUGHES ACT

From Bulletin No. 1 of the Federal Board for Vocational Education under the Smith-Hughes Act, it appears that there was in mind, when framing the act, the parallel and trades-school types.

PARALLEL TYPE REACTIONARY

The present course or concurrent type was more effective than the parallel type and doubtless was the reason for the coming of it into sight.

In that bulletin this statement appears: "Practical work on a useful or productive basis." When applied to the trades school from the point of view of the concurrent type, the production is imitative and the work is not like the practical because it has not the incitements from being progressively remunerated; and in the case of the parallel type the relation of the school course, planned as best it can be, is reciprocating, but the course and the occupation are reactionary.

The circumstance of incentive to progress is not the same and does not have the possibilities that are presented in the concurrent course. To go into a district and pretend to the operators that courses will be introduced that will prepare men for the occupation, if this were attempted, would be presuming somewhat on their credulity. There may be supposed, that should this be done, that it will have the acclamation of the operators because they are already deriving much benefit from recognition of the proposition that great achievements have been produced through efforts to apply science. As the proposition stands it may meet with some of their approbation, but suppose it is given the test of conversion. The restatement of it would be: Through efforts to apply science great achievements have been produced. They most likely would interpose an objection. The proposition now stands in the order of their experience and information. They may take the trouble to say that in their district there have been more failures than successes from such efforts, both in mining and metallurgy. And if they are informed they will not confine the statement to their district alone, but will refer to others and continue until the world has been encompassed.

The science, like men, becomes valuable only after being seasoned in practical detail. Each occasion for application of the science requires something to be done to make it a success. In fact, practice goes ahead and beckons where science must follow and what it must become.

CONCURRENT TYPE MAY BE USED FOLLOWING THE OTHER TYPES

It seems, however, that there is the possibility that when the trades school type or the parallel type have been in use that the concurrent course could be taken up after they have been completed.

The concurrent course was sufficiently long in existence and had already a conservatism of its own before the Federal Act was passed. An instance will be cited that will also indicate a qualification of the terms "backward" and "deficient" under the class "subnormal individuals" mentioned in the bulletin.

A young man who had been regarded as "impossible" in the ordinary school and being discouraged in finding that he could not make progress presented himself at this school for admission. He was directed to acquire about one year of experience in the part of the industry that seemed most attractive to him, and if he found that the industry proved to be to his liking he might then take up these courses.

WASTE ENERGY OBVIATED

Here there is proving whether it is going to be advisable to expend energy and resource upon this man-something that is obviously more of a chance in any other system. He did so and found that the vocation was to his choice and as soon as he could throw off the state of being conditioned from what was "school" to him, he got the "touch,"* a transformation took place and before a great while he was doing work in mathematics and science of the character that would trouble his former classmates to make on an examination 20 per cent while he was able to make 70 per cent or over. When he had completed and was occupying a position, wherein there was required to be a capacity for these subjects, his former teacher expressed astonishment at the possibility of it.

OTHER DISTRICTS DESIRED SCHOOLS SIMILAR TO THIS

It is not surprising that other districts should wish to have schools similar or the same as this district. One district, that of Tonopah, was the first to make the attempt and endeavored to move this school because that district was larger than this, but they did not succeed and subsequently the legislature created a school for the district. Two years later two other districts, Goldfield and Ely, were granted schools.

PRESENT COURSES TOO HEAVY FOR PARALLEL TYPE

This school was not understood and it was supposed that if a mining school was created that was all that would be necessary to do. Naturally enough their courses were sure to be of the parallel type.

At first there was an effort to give courses of the caliber of those at present in this school. This was an error since these courses are too heavy for that type.

SUDDEN REFORMS PROPOSED

Then there was an attempt, being unfamiliar with facts, to suddenly start a reform on the score of attendance, regardless of the fact that there had been results over and above any that had ever before been

Touch," a term from usage, came to mean getting into the spirit of the concurrent course. The "finish," of similar origin, and means the relation of the student to his vocation in the course. It is not completion. As soon as there is "touch" the "finish" commences and the student is always, or very nearly, in a state of "finish," no matter if he discontinues before completion. Those who take up instruction in this style of course should understand those relations and the philosophy of the refinement.