The enormous success of the commercial correspondence school suggested that here was an educational opportunity which had been neglected by the universities. At my request, Dr. Charles McCarthy investigated the work of the commercial schools with reference to the people of Wisconsin. He found that these schools, while having certain defects, are undoubtedly performing a great educational work, and moreover the astonishing fact was disclosed that many thousands of persons in the state of Wisconsin were taking correspondence work for which they were paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars per annum.

The situation was placed before the regents at the meeting in June, 1906, and as a result of this a small appropriation was granted to begin the reorganization of the extension work. The fund was not sufficient to secure a permanent director of extension. Mr. H. E. Legler, of the free library commission, was so deeply interested in the movement that he consented to act temporarily as secretary without compensation. The response of the state to the offer of the university to do effective extension work was immediate. The general interest shown in extension was so great before the end of the first year that the legislature of 1907 appropriated $20,000 a year to support university extension. With this fund available the time had come for the appointment of a director. . . . Already the university extension division is so strongly organized within the university and is held in such esteem among the people of the state that this division is recognized as of great importance among the branches of the university.

The report of Director Reber shows that the extension work is organized in four departments, (1) correspondence study, (2) instruction by lectures, (3) debating and public discussion, and (4) general information and welfare. In his report he gives fully the scope of the work of each of these departments, and this report I shall not summarize.

Correspondence Instruction. It is, however, worthy of note that at the end of the first year of the appropriation for extension more than one thousand students are doing regular correspondence work. The weaknesses of correspondence instruction in the past have been (1) that it does not bring together the student and instructor, and (2) that the student works alone. Because of these facts, an unnatural amount of stamina is required of the student, in order that he shall persist in his work. It has been the experience of the commercial correspondence schools that only a small fraction of the students beginning a course continue to the end.

Director Reber has devised a plan which removes these defects. This is the institution of the traveling professor, several of whom

are now members of our staff. Once fortnightly, and we hope in the future it may be once a week, the professor meets a group of students in the same subject and thus gives the lively interest which comes from contact with the instructor. At the same time the second defect is overcome. The students, while not necessarily working at the same rate, meet one another in the class room and have the stimulus which comes from a group working upon the same subject.

Cooperation of Manufacturers. To put this plan into operation required the cooperation of the manufacturers. The professor could conveniently meet the students only at the manufacturing establishments where they are at work. It is most fortunate that in this state the manufacturers have shown an enlightened spirit in this matter. Already a considerable number of the manufacturers in Milwaukee have furnished class rooms for the traveling professors, and have given every encouragement to the men who take work in the extension division even to the extent of paying the men when attending the classes. There can be no doubt that the action of the manufacturers of Milwaukee is practical wisdom; for the men taking extension courses will be improved in their efficiency and earning power both for the manufacturers and for themselves. Of equal, or greater, importance will be the increased good will between the employer and employee because of the interest of the former in the latter.

Debating and Public Discussion. There are various other lines of extension work which have been markedly successful the first year. One of these is the department of debating and public discussion. There is a strong desire for active intellectual life in the village and rural communities. Accurate knowledge is desired upon public questions. There has been in the past no way in which this desire could be efficiently met. To illustrate, the debating societies, many of which have existed for a long time, frequently discussed general questions which really led nowhere. This opportunity for educational work has been seized by the extension division. Live political and social questions have been furnished to the debating societies, with syllabi of the sound arguments upon each side, and references to the authorities. By cooperation of the extension division with the free library commission, or by the extension division directly, the necessary material has been sent to the communities. Not only have existing debating societies been thus assisted, but many new literary and debating societies have been formed.

Fundamental Idea Underlying Extension. The above but illustrates the fundamental idea of the extension division. It is

not enough for knowledge to exist in books to be obtained by men under favored circumstances; the knowledge must be carried out to the people. This, of course, is done through the regular school channels in a very large way. But because of unfavorable circumstances there are immense numbers of boys and girls who are obliged to begin a vocation before their education has even passed through the elementary school. It is necessary to supplement the education of the schools by the further education which may be availed of by the adult as well as the child. The university extension division does not compete with the schools or other existing educational institutions. It supplements them all.

The aggressive business man does not wait for the consumer to go to the wholesale establishment to purchase his articles. He gets his products out to the retail stores by advertisement, by traveling agents, and in other ways. Also, more and more, the manufacturer is beginning to establish retail stores in various parts of the country to sell his goods. Are we to be less aggressive in education than we are in business? It seems to me that the proper answer is clear. If the nation is to solve the various great questions which are before it, if the people are to succeed in obtaining a favorable material environment, if they are to gain a reasonable intellectual and spiritual life, it must be by carrying to the masses the knowledge which the scholars and investigators of the world have obtained, and such is the purpose of the extension division of the university.

V. THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTH

[From Health and Hygiene - What the State Board of Idaho Does, Weekly Press Bulletin, State Board of Health, April 19, 1914.]

It furnishes literature about the cause and prevention of preventable diseases, written in plain language so that any one can understand it.

It furnishes antityphoid vaccine to the public in so far as its resources will permit.

If an epidemic occurs in any community, it sends an expert to investigate the cause and recommend means for prevention. If the local authorities are unable to control the situation, it takes charge of the situation until the epidemic is controlled.

It furnishes to town and county boards of health advice and assistance at any time without cost.

Its laboratory examines specimens for consumption, typhoid fever, diphtheria, malaria and gonorrhoea, free of cost, upon request of any physician. Examinations for syphilis are made at cost.

It sends mailing cases without charge, in which to send in specimens for examination.

If a town, institution or individual is contemplating the installation of a water or sewer system it furnishes free advice as to the best methods, and passes on any proposed plans.

It examines public water supplies, making an inspection when necessary, in addition to the chemical and bacteriological examinations. It examines private water supplies upon request.

It inspects, through the Pure Food and Sanitary Department, upon request, any public or private institution, or any city, town or village, and recommends the things necessary for sanitary improvement.

It sends lecturers to public meetings, whenever possible, to speak on any health question, without charge.

It keeps an accurate, legal record of the two most important events in the life of every citizen his birth and his death, so that to-day, or a hundred years from to-day, that legal record will be available for any of the many purposes for which it will be needed.

It inspects, through the Sanitary Inspection Department, every hotel in the state at least once each year, and sees that the sanitary requirements of the law are complied with.

It inspects regularly the sources of water furnished by railroads to their passengers for drinking to see that they are of the proper purity.

It inspects the schools of the state, through the County Health Officers and corrects unsanitary conditions.

The experts employed by the board are constantly seeking to find out new truths regarding the prevention of disease, which may be of value to the health of the people of Idaho.

It collects reports of all contagious and infectious diseases and stands at all times on guard against epidemic or pestilence.

It seeks by every means to guard the people of the state against disease and to increase through better health the happiness and prosperity of the citizens.

Any of the above services are furnished upon application to Secretary, at Boise.

CHAPTER XVI

HIGHER AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

State Control and Regulation. -The different American states have made different provisions for higher education, the state university being the common type in the south and west, and dependence upon private endowments being the common plan in the North Atlantic states.

The articles which follow describe the different plans in use, point out the desirability of state control where state aid is granted, and the need of some form of state educational scrutiny of the work of higher and professional schools, both public and private.

I. TYPES OF STATE SYSTEMS OF HIGHER EDUCATION [Pritchett, Henry S., in the 6th An. Rept. of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1911, pp. 49-53.]

The great variety of ways in which the different states meet their educational problems may be indicated briefly :

In New England the state systems of education, except in Maine, consist of well-developed elementary and secondary schools, under the control partly of local and partly of state authorities, culminating in universities, colleges, and technical schools independent of state control. In each one of these five New England states there is an institution that was founded on the proceeds of the so-called Morrill grant from the federal government, and that now receives appropriations from the state; but no one of these approximates the position of a western state university. In Vermont the institution receiving this grant is a part of one of the older endowed colleges; in Massachusetts a part of the annual grant from the federal government is given to the similarly endowed Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which has also been assisted by the state legislature. Maine alone has ceased to conform to the