The Farmer And Education

President Angell delivered the principal address at Thursday evening's meeting of the Farmers' State Roundup Institute in Owosso and spoke on "The Farmer and Education" and was given an ovation by the audience of 1,500 people. After a reference to his own school days in a district which he called "very rural," and a brief review of the limitations of those old schools, Dr. Angell said there were a few things we would have even the rural schools do for the boys and girls today. We would have education awaken all his natural abilities, to have him well-balanced, free from one-sidedness. The sterling virtues of honesty, manliness and integrity must of course be brought out at all times.

The problem of rural education, said the speaker, is the greatest unsolved problem in Michigan today. The day is past when the three R's constitute an education. The right kind of a teacher can start a child right with an intelligent explanation of some of the common natural objects - give him something besides what he finds in the books; start him early along a line that causes him to think and he will soon begin investigating for himself. Dr. Angell showed himself to be an advocate of the centralized school idea by saying that today, in our rural schools, we have few such teachers, and we cannot afford to pay for so many as would be needed. With the rural centralized school there would not be so large a demand for such teachers because so many would not be needed.

Dr. Angell expressed satisfaction that Michigan has an excellent agricultural college where many young men may become educated in a line that is bound to not only make them a power for good when they return to the farm, but everybody who comes in contact with them. No man can keep all the benefits of education to himself. But an agricultural education is not for all. Farmers' boys will not all return to the farm. Some get a common school education, some a technical education and others go still higher and seek a training that aids them to enter the field of important investigation. If there were no place for such men the limit of knowledge would be reached early. Hence the need of the university.

Here the speaker touched upon the expense of maintaining the institution, and showed how, after all, it is a good investment for the state. In the following words Dr. Angell made a plea for education as a means of protection:

"I think we see ahead of us a most tremendous opening between the forces of the employing class and the laborer. Our greatest danger is right there. If it ever comes to pass that the good education any farmer boy gets is not as open to him as freely as to the rich man's son, then God help us. Nothing could destroy society more effectually. When all the learnIng is with the rich and all ignorance with the poor, may God help our Michigan. No boy with the right stuff in him need ever have the door of a university slammed in his face, in this day, when an education from the district school to the highest seat of learning can be had practically without money and without price. Wherever a boy or girl wants an education, no matter what the pursuit of their father, they should have as fair chance as though they were the children of a millionaire."