discipline as will beget habits of regularity and obedience to carry them over the rest of their school life in the regular schools.

The key note to the whole system in these communities is separation, the segregation of the worst elements of the ordinary schools into special truant schools, and the possible further segregation of the worst elements of these schools into public boarding schools, where they may be subjected to yet closer discipline and oversight.

This separate treatment is pedagogically sound and necessary. Without being brutalized, the ordinary school cannot supply conditions suited to incorrigibles, and a new and separate environment must be provided for them suited to their needs. They must be classified according to their peculiarities. It is as important that a small body of incorrigibles be classed together as that children of like scholarship be so classed; more so, really, for an ungraded school is possible, but an unsubdued rebel in school makes true school life impossible. The compulsory school law has added a large number of rebellious children to the schools of Pennsylvania, and so long as they are in rebellion, they are a curse to the schools and no good to themselves. We must handle them in such a way as to subdue them first, and then give them the other training of the schools; but their subjugation is the first need. How shall it be secured?

No better or more successful method has been tried or suggested than the one outlined above. Separation more or less complete, and for a longer or shorter period, is really the only promising remedy offered by the school world. So much is this the case that it is hardly necessary to consider anything else than how this separation can be best adapted to the varying needs of our communities; how a general plan can be outlined with enough of definiteness to be understood, and yet with sufficient elasticity to be applicable to communities of considerable diversity of condition. How can we here, in Pennsylvania, arrange to segregate our most troublesome elements, and secure the good results already attained in some other communities?

In the first place every community of any considerable size ought to have a special school for its truants and incorrigibles into which they should be promptly turned. In this special school obedience should be the very first requirement, and the second should be like unto it, obedience, and the third also should be obedience. As over against "action, action, action," for oratory, I place obedience, obed. ience, obedience, for the special school. Insubordination is at the root of the trouble of the

subjects of this school. They have never learned to yield to authority as such, and they should learn this lesson at once, and learn it with emphasis if necessary. At times nothing will take the place of judicious coercion, and its proper subject is spoiled without it. Some doubtless remember the ministry of Grandpa Stebbins to Dodd at a critical time in his development. The strap was in evidence. Nothing else would have taken its place. Previous misguidance had reduced Dodd to a state of nature, and he had to be dealt with on his own

plane. Dodd needed Grandpa Stebbins, and he needed him bad. The essential thing then was that he learn to obey. The same is true of those who ought to be in the special school for which I plead, and when they have learned to obey, the work of the school is practically done for them, and they may be safely returned to the grades.

I take it that the special school should be such that pupils would always be glad to get back to the ordinary school, for while it should not be unnecessarily severe, it should be of such character that it could not be mistaken as a reward for good conduct. It should be such that the ordinary school would be attractive by contrast. A rigidity of discipline not wise under other circumstances should here be the rule. This is true because the purpose of the school is reformatory; the stay in it should be comparatively brief for any individual, and release from it should always be a relief. Its subjects are law breakers, and they should be taught to respect the strength and majesty of the law they have so lightly outraged.

The right teacher for such a school! Where shall he be found? Somewhere in every community, I know. He should be a picked man, not necessarily for his scholarship or culture, but he should be keen, forceful, firm, quick to see the right, and unswerving in its enforcement, a veritable Nemesis on the track of the evil doer.

But

A term in such a school and under such a teacher would generally cure the patient. He would not need a second application, and would be better for all the rest of life. vastly more than this, such a school would be a tonic to all possible candidates for it, and many who would otherwise deserve such a school would be so stimulated as to escape it when it was ready to receive them. The psychological attitude of tempted children toward school would be vastly improved by the mere existence of such a school in their community. Some readily yield obedience to law, others only on being strongly stimulated, while but few are persistently lawless. This is true of state and school alike. In the state, prisons and penitentiaries deter tempted thousands and keep them from crime, and in school life a like deterrent and stimulating influence would be exercised upon large numbers by the mere existence of the special school to which incorrigibles and truants could be sent. Every child in the community would know of the existence of the school, and it would give tone to the entire school system. None would want a close association with it, after it had come. A man had a small sum deposited in bank, but had heard that the bank was shaky and made haste to go for his money. The rumor was groundless and his money was promptly counted out for him. This was not what he had feared, and he hardly knew what to do. Finally he said: "If I can get it, I don't want it; but if I can't get it, I want it like everything." The attitude of this man is much like that of many children toward the truant school. If they can get it, if it is ready for them at any time, they don't want it; but if they can't, they want it like everything-at least they need it like everything.

As already said, we usually consider this question from the standpoint of the incorrigible alone, but I earnestly believe that we ought to consider these other children as well, and that we ought so to provide for the incorrigible as to help those others who are in danger of crossing the line of serious transgression.

This additional special school in every considerable community would possibly be an expensive per capita school, but it would be the best possible school investment. The drawing off of a few incorrigibles and the toning up of others in danger of becoming serious transgressors would purify the school atmosphere as by an electric shock. Teachers would at once be relieved of a great load, and would be able to devote themselves to their own proper work of teaching the many instead of trying to reform the few. The schools would really get vastly more from them under such improved conditions. So greatly would their services be enhanced that I dare say a special school would be a good investment even without a single pupil in it. The terror of it would be before the eyes of many who would otherwise be bad, and for whom the fear of it would be the beginning of wisdom.

I come now to the question as to what we are to do with those whom the special school fails to reform, for such there will undoubtedly be. No system yet devised by the wisdom or ingenuity of man will save them all. If devils are angels fallen from heaven against whose Lord they had rebelled, I am certain that there will be rebels against the restraints of even the best special school. The old Adam is very big in some very small boys.

My boyhood was spent in a border State during the Rebellion. An editor there with southern sympathies had a dream in which the opposing loyal editor had died. Inquiry of St. Peter revealed the fact that he was not in his realms, but further investigation revealed the fact that he was safely shut up in the only competing place. In the next week's issue the loyal editor recounted a dream he had had in which the southern editor had died. He likewise was not found in Peter's realms, and strange to say, further inquiry revealed the fact that he was not in the other realm. The keeper of the nether regions was led to look again, but with like result. The insistence of the searcher finally secured the services of the head-keeper, who cleared up the mystery as follows: The editor had been there, had been regularly entered and located, but had proven so bad that they had been compelled to fasten him outside by himself that he might not corrupt his associates in limbo.

I am sorry to have to use such a grim illus. tration, but fear that some of our special school boys would have to be staked out for the safety even of the special school. Everybody knows that there are some children beyond the control of local school authori ies. Here and there in our communities are boys who will not yield to ordinary or even unusual pressure to do right, and the community has no appliances for their proper handling. This must be in the hands of some larger unit than the local school district. Our entire State greatly needs some adequate provision for those children who are finally in

corrigible in local schools. What should be the character of this provision?

Before answering this question, however, let us see clearly what is possible under the present law. School authorities may put the incorrig ible in the care of a "society duly incorporated for the purpose of placing homeless children in families, and school funds may be used to meet any reasonable expense incurred thereby. This permission seems to be a dead letter. At least there is little evidence of its use in the State, and I can see little in its favor and much against it. Desirable family homes for such children are not likely to be open to them, only such as would make them a matter of barter, and from such homes surely they could be expected to get little advantage. Again, it seems unfair to any community to turn loose upon it the incorrigibles of another community which had been unable to manage them.

The only other resort in the case of incorrigibles is the power to have them sentenced "to any special or reformatory school supported wholly or in part by the State." The law says that the pupil "may be sentenced" to such school, but really no such school exists unless it be our reformatories, and where anything has been done under this part of the law, our boys have been placed with criminals. Inquiry has revealed to me a state of affairs of which I am heartily ashamed. When our children cannot be managed in the home schools and outside help is sought, the courts are asked to send them to the reformatories of the State, to Morganza and similar schools. That is, these boys, guilty of no crime except disorderly conduct in the schools, are forced by the great State of Pennsylvania into association with criminals, with boys and young men condemned to these institutions for crime against the State. It is an outrage on comparatively innocent boys, a burning, blistering shame that we put them where all their tendencies to evil are strengthened, and all the good in them is likely to be stifled. The one good feature about the law is that it is but little enforced. The courts of the State are slow to subject boys guiltless of crime, other than school disorder or truancy, to the evil associations of the criminal reformatory, and as a result the law is generally a dead letter, save where crime can be shown against the boy who is to be sent to the reformatory.

We see now what is possible under the law. We may turn our incorrigibles over to a society to billet them in some family and on some inuocent community, or we may ask the reluctant courts to send them to one of our reformatories. There are such objections to both of these methods of handling the incorrigible that we are practically without any law on the subject. We have no law, and badly need one. Any one in close touch with city or even borough schools knows the need, and anybody knows that the ordinary reformatory does not meet the need.

Our law whereby we may send boys to the reformatories was an unwise experiment in legislation, but it has this good feature. It shows that our law-making body is willing to provide for our incorrigibles, and needs only proper suggestion in the matter. We ought to attempt no more experiments. The question

has passed the experimental stage, and the general outlines on which provision for incorrigbles should be made have already been determined, especially by Massachusetts. The method of Massachusetts is no longer an experiment. Statistics covering thirty years give a fairly good idea of the results to be expected from her system. We need not experiment, then, but may follow lines of action already shown to be successful.

There is no better general plan before the educational world than that adopted by Massachusetts in 1873. Under this plan public boarding schools are established on the general plan of our Soldiers' Orphans' School, but with more stringent regulations befitting their reformatory character. To these public boarding schools of the state are sentenced all incorrigibles for varying periods, and in them unruly boys and girls are detained for such time as may seem necessary for their reformation, release on parole being possible at any time that a cure seems to have been effected.

Detail as to the character of these schools is unnecessary. Suffice it to say that they do their work and accomplish the ends for which they were established. They relieve local truant schools of impossible elements, they furnish a firm and stimulating discipline for incorrigibles, suited to the individual needs, and best of all they keep their inmates free from criminal association or taint. One report of the workings of these schools claimed that three months cured 60 per cent.; six months, 85 per cent.; and nine months, 95 per cent. The report seemed almost incredible, and is the most optimistic one I have seen. However, statistics are uniformly favorable to the system.

I am thoroughly convinced that we cannot too soon establish similar schools in our own State for incorrigibles now beyond the reach of the schools and of all sobering influences, and who are hastening toward a life of crime, but who by prompt and wise treatment may be saved both to society and to themselves.

Who shall support these schools? The money question is ever with us, and while it is probable that otherwise there would be a general willingness to try the schools, some will likely hesitate because of the expense. Who shall pay the bills when the parent is unable to pay for the rescue of his own child? for I assume that the parent if able should be compelled to meet the burden incurred by his child. When he is not able to do it, however, who ought to pay the bills?

Two prominent superintendents with whom I communicated on the general subject of this paper, suggested that the State should establish the schools, and that the local school district should meet the expense of maintenance for any children it might send to the schools. I heartily concur in the view that the State should establish and conduct these schools. State control would secure uniform and generous management of one or a few schools at much less expense than if many schools had to be established by the smaller administrative units.

While believing in State management, however, I hesitate a little to burden the school funds with the entire expense. The compulsory

school law has already made large demands on these funds, and the growing need for better things in our schools seems to be keeping pace with the willingness of the people to pay additional school taxes. So much is this the case that I fear that the additional burden of the entire support of incorrigibles in the State school would result in many sections in lax enforcement of the law, or in no enforcement at all.

It rather seems to me that school, county and State might fairly join in this expense. The county certainly is interested, for the movement is in no small degree a police measure. Children who are candidates for these schools may reasonably be expected later to furnish a goodly proportion of their numbers as candidates for the reformatory or the criminal courts, in which case the county would be responsible for the entire cost. As a measure of wise and economical housekeeping, the counties might well contribute to the early reclamation of these incorrigibles by any promising method. The State might contribute as a general encouragement to the enforcement of the law, and to relieve the individual communities of a part of the new burden. The equities might be fairly satisfied by the school district and county paying each a fixed sum per year, say $50, for each pupil from their bounds, while the State did the rest. This suggestion as to division of expense is merely tentative. The distribution of the cost is not the important matter before us, save as it may influence the early establishment of the schools. The urgent need of the schools is the fact to be kept prominent before the State.

First of all the people of the State, we, the directors and superintendents of the State, ought to see the needs of our school system, and bring them before our legislators. We know that these schools are needed, and we ought to impress this fact upon our law makers.

The time has come when we must do more than enforce law as we find it. We must demand new law to meet the new need upon us. The compulsory school law has found children whom we cannot successfully handle. Those who have forced these children into the schools owe it to the schools of the State to provide means to manage them.

The compulsory law is wise and good. It proposes to rescue those who would naturally pass from amusement to mischief and then on to crime, and proposes to do it before they have passed through their natural and easy orbit. The schools of the State are the agents of the law for this purpose, and stand ready to do their best. They sorely need help, however, supplementary legislation on the truant and incorrigible, and we should be heard demanding this legislation at the hands of the legislature now in session.

Prof. Morgan, at the close of his paper, suggested the appointment of a committee of three to devise some measure for presentation to next meeting, to be then perfected for introduction in the Legislature, for providing a state school for incorrigibles.

The motion was adopted, and the commiteee consists of Prof. J. H. Morgan,

There being no further business, the Department was declared adjourned to meet next year at the call of the Executive Committee.

MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE.

The following is a full list of those in attendance, as furnished by the officers: Adams-H. F. Stambaugh, Abbottstown.

Allegheny-J. D. Anderson, Wilkinsburg; Rev. Jno. A. Burnett, Wilkinsburg; A. C. Coulter, Swissvale; Supt. Samuel Hamilton, Braddock; E. J. Smail, Braddock; F. R. Stotler, Wilkinsburg.

Berks-Howard E. Ahrens, Reading; Frank R. Brunner, M. D., Eshbach; Geo. C. Hartline, Mount Penn; A. Herr, Reading; C. H. Hertzog, Mertztown; James M. Smith, Reading; Samuel J. Waid, Reading.

Blair-W. T. Canan, Tyrone; Thos. L. Coleman, Tyrone; H. C. Tussey, Altoona.

Bradford-Harvey Cummings, Towanda; M. E. Elliott, Rome; D. F. Pomeroy, Troy.

Bucks-Hugh B. Eastburn, Esq., Doylestown; John K. Wildman, Bristol; Wm. Wynkoop, Newtown.

Butler-G. D. Swain, Harmony.

Cambria-D. Cyrus Tudor, Blandburg. Centre-David F. Fortney, Esq., Bellefonte; C. T. Fryberger, Philipsburg; C. L. Gramley, Rebersburg.

Chester-D. W. Brower, Spring City; John S. Frederick, Pottstown; H. F. Leister, Supt., Phoenixville; Thos. R. McDowell, Parkesburg; Mrs. Alice T. Pyle, Cossart; Harry Sloyer, Phoenixville; W. W. Sullivan, Landenburg. Clarion-Samuel Weir, Clarion.

Clearfield-B. T. Strunk, M. D., Utahville; C. A. Woods, Grampian.

Columbia-J. C. Brown, Bloomsburg; A. W. Eves, Iola.

Cumberland-Jos. F. Barton, Shippensburg; Dr. G. M. D. Eckles, Shippensburg; S. W. Lehn, Carlisle; Robert L. Myers, Camp Hill; 'E. O. Pardoe, Camp Hill.

Delaware-Wm. M. Bowen, Chester; John H. Duffee, Norwood; Isaac P. Garrett, Lansdowne; J. Milton Lutz, Llanerch; Supt. A. G. C. Smith, Media; Newton P. West, Swarthmore.

Dauphin-Geo. E. Etter, Harrisburg; Charles B. Fager, M. D., Harrisburg; M. L. Hershey, M. D.. Derry Church; William M. Hoerner, Harrisburg; T. S. Manning, Middletown; D. Augustus Peters, Steelton; A. H. Reider, Hummelstown; Joseph P. Luce, Harrisburg; William H. Smith, Harrisburg.

Erie-C. C. Hill, North East.

Fayette-John E. Hess, New Salem; D. P. Morgan, Gans; S. B. Rotharmel, McClellandtown; S. M. Wakefield, Redstone.

Franklin-G. W. Atherton, Chambersburg. Indiana-S. K. Rank, Hillsdale. Jefferson-F. C. Haag, Punxsutawney; S. T. North, Punxsutawney; W. H. Reber, Sykesville; T. R. Williams, Punxsutawney.

Lancaster William Chandler, Chestnut Level; H. H. Myers, Florin: J. D. Pyott, Lancaster; A. W. Snader, New Holland.

Lackawanna-J. S. Hornbaker, Madisonville;

Wm. Repp, Old Forge; J. C. Taylor, Co. Supt., Scranton.

Lebanon-S. W. Beckley, Lebanon; H. Clay Deaner, Annville; M. L. Hartman, Schaefferstown; John W. Snoke, Co. Supt., Annville.

Lehigh-Marcus H. Bickert, Allentown; H. W. Bloss, Slatedale; H. H. Herbst, Allentown; James M. Marcks, Catasauqua; Frank Mullen, Centre Valley; Alvin Rupp, Co. Supt., Allentown; J. A. Scheffer, Allentown; Victor B. Schwartz, Minnich; O. T. Weaber, Allentown.

Luzerne-Chas. H. Foster, Pittston; Supt. Frank P. Hopper, Wilkes-Barre; W. F. Pier, Avoca,

Mercer-C. G. Canon, South Sharon; A. M. Keifer, Greenville.

Mifflin-J. M. Taylor, Reedsville; W. W. Trout, Lewistown; John A. Webb, Allensville. Montgomery-Cyrus H. Caley, Abrams; H. B. Feather, Pottstown; George Y. Styer, Ambler; Milton H. Walters, Rudy.

Montour Charles S. Arminie, Danville; Jacob Fischer, Danville; W. R. Robinson, Washingtonville; N. E. Sidler, Danville; Samuel Werkheiser, Danville.

Northumberland-A. Cadwallader, Milton; Nathan Becker, Milton; John A. Rine, Lewisburg.

Potter-George N. Tuttle, Sweden Valley. Schuylkill-Geo. C. Diefenderfer, Orwigsburg; E. F. Philips, Tower City; G. W. Weiss, Co. Supt., Schuylkill Haven.

Snyder-J. M. Rhymestine, Selinsgrove; G. Alfred Schoch, Middleburgh; J. B. Spangler, Beane Springs.

Somerset-L. L. Beachy, West Salisbury; Harvey M. Berkley, Somerset; S. P. Geisel, Hooversville; Rev. E. S. Hassler, Keim.

Union-W. E. Benner, Vicksburg; I. T. Ruhl, Vicksburg.

Washington-H. L. Clark, Weshington; John Knox, Taylorstown; U. B. Murray, M. D., Amity.

Wayne-A. T. Searle, Honesdale; Arthur J. Simons, M. D., Newfoundland; J. E. Tiffany, Pleasant Mount; J. J. Whittaker, South Sterling; J. E. Woodmansee, Lake Como.

Westmoreland-G. R. Armel, Lycippus; J. R. Bovard, Belle Vernon; J. J. Houser, Ruffsdale; H. F. Wessenger, Keffer.

Wyoming-M. L. McMillan, Nicholson. York-J. Thomas Galbreath, Delta; W. H. Gross, Zion's View.

Total, 141 members enrolled, representing 41 counties, and including Supt. Hamilton, who is registered in the State body, and one life member of the same, the representative of The Journal.

NOTE. The interesting proceedings of the Directors' and Superintendents' Departments of the State Educational Association occupy our March and April numbers to the exclusion of much other matter already in type. In the report of the Superintendents' meeting it is said to be the "eighth " annual session whereas it should be the "thirteenth." This line was set for the Directors' Convention and was inadvertantly misplaced in making up the page.-Editor.

Department PUBLIC INSTRUCTION,
HARRISBURG, April, 1903.

THE annual examinations at the State Normal Schools will take place this year as follows:

West Chester, Tuesday, June 2d, 9 a. m.
Bloomsburg, Monday, June 8th, 9 a. m.
Mansfield, Tuesday, June 9th, 9 a. m.
California, Wednesday, June 10th, 9 a. m.
Shippensburg, Monday, June 15th, 9 a. m.
Lock Haven, Monday, June 15th, 9 a. m.
Millersville, Wednesday, June 17th, 9 a. m.
Slippery Rock, Wednesday, June 17th, 9 a. m.
Kutztown, Wednesday, June 17th, 9 a. m.
E. Stroudsburg, Wednesday, June 17th, 9a. m.
Indiana, Monday, June 22d, 9 a. m.
Clarion, Monday, June 22d, 9 a. m.
Edinboro, Wednesday, June 24th, 9 a. m.

SPRING ARBOR DAY.

THERE should be a general observance of the Spring Arbor Days, April 3d and 17th, appointed by His Excellency Governor Pennypacker. Tree - planting and forest culture are taking a large place in the thought of our people, such as they never had in the past. The schools have done much to arouse and foster this growing interest. They should do more year by year. Let teachers and pupils plant trees, shrubs, nuts, anything good that will grow, and see to it that something does grow from their planting. Fruit trees should be greatly multiplied, as well as shade and forest trees everywhere.

Superintendent of Public Instruction, Sir: You have informed me that the County Treasurer of Lancaster county has recently taken the ground that the assessment made by the assessors between April 1st and May 1st, which is entirely for the purpose of raising the school tax, should be paid by the school districts for whom the assessment is taken, and not by the county treasurer as claimed. The county hitherto has paid the assessors for making the assessment and the practice has been an unbroken one for many years. You have called my attention to the Act of May 8, 1854, P. L., 617, entitled "An act for the regulation and continuance of a system of education by common schools."

I have carefully examined that act, but find nothing in it which would lead, in my judgment, to any modification of the opinion given by Deputy Attorney-General John P.

Elkin to your department on the 14th of April, 1896 (Report of the Attorney-General for 1895-1896, page 147). That opinion is to the effect that the assessors, required under the Compulsory School Law of May 16, 1895, to make an enumeration of the children between the ages of eight and fifteen years, are entitled to be paid for such services out of the funds of the proper county, and it is stated in strong terms that "The county is certainly liable for the time spent by the assessor in making a valuation of property and registration of voters, and since the registration of school children is made at the same time, it would be very difficult to decide what portion of his time was spent in making the valuation of property and how much of it was left to be devoted to the registration of school children. If the county should be held not liable for the services of assessors under the Compulsory School Law, then would we have the anomalous situation of an assessor being paid by the county for part of a day spent in making a valuation of property for the purposes of taxation and the registration of voters, while part of the same day spent in the enumeration of school children by the same officer could not be paid out of the county funds."

I perceive no reason for departing from this opinion, and I advise you that there is nothing in the law of May 8, 1854, which would alter this conclusion.

Very respectfully,

HAMPTON L. CARSON,
Attorney-General.

ITEMS FROM REPORTS.

ARMSTRONG-Supt. Wolfe: During the month of January, I visited fifty-three' schools, found them doing good work, but suffering in attendance from deep snows and sickness. The two new school houses in Manor are neat and comfortable. The

small-pox scare has about died away. There have been some resignations of teachers. A new house has been built in Red Bank township to replace one destroyed by fire. Miss Estella Butler, one of the teachers of Red Bank, while crossing a trestle on her way to school, fell through and injured herself so that she has been obliged to resign. February 20th was observed in many places as visitors' day. In some of the schools exercises commemorating the birth of Washington were held. Principal Milliron, of Parker, reports over 100 visitors present on that occasion. The new four-room house at Johnetta has been finished. During the month I visited 49 schools. The teachers are encouraged by the prospects of higher wages next year. Some houses have been