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" * y^'v V. . v U+&J?''.. ■*-'*'- , :>4 <•>. ^ ; T/--~ f\V,& :r'>< li-'-t:_________________:. ..: ^ . • •■.■;• : ..-..J* '.'J ."''•';17:* M,i$yf:^iVnC'i'■;",:- ■'#>*?/'-/"v' - •-—-'M r «• *•. .--"w • s:,.:>, >," A^->,.V .-^ i"4 ,//'\ H" x'*' -vf >->^ 'i: * V;i- :,. v>^:'- •' >r" >•,': k:;/ ?>-K," *■*%!?-'' ^::W^-W.7 f ».•; / 'v/- ! ^ ^ ?y:*Var'j - •■; ^;r;:y^..S4V.^ 4 v- r> - ">1 A^y, AA&-, ... ~vy^*V- ' 1 ^ y y-, : J '**"'f "** >' <, * r'"i~ t ^ r; . ■/^ : 'h%"4>jT f' «*::• ' wvsv:::.^-7. -,;--;y. 7 V ^-77 "7h t isrtrwtr Cf TH£ *^yfwSfT/ 3 FILUMOSJ? Id J/.N 1;115 THE COLLEGE AND THE CITY A Series of Addresses Delivered at the National Conference on Universities and Public Service Call Issued by MAYOR JOHN PURROY MITCHEL of New York Held Under the Auspices of COMMITTEE ON PRACTICAL TRAINING FOR PUBLIC SERVICE of the American Political Science Association CHARLES McCARTHY, Madison, Wisconsin ALBERT BUSHNELL HART, Harvard University BENJAMIN F. SHAMBAUGH, University of Iowa WILLIAM F. WILLOUGHBY, Princeton University RAYMOND G. GETTELL, Amherst College Edited, with an Introduction by EDWARD A. FITZPATRICK Executive Secretary of the Conference Reprinted from Proceedings of First National Conference on Universities and Public Service, New York, May 12, 13, 1914To MR. WALTER STERN of Milwaukee, Wis. whose stimulating generosity has made the separate publication of this pamphlet possiblefi 'I \ C TABLE OF CONTENTS pd __ — Introduction—Edward A. Fitzpatrick __________ 5 v I. The College and the City—John Purroy Mitchel _ _ _ _ 7 — II. Democracy and a Trained Public Service—Robert Fulton Cutting ______ __________ 10 III. An Ideal Municipal University—Frederick Gr. Hicks _ _ 13 IV. New York as a Political Science Laboratory—Charles A. Beard ______________ — 19 Y. New York as a Sociological Laboratory—Samuel McCune Lindsay 26 YI. The Opportunity of the College op the City op New York Albert Shiels - 32 VII. What a College of Administration Might Do for New York Jeremiah W. Jenks ___________ _ 39 VIII. The College of the City of New York and Community Service—Stephen P. Duggan _ ________ 49 IX. A New Educational Development—Robert S. Binkerd _ _ 54 X. A Demonstration of University and Governmental Co- operation: the Next Step—P. R. Kolbe _____ 56 APPENDIX. u» a. Proposed Plans for Training Schools for Public Service _ 63 o Lu £. r INTRODUCTION "New occasions teach new duties; Time makes ancient good uncouth." The modern college and the modern university are gradually accepting that fact. The historic antagonism between town and gown is a thing of the past. Instead of suspicion, contempt and strife, there is developing a genuine cooperation. The college is no longer a thing apart, or withdrawn from the vast concourse of mankind. It is no longer an imperium in imperio. It is no longer self- sufficient, superior, esoteric, aristocratic. It is democratic. It is community-conscious. It finds its inspiration in present day life and its opportunity for service in present day needs. There has been developed recently an amazing and vivifying conception of the relation of the college to the community. Much has been said in the middle west about the state-wide campus of the state universities. This means practically that the univer- sity through lectures, through correspondence courses, through the encouragement of debating and public discussion, through all the devices of the extension movement has been carrying its message to Garcia. Garcia here means the people of the state, "the butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker/' located not only within its wall or in the university town but in the utter- most parts of the state. As a force in the diffusion of knowl- edge, the extension movement ought to be, and will be a perma- nent force in our university education and social life. It per- haps ought to be more critical of the knowledge it distributes, and it ought to bring it into more direct relation to the indi- vidual life and the social welfare. But there has developed recently a more fruitful con- ception of the relation of the college to the community. The whole organized life of man becomes the educational institution. The university is the intelligence center, utilizing all for the better education of youth and manhood. In this conception every office, every factory, every public utility, public service itself, is an educational opportunity for the university to util- 5ize in training young men and women for service. The uni- versity is only a part—a fraction—a relation. The whole is Life in all its complexity and confusion. The university has significance only as it serves its function in giving higher mean- ing and purpose to the whole contemporary life. Its research into the past is ultimately to enable us to understand the pres- ent—and to face the future. Through its failure to adapt itself currently to the "new occa- sions '' of modern times the university remains fractional, a part. It does not satisfy its whole duty. New York City in a genuine sense is a microcism of practically all phases of modern life. Colleges and universities located there have a particularly rich opportunity. The College of the City of New York has a peculiar duty and an evident responsibility. It ought to bring itself into definite and conscious relation to the industrial, social, and political conditions and forces of the metropolis. It ought to utilize them as an adjunct in its educa- tional endeavors. It ought to help guide them for the common good. The Conference on Universities and Public Service conscious of this opportunity arranged its program for Tuesday evening, May twelfth, to make it evident. Against the background of an ideal university, it was planned to discuss the concrete situa- tion in New York City. Professor Beard was to discuss it as a political science laboratory; Professor Lindsay, as a sociological laboratory. Mr. Shiels, on the basis of the concrete facts and needs of New York City, was to show the opportunity which lies before the College of the City of New York. There has been offered to the people of the City of New York five hundred thousand dollars for a building for a college of commerce and administration. To Professor Jenks was assigned the subject of discussing this topic in its relation to the City of New York and then by inference to its relation to the College of the City of New York. The accompanying papers are the re- sults of that meeting. They are an interesting and valuable presentation of the problem. They probably raise more ques- tions than they settle—questions that ought to be in the con- sciousness of New York City officials, the officers of the College of the City of New York and the citizenship of New York gen- erally. Edward A. Fitzpatrick. Sept. 28, 1914. 6THE COLLEGE AND THE CITY JOHN PURROY MITCHEL Mayor, City of New York T} KOM my past experience in onr city government I have come **■ to the conclusion that there should be closer cooperation be- tween the universities and the government of the city, for three purposes: First, to enable the men who are in attendance at the universities and taking the university courses to get practical knowledge of the working of the city government that will fit them to take part in it, through the establishment of opportuni- ties for public service; secondly, to enlarge their field in the scope of their learning, to make them more efficient for the dis- charge of their work committed to them in the government; and, thirdly, through the cooperative arrangement that the uni- versity itself render direct service to the government of the city in solving technical and other problems that are presented. Xo Give University Students Practical Knowledge of Government During my experience in public office I have noticed that the men who come from college directly into public service are not equipped to do that work effectively, and that they must pass through a more or less protracted period of training before they are fit to carry on successfully the duties even of the minor offices of the city government. It requires practical contact with those public problems before the men are ready to carry the work of the departments or intelligently to approach the problems of government. Probably it is for just that reason in the past men who call themselves practical politicians have been more successful in handling governmental problems than the men who have received theoretical training but have lacked the practical knowledge, because the first class, in rubbing up against the problems of life at close range and in their personal experiences acquired in the working of the governmental ma- chinery, are equipped actually to do the day-to-day work in the 7departments, although they may not do it as intelligently or with the vision that the man trained in college would have after he had acquired a practical experience to equip him to do the day-to-day work. Xo Secure a Trained Public Service We have felt that if the opportunity were given the college man while in his university to acquire that personal contact and practical experience he would come out of college with the train- ing necessary to permit him to enter the field of public service and to discharge his duties effectively. In other words, we would be securing for the public service a trained group of men that we lack today. On the other hand, the employe today is often—probably for the most part—without the theoretical and technical training that the university course gives, and if he through a cooperative plan were enabled while discharging his work in a department to receive some of the technical training, some of the theoretical instructions that the university can give, his usefulness, his serviceability, his efficiency in the department would be height- ened, with a corresponding advantage to the city government. To Solve Governmental Problems m the Light of all the Facts And then for the third opportunity we have, of course, the conspicuous example of the University of Wisconsin where, through the cooperative relations of that university with the state government, many of the most difficult problems presented in that state have been attacked and solved. With all those possibilities in view I had a talk some time ago with Chancellor Brown of New York University and suggested the possibility of developing such a plan of cooperation here in this city. We have New York University, we have The City College and we have Columbia, all institutions within the limits of the City of New York, and with all of which such a cooperative plan would be feasible. Chancellor Brown and his associates of the university have, I think, become deeply interested in the matter, and at his suggestion we had a conference quite recently. As a result of that conference he has loaned to the city govern- ment Professor Loomis, Instructor in Government in New York 8University, who is now studying the technical resources of the city government and appraising the technical equipment that we have, going through department after department to make his study. He will make a report shortly, descriptive and in appraisal of our technical plant. That illustrates one oppor- tunity for service to the government by the university. There are an infinite number of them here in this city at the present time. If the plan which we have outlined and begun develops as I hope to see it there will be a vast opportunity for the uni- versities and the colleges here to help us in solving the problems that are forever cropping up in a city government. I am not here this morning, by any means, to suggest a plan or to lay any concrete scheme before this conference. If such cooperation is to be worked out the plan will be evolved by you. I am hopeful, however, that the conference will be fruitful in concrete suggestions, in concrete suggestions that can be adopted here and can be adopted elsewhere in this country, and I leave you with that hope to the deliberations of your conference. (Applause.) 9DEMOCRACY AND A TRAINED PUBLIC SERVICE ROBERT FULTON CUTTING Chairman, Board of Trustees N. Y. Bureau of Municipal Research ENTLEMEN, the New York Bureau of Municipal Research ^ welcomes you all here tonight. I only wish you had a little closer relationship with us and that you all were members of the Bureau's staff. What I will say tonight is only a mere prelude to what will be said by the speakers who are to follow. But there are some things that we are all thinking of when we meet together in a conference of this kind. I presume there is scarcely any institution of human origin that has the same potency for human welfare as Democracy. We seem to have done almost everything we could to make it a failure, and yet it has made a success, not the kind of success it might have made, but a suc- cess great enough to assure us that its future is wonderful to think of. Scientific Basis for Government m Ancient Woriel When we look back in our historical studies, it seems to me it should give us a certain kind of shame in this twentieth century to realize that in history very much earlier there have been ex- amples of a much more scientific operation of government than we now possess. Those of you who have read Ferrero's "His- tory of the Decline and Pall of the [Roman Republic" will re- member that the Emperor Augustus, when he came back from Egypt a practical dictator, established in his own household, among his domestic slaves, many of them most intelligent people, a real prototype of the New York Bureau of Municipal Re- search. Augustus was a dictator by reason of his supreme power as head of the army, but he preferred to exercise his powers by intellectual rather than by physical force. Having access to all the records of government he set his slaves to work at the public records. They supplied him with a body of knowledge that made him incomparably the best informed statesman of his 10time. When he stood 011 the floor of the Senate House and dis- cussed the various propositions that came up, it very soon hap- pened that nobody ventured to contest with him at all, because he was the only man who had the facts at his fingers' ends. A little later on in history we find another example of what can be done by the scientific organization of government. This took place some centuries later during the Byzantine period, when the government was so thoroughly intelligently and prac- tically organized that the historian Finlay declared the con- tinuance and eminence of that Empire for five centuries after- ward was due almost wholly to the scientific principles that governed its operations. Here we are in the twentieth century of our democracy and about the last thing we have seemed to want to secure is effi- ciency in government. The only kind of talent in the past that has seemed to be appreciated in the government of New York City is that of the man who was ingenious enough to discover a system of bookkeeping that demanded for its operation the largest number of surplus bookkeepers. But fortunately now we are coming to a point where intelligence is going to play a larger part in our democracy. Training Must Be Added to Incorruptibility and Intelligence for Efficient Public Service You know we started in New York a training school on Mrs. Harriman's initiative, and it almost immediately found an ap- preciative response. The men who go from that school now obtain excellent positions and are in great demand. And now through the larger development of our work throughout the country it is getting to be understood how largely public wel- fare is dependent upon the trained character of officials. Though some of us have arrived at years that ought to be years of dis- cretion we have been too much in the habit of telling young men whom we thought to be incorruptible and fairly intelligent to go into politics, but it did not occur to us that it takes a little more than incorruptibility and intelligence to make a good public official—that it requires specific training for public busi- ness, and a social point of view. And those who have taken our advice and have been intelligent and incorruptible but who have 11not acquired specific knowldege have not made as much of a suc- cess as they might. You all know that in parliamentary life some of the greatest historical students failed miserably. Grote and Lecky, two of the greatest historians England produced in the last century, had little success as parlimentarians. To suc- cessfully conduct the duties of a public office does require more than mere intelligence and mere incorruptibility. Until our universities, then, taking up the plan proposed by this committee, can teach young men by actual practice rather than out of books that there is something additional to be ob- tained by the actual study of the operations of government we shall not have what democracy needs above all things, efficient public servants. I do not think we should ever fear that this country or any other country under democracy is going to be ruled by mob rule. I believe our people are intelligent enough and always will be to appreciate intellectuality, but they will appreciate intellectuality a great deal more if it is qualified to do the kind of work that democracy demands of it. I say we want the young man today in politics, but we want the qualified young man. We want the young man to under- stand what he is called upon to do when he enters public service. And I think that the only right point of view is that when he enters public service he shall thoroughly understand that he does not enter to learn but enters to perform. That, I hope, is what the young men themselves are going to learn through the operations of this committee; and that they are going out into public life with some knowledge of what public life really demands and with an intellectuality sharpened and qualified to meet the great issues and problems of govern- ment. Now, gentlemen, those who are in charge of the actual opera- tion of this work, who are going to carry it on to larger things, will tell you how it is to be done from the practical standpoint. 12THE IDEAL MUNICIPAL UNIVERSITY FREDERICK C. HICKS Dean, School of Commerce, University of Cincinnati HEN I learned last evening for the first time officially of the part I was to take in this evening's exercises, I was reminded of an experience which I had soon after going to Cin- cinnati some fourteen years ago. There is a small body of men in Cincinnati called the Optimist Club, who meet once a week to lunch and listen to talks on various subjects. They invited me to discuss the labor problem and told me that I would have ten minutes in which to present it, I was told last evening I would have fifteen minutes tonight in which to discuss the Ideal Muni- cipal University. My embarrassment tonight is somewhat different from my em- barrassment on that occasion. It was then due to the difficulty of condensing into ten minutes a presentation of any phase of the labor problem. Tonight it arises from the difficulty of extending into anything like fifteen minutes an account of the ideal munici- pal university, because the ideal municipal university does not ex- ist, even in imagination. I take it that we have not more than begun to develop a type that may ultimately become the ideal municipal university. In fact, the functions of such an institu- tion have not as yet been differentiated from those of any other kind of a university located in a municipality. It is not im- probable that such differentiation may prove undesirable and even impossible. However, my present obligation may be met, if I tell you just a little, not about the ideal municipal university, but about the ideals which the University of Cincinnati is trying to realize. Tke Beginning of the University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati, as a municipal institution, was more or less of an accident. That was not altogether unfortu- nate. Many of the good things of life have started in that way. 13It was the outcome of the bequest of a gentleman who expressed a desire to found an institution where students 4' might be taught not only a knowledge of their duties to their Creator and their fellow men, but also receive the benefit of a sound, thorough and practical English education, and such as might fit them for the active duties of life, as well as instruction in the higher branches of knowledge, except denominational theology, to the extent that the same are now or may hereafter be taught in any of the secu- lar colleges or universities of the highest grade in the country." A bequest for this purpose was made to the city amounting to about $1,000,000. A considerable portion of this consisted of real estate in Louisiana. But that state did not recognize the validity of bequests of such property to institutions controlled by non-resident trustees upon perpetual trusts. So the city, having lost about half of the original fund, proceeded to make appropriations for the support of the university from its tax receipts. The Function of the University At the outset there was no special type of university in mind. They were simply building there, or thought they were building, a university which should resemble other universities, except in the fact that it was supported largely by the municipality. As time went on the conviction grew, very gradually, that the university has a special function to perform; that it would not suffice simply to build in the city of Cincinnati a college or uni- versity of the general type, ~but that our situation, the nature of our resources and our obligations to the city, made it desirable that we should seek directly to conform our functions to the needs of our community. And that, I think, is the ideal that the university has set before itself,—to enter into the life of the community of Cincinnati and to serve that community efficiently in all the various phases of activity to which a university can contribute. As Cincinnati had no example already developed which it could follow, it had to feel its way. First of all we are trying to fulfill the function, which every university has, of developing and maintaining ideals of life. I am not going to dwell upon this because, from the nature of the present conference, this is not the particular subject you are interested in, but I should be false to the institution which I 14represent, and I should be false to the subject I am asked to dis- cuss tonight, if I did not say that in the minds of many of us the chief function we have to perform is to put into the hearts and minds of students ideals of life and to inspire them with the belief that those ideals can be realized. In general scope, the activities of the University of Cincinnati are not unlike those of other American universities. We have not at the present time a college of law, but we have several of the other colleges that are ordinarily found in universities. In each of these, an effort is being made to tie the activities of the university to the activities of the city; not merely to give in- struction to those who come to us, but to make a direct and vital connection between the university and the city. Take, for example, our College of Medicine. The city of Cin- cinnati has built a very large and fine hospital. The prime mover in the building of that hospital was Dr. Holmes, who is dean of our College of Medicine. It is expected—we do not know as yet just how—that the university will enter in a very close way into the administration of the work of that hospital. I think it is matter of public knowledge there that in the pro- posed charter, which we shall vote on some time in July, it is provided that in the control of the hospital the university inter- ests shall be represented. And so far as may be, consistently with the fundamental purpose of the hospital—the care of the sick—it is intended to use its facilities for the training of doc- tors and nurses, to make it in fact a '' teaching hospital,'' which has recently been said to be "the most urgent need of medical education today." In our College for Teachers the effort is made to tie the univer- sity and the public school system together. This college is in part supported by the school board of the city. We are train- ing teachers not only in a general way, but specifically for the schools of Cincinnati. In our Sociological Department the university is brought into immediate relation with the charitable and philanthropic insti- tutions of the city. The city has comparatively recently established a municipal reference library. My colleague, Dr. Lowrie, who is with us as one of the representatives of the University of Cincinnati, is there assisting to solve the problem of wise municipal legislation. 15We have also a College of Commerce in process of organization, which we hope to bring into close touch with our business inter- ests. We are just expanding into the special field of woman's work. A department of Household Arts has been established, for which a building is to be erected, the city having authorized an issue of bonds to provide the funds therefor. Its activities are to be correlated with various civic and private interests. The most complete realization of the fundamental aim of the University of Cincinnati thus far is found in our College of Engineering, the head of which, Dr. Schneider, is also here as one of the representatives from the University of Cincinnati. As you are to hear from him, I shall not go into this part of our plans further than to say that we have here a highly developed example of what can be done by way of uniting theoretical train- ing and practical work, and that, too, let me say, in a direction which most of us would, at first thought, declare to be the most difficult of all. Indeed, many, at the start, regarded it as im- possible. I do not know but that I should now believe it impos- sible if I did not have it before my eyes day after day in succes- ful operation. How to Realize It: Faculty Keep m Touch With Life This brief mention of some of the activities of the University of Cincinnati will serve, I trust, to show that its fundamental ideal is to get the faculty and the student body very close to actual life. For the realization of this ideal two things are necessary. In the first place members of the faculty must cease to withdraw from practical affairs. They must keep in touch with the every-day walks of life, so that the message which they take to the class room will be a message of reality, not one of impractical idealism. We have made considerable progress with this part of our program. In this, however, we are not essen- tially different from the other universities represented here. In- deed, some of them, particularly the University of Wisconsin, have done more in this direction than we have. Students Shall be Practically Trained The second essential feature of our aim—and this is the one in which we are especially interested in this conference—is to bring the students themselves into close touch with life, whether 16it be in training for public service, which is the especial subject of our gathering, or in the domain of industry and commerce, or in preparing for social service or in any other field of human affairs; to find some tvay by which the student during his uni- versity years may come into immediate relation with the actual, so that he will obtain true ideals and will each day add to the possibilities of highest efficiency. Synthesis of Culture and Practical Demands Just one thought more and I shall have done. There is some tendency among university men to divide into two unfriendly parties; one composed of those who, cherishing the older ideals, think that the university should stand for mental discipline and culture; the other, of those who, impatient because of the inadequate results attained by the old order in meeting the de- mands of life, would turn the university into a laboratory for practical training. Such antagonism seems to me most unfor- tunate and wholly without justification. You who cherish the long established traditions of a univer- sity's function,—and I belong perhaps more to that class than to the other,—have you not often been discouraged by the lack of permanence in the fruits of your efforts ? Have you not often asked yourselves whether your efforts are worth while, when the young men and women, with whom you labor year after year until you think you have inspired them with lasting ideals, go out into active life and seem to cast those ideals to the winds? Why does this so frequently happen? Is it not because those ideals lack the touch of reality ? If only during the years spent in the university, students, instead of dwelling wholly apart, can be brought into constant touch with practical affairs, they will cease building fanciful air castles; they will know human nature as it is; they will understand and sympathize with human striving; they will learn its possibilities and its limitations. Ideals formed under such conditions will last because they will be attainable. On the other hand, you who desire to see the years of univer- sity training more fruitful of preparation for effective living, will not your efforts be vain if in that training too little place is given for the development of ideals? Contact with practical affairs alone or too much emphasized cannot produce the highest 17type of man. It is still true that "the life is more than meat and the body than raiment.'' The men of greatest achievement in every domain of life have been men of largest vision, men who dream dreams. What is needed to make our university more efficient is not the abandonment of old standards but their vitalization. Let us all, then, work shoulder to shoulder in this effort to respond to what seems to be the imperative call upon our uni- versities—to get next to life. 18NEW YORK CITY AS A POLITICAL SCIENCE LABORATORY CHARLES A. BEARD Columbia University YOUR committee has asked me to speak on the subject of New York as a Laboratory in Political Science. To those who live in New York it would seem that I am assigned to the task of documenting the obvious. If political science has to do with the phenomena of collective life, then New York presents the greatest laboratory in the Western hemisphere for the study of that subject. But for the benefit of our fellow citizens who come from other cities I venture to call attention in a general way to some of the very striking features of our collective life. Documenting the Obvious In the urban center of New York, including Westchester and New Jersey cities just across the river, we have 7,385,000 people. That is more than twice the population of the United States when George Washington was inaugurated President. We have an annual budget in New York of about three times the total na- tional domestic debt when Washington was President, the debt that gave our fathers so much trouble. We have in the city of New York 80,000 employes, perhaps more. We have more em- ployes than the city of Duluth has inhabitants, or Portland, Maine, or Youngstown, Ohio, or Houston, Texas. We make about 170,000 arrests in New York every year (laughter), and we do not get all of the crooks, either. One hundred seventy thousand is about half the population of Cincinnati (laughter). I believe something like that. The city of New York gives 10,000,000 baths a year, not including those given under the supervision of the board of education and not including the spe- cial immunity baths provided for some of our fellow citizens (laughter). That is more baths than are given in some of the Western states in a century. We condemn some 20,000,000 pounds of eggs and meat and food very year in New York and 19send them to outlying cities not so enlightened in political science. In life and in death we are the first in the country. Seventy-five thousand of our fellow citizens die every year. That is three times the total population of the city in which my friend Dr. McCarthy lives, and some of them we bury are no "deader" than some living residents of that famous city. We have cen- tered in this city also I suppose more civic associations than in any other city in the country. Here, for example, are the Ameri- can Association for Labor Legislation, the National Housing Association, and the Russell Sage Foundation for social and economic research. These societies at work represent one of the striking features of our modern political life—the cooperation of the citizens with their government, officially and unofficially. In the early period of our history, private associations organized for the purpose of influencing official conduct were looked upon as semi-treasonable, but today by demonstrating their expertness and efficiency in public affairs they are being received as valuable aids to the government. Their representatives frequently know more about the matters in which they are particularly interested than do public officers themselves. In a way they may be looked upon as training schools for public service. I might go on indefinitely enumerating the special opportuni- ties for practical study in political science in New York, but before such a company it would be a work of supererogation. There is not a condition or problem of modern social life which is not represented here. Transportation—local and over-sea, health, education, traffic, law-making and enforcement, riches and poverty, police control, strikes and labor controversies—all those phenomena which constitute the subject matter of political science are to be found here in abundance. Opportunities for Studying City, State and National Government But it may be said that New York City is not the capital of the state and therefore does not offer opportunities for the direct observation of government at work. It is true that the legis- lative and executive departments of this state nominally have their seat at Albany, but it is a well-known fact that many of the greatest statutes on the law books of New York (and consti- tutional amendments also) have been drawn line for line, word 20for word in this club by citizens of New York acting in unofficial capacity. It is also well known that other statutes are drafted at a club located on Fourteenth Street (laughter). Laying jokes aside, it is a simple fact, patent even to casual observers, that any student of political science interested in the science and art of bill drafting and legislation in general may find plenty of opportunities in this city for research and training. Moreover, there is now located at Columbia University a Legislative Draft- ing Bureau which has prepared itself by three years of patient, unobtrusive, and successful labors for a high position in this field. Though not among the famous institutions of its class in the country, it is none the less among the first. In the matter of financial legislation, now particularly absorb- ing in our state governments, it must be remembered that the budget of New York City made by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment subject to the approval of the Board of Alder- men, is greater than that of a dozen states which I might name, Those concerned, therefore, with financial legislation cannot find anywhere in the United States such opportunities as are here offered for the scientific study of the subject. Of the opportunities for the study of the administration of men and things afforded in New York it seems hardly necessary for me to speak. There is scarcely a problem of state adminis- tration which does not appear here on a far greater scale than in any commonwealth of the Union. When you think of the size of our budget, the magnitude of our police problems, the special difficulties of educating the nationalities of the earth here collected, you can readily see why there can be no more important laboratory for the science of administration than this city. It must be remembered also that several branches of state administration, such as the Public Service Commission for this district and the division of the Health Officer of the Port are located here and many important branches of federal adminis- tration such as the Customs Office and Ellis Island are to be found in this city. It is sometimes said with more truth than many like to admit that the real seat of the Federal Government is in a street several blocks to the south of this club. When the great problems of New York City are properly enumerated and evaluated you will readily perceive that in number and magni- tude they rival those of many great states of the Union and even those of some of the old empires that are so famous in history. 21And, by the way, Mr. Chairman, your mind seems to have been running in the direction of antiquities this evening. It hap- pened that just before coming down here I was looking over an interesting book by an eminent English publicist and man of affairs, Mr. J. M. Robertson, and I found there a new cause for the fall of Greece. The decline of this great state he attributes to the fact that her science of practical administration did not keep pace with her expansion and economic development. A highly equipped bureau of municipal and national research might have saved Athens !# One word more about the opportunities for the study of politi- cal science here in New York. In practical politics—and for the benefit of the practical man here who prides himself on his sagacity, I will say, from my knowledge of the members of the American Political Science Association who do most of the teach- ing in government and politics in our colleges and universities, that modern political science is no mere combination of Aristo- tle's Politics with Burke's essay on the Sublime and Beautiful— in practical politics we have special advantages in New York for the student. We have the most famous political organization in the country and we are the original inventors and patentees of the most successful methods of keeping the voters in good humor yet devised in the history of democracy. Moreover, we are for- tunate in having a political division between town and country. This city is Democratic while the state is, or has been, generally Republican. The gentlemen of bucolic taste up-state period- ically investigate us—to one of these investigations we owe Mr. Croker's justly celebrated bon mot. Once in a while, the Demo- crats get into power at Albany and investigate the political habits of the honest farmer, and between the two, the poor theo- retical student can gather considerable information about "the real stuff" of politics. A "Laboratory" of Political Science I have now come to the last and most difficult aspect of the subject assigned to me—the use of the world of fact as a labora- tory in political science. The term "laboratory"! is now fash- * Cf. Lowell's Public Opinion and Popular Government, pp. 264-268.—Ed. f Cf. Preliminary Report, Committee on Practical Training for Public Service, 1914, p. 302. 22ionable, like tango and maxixe. I have often thought that in my old age when I retire, I should like to write a book on "the rise and fall of wordshow words rise and come into popular use and fall into disrepute until no one will utter them. This term "laboratory" is coming up in political science. It is a new thing and many of us are seizing upon it with great zeal as if we had discovered something which nobody had ever thought of in the history of the world. And we are assuming also that we can apply in politics some of those methods which are applied in natural science. I want to enter here a caveat. While I do not want to put in a word of discouragement, I want to call attention to the fact that we cannot in the academic world, or in the world of fact, we cannot use politics in the sense in which we can use chemis- try. Those who teach natural science know very well that in laboratory courses you have definite tasks for definite hours, from which definite results must be secured within a definite period, and you know in advance what the results will be. You can keep track of the students; you can measure their activity with mathematical exactness. You know very well in applying the laboratory method in politics we cannot do that. While I am willing to go the whole length in giving academic credit for the practical work, I think that providing adequate methods of measurement is the big prob- lem that confronts those of us in the academic world who are face to face with this question of giving credit for training in laboratory work in city politics. I think this is an actual prob- lem we have to deal with: "What kind of tests can we apply in laboratory work in politics?" There is all the difference in the world between setting a stu- dent a definite task and telling him to go into a laboratory and perform a certain experiment within a certain time; there is all the difference in the world between that and telling the student to go into the city and make a study of a certain department or interview a certain official. It may take him two hours to do a chemical experiment; it may take him thirty days actually to get at the person who is most important for him in his attempt to solve his particular departmental problem. And we in the academic world trying to deal with this question and those of you in the practical world who are inviting us to cooperate in 23attacking the practical problem of helping students sent out to do laboratory work must in some way settle that between us. Personally I do not think we ought to allow the substitution of so-called laboratory work in politics for academic work. I be- lieve we want to insist upon high standards in academic work. I don't use that word "academic'' as it is used by some people, as a word of scorn. I do not use it in that sense at all. I think academic training has its place. I think we want to treat the so-called laboratory work as supplemental and not as work that is to supplant the academic work. After all there is not much difference between a great deal of the so-called "practical work" and the work we are doing in the universities. You send a man into the field of practical politics to go into a certain department and investigate the books of that depart- ment, He is dealing with human records. Academics deal also with human records. You send a student to make out a report as to the activities of some particular department in the city. Nine-tenths of his work will be with books. If you stop to think about it the great administrative work of the world is dealing with words. The great administrators of the world have been men who have mental work. They solve their problems by the exercise of their minds and they execute them by orders in words. They do not work in ' ' laboratories.'' So there is no such fundamental difference as we might think between the academic and practical world. The problems of administration which we are trying to solve, those of you who are working in efficiency laboratories, are to a considerable extent academic problems. In fact, the zeal with which states and municipalities are establishing reference libraries shows that practical men have as much to learn from us as we have to learn from them. Scholarship and Practice Scholarship and practice—you will note that I do not say theory and practice—for contrary to popular fallacies, genuine scholarship is not concerned with mere theory—must be united. That, I take it, is one of the great objects of this conference— not to destroy organized learning but to use it and vivify it. The beginnings of this union are to be seen in many places. Dr. Allen, in a course given at New York University, for example, has orginazed a program of studies which includes the investiga- 24tion of the dietaries of public institutions, the use of city prob- lems in teaching chemistry, the analysis of food and coal, child hygiene methods, cost accounting, preparation of school reports, tests of class room efficiency, governmental publicity, and kin- dred themes. The Training School for Public Service in this city is making a good beginning in the organization of field work so that it may be standardized for the purpose of giving aca- demic discipline and credit. This, I take it, is really our unsolved, but not unsolvable prob- lem, the union of learning with practical public service so that both may gain thereby—that learning may be made more real and more useful and that public service may benefit from the study of the recorded experience of the human race. When we have established adequate tests of the so-called practical or field work, the universities will recognize it and give proper credit to students who supplement academic training by practical expe- rience. To provide the tests and measurements and to organize the agencies—this is the great work now before the committee of the American Political Science Association under whose aus- pices this meeting has been called. 25NEW YORK AS A SOCIOLOGICAL LABORATORY SAMUEL McCUNE LINDSAY Columbia University LIKE my friend Professor Hicks I am reminded of another occasion a little over twenty years ago when I returned from a trip to Europe where I had spent several years as a stu- dent of the social sciences. I was asked by the distinguished father of one of the professors of political science, who is here this evening, to speak on the subject: "The Modern City, a Sociological Laboratory." This was in another city and on the night of this occasion a blizzard occurred; also a strike on the local transit lines. I had an audience, I think, of six people. But I was full of enthusiasm for the subject and I felt very sure I knew what I wanted to talk about when I thought of the mod- ern city as a vast sociological laboratory. It is perhaps unnec- essary to add that I was just beginning my teaching work in the field of sociology at that time. I am not sure tonight that I know what a sociological labora- tory is. I have some misgivings about the term laboratory as applied to the social sciences. The delegates to this Conference on Uni- versities and Training for Public Service have been asked by the mayor of New York to meet in this city not merely to learn what a great place New York is, even though outsiders very gen- erally think we are too fond of talking about that, but you men are here to discuss with us some of the problems of government with which we have to deal in a large city like New York, and whether in the organized activities of this community there is not an experience that ought to be made a vital element in the education and training of those who aspire to serve the public. The most fruitful conferences always take place after the event, that is, when a social movement has accomplished results then people are best prepared to meet together and talk about outlining plans to make that movement more effective. The relation of universities to public service represents a movement 26already so far advanced that substantial results have been achieved. It is not premature to consider the problems of the municipality in their relations to the municipally located col- leges and universities, which is the special topic assigned to us this evening. New York a Teeming Sociological Laboratory: Races and Immigration The intermingling in the social population of greater New York of people from all parts of the world presents sociological prob- lems of the highest importance. I venture to say that there is nothing in the whole range of sociological data that is more valuable for the student of racial questions, the interplay of heredity, than the material that is accumulating right under our eyes here in New York all the time. Of course it ought to go without saying that any intelligent teacher of sociology would demand that these materials shall be utilized to the full, in order that the theoretical work of the class room may be correlated with the practical work of the social agencies and efforts of the community to mould and direct community life in such a way that the one will act and react on the other. Such studies as Professor Boas of Columbia University made for the United States Immigration Commission show the richness and practical value of this material that lies right at hand in this community for every teacher and student of social relations. Civic and Social Organization Nothing in modern sociological development in western civil- ization at least is more striking than the growth of civic and social organizations of private citizens who seek to improve social conditions. We have more than our share of such organiza- tions here in New York that are dealing with problems like in- dustrial education, vocational guidance, child labor, labor legis- lation, prison reform, housing, recreation, sanitation, public health, relief of distress, etc., and so on through a long list. Many of these organizations are national in scope and all are dealing with a vast amount of material that is being collected at great expense from all parts of the country. That material is plenti- ful here. What use is being made of it to teach permanent 27lessons in the sciences of sociology or social economy apart from its temporary uses for the education of public opinion, or for the efforts to accomplish certain practical definite results? The private organizations have neither the time, means, nor inclina- tion to record the things at the time that come to hand from day to day in their work, and there is a field of work here for the students from any and all the universities and colleges, and even from the high schools of this community. To collect, tabu- late and prepare for mature consideration the materials upon which the social standards of the city are being formulated is true laboratory work upon which the scientist can build and get results, that in turn will be of the greatest benefit to these organizations, as well as to the advancement of scientific knowl- edge. Legislative Aspects of Social Problems The phase of this question that interests me most at the pres- ent time is the legislative aspect of many of these social move- ments. Increasingly we are turning to legislative remedies, many of them professedly experimental, and to government as an agency for the accomplishment of social reform, for the exe- cution of programs of social welfare. There are innumerable commissions and departments of the city and state governments, and even of the national government, within this community that have a charter to perfarm certain specified duties that are, of course, limited by law. There are other organizations, private agencies, that have their self-imposed charters to carry out the social programs which they put out from time to time and for which they ask the support of the community. In all the efforts to organize citizens to perform the tasks of social work whether they are tasks of government or tasks of private organizations a vast amount of research work is neces- sary to make any social program effective, to adjust means to ends, to secure economy of effort and conservation of resources, to achieve the ends of social justice. And so I am interested in legislative research and in the very interesting problems that grow out of such research. It is not merely the drafting of legislation that is so important at this stage of development. That requires technical service of a high character, and a very valuable service at that. It re- 28quires legal talent of a high order, and specialized legal talent at that. But if we are to have the materials for drafting legis- lation, we must have intelligent study of the problems that lie back of legislation, of the efforts to formulate the standards of public policy, to establish the standards that really embody the rational weighing of alternatives, and the patient and thorough consideration of all the ways and means of accomplishing a defi- nite social ideal. It is only on the basis of such work, which in my judgment is the highest service the universities can render both to government and to social reform, that we may hope to evaluate our social ideals and subject them to the competent criticism and reflection of educated and trained minds. There is no greater educational experience, no better training for one who wishes to participate in the actual practical work of government or in the executive direction of private agencies engaged in social work than this very effort to get the materials for the study of legislative problems and to follow those mate- rials one stage farther into a study of the administrative details by which legislative policies when once formulated can be ef- fectively carried out. The higher institutions of learning in many parts of the country have made a beginning, but only as yet a small beginning, in the organization of work in political and social science along the lines of a true laboratory method whereby their students, under proper direction, will cooperate practically with many agencies, governmental and private, in a more effective carrying out of their programs of social work, in a service to the community as a whole in helping it to realize itself, and in the development of a body of workers that will make a larger and better community life possible. These agencies, both governmental and private, are calling for young men and women from our colleges and universities in increasing numbers to enter upon such work, either as volun- teers on boards of management, on committees to formulate and direct policies, or investigate conditions, and in many other ways, or if suitably trained to take up such work professionally making it their career and devoting their entire time to it. They want men and women trained and seasoned by a new kind of educational experience which it is our duty to provide through a broader cooperation of governments, social work agencies, and the modern college and university. 29Harnessing the Theoretical to the Practical I think it is a golden opportunity for colleges and universi- ties in every city, and especially those that have the good fortune to be located in large cities where these problems and materials are very abundant, to respond to this call and give students a new kind of training. Call it the laboratory method if you will, but give them in addition to the general training that enables them to bring to their task a trained mind, and the right histor- ical perspective, a contact with the real growing out of actual experience in dealing with the actual work of the social and gov- ernmental agencies of the community, not necessarily as admin- istrators charged with responsibilities they are not prepared to assume, but as students who are required to collect at first hand, to value and to understand clearly the materials upon which social action is based. Give academic credit by all means if necessary for the time spent in the collection of such materials and in getting such experience as is necessary to interpret and understand the processes of social action, but we must not over- look the fact that the work our students do in research, or the little tasks here and there that may be set them will not in itself suffice, unless the materials they collect and their practical expe- riences are brought back into the laboratory, the class room or the seminar, and in some way subjected to critical debate with persons of larger experience and wider historical perspective. Only under these conditions will the student get the sort of training that will add greatly to his efficiency. Otherwise you might as well put the clock back to the day when we trained our lawyers by putting them to work drawing briefs and running various errands in a law office, and we trained our physicians— not so very long ago, either—by allowing them to take care of the horse and drive the carriage of a distinguished practitioner, confer with him as he went about making his visits, measure out his drugs, and do little tasks of that sort, as the means of getting a medical education. In that way men did get a start in the law office and became successful lawyers, and other men did get a start in medicine and became successful practitioners. But we do not pursue those methods today. We realize there is a socially and educa- tionally cheaper and more effective way to become a lawyer or a physician. It is time that we were past that stage in the train- 30ing for social and public service. It is our duty to build the foundations for a scientific training for public service by har- nessing the theoretical and the practical together if indeed any really modern educator ever thinks of them apart; but above all to render the service of teaching that will train minds to handle the materials with which public service achieves its aims and to pass them on for ever more effective practical use. 31THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE COLLEGE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK ALBERT SHIELS Director, Bureau of Reference and Research, New York City, Department of Education r I * HE most significant thing about the discussions that we -*• have heard this evening is the emphasis they place upon subjects that a decade or two ago would scarcely have evoked sufficient general interest for a meeting of this kind. The accu- mulation of data, with respect to social and political phenomena, has occasioned the establishment of new sciences that may no longer be mastered by reference to a few simple texts. For this elaboration and development we owe a heavy debt to the scholars who have made it possible, but, for the general interest in the subject, we may seek another cause. The Social Unrest Especially witli Conventional Education If you turn over the pages of our popular magazines you will find reflected there a certain restlessness with almost every phase of our social organization; a certain discontent, if I may so ex- press it, with the things that once had been unquestioned. The methods of business, of government and of education all show this curious dissatisfaction, this desire for modification. Ele- mentary and secondary education has, for some years, borne the brunt of popular criticism, but lately we find the same attitude displayed towards our colleges. Nor is there any reason why the colleges should escape what seems to me to be a wholesome trend of thought, even though the manifestations at times be discredited. Even the most con- servative among us have often wondered whether those four years of educational investment that a boy at college makes, yield their fullest dividend. It is not a satisfactory thought when we realize, for example, that many years of study of a language results in a very halting ability to read a page within 32two or three years after graduation. Some of these attacks on our college system have been inconsiderate and unfair and they have provoked a vigorous defense on the part of those who be- lieve in them and love them. Thus two parties have come into being, one of which, if I may so term it, we may call the '' stand patters" and the other the ''radicals.'' The former have gone to the extreme of thinking that it makes very little difference after all, how much the student really learns and remembers if only he has studied hard enough in the process. That is to say, the value of his education consists in the training it gives. The other seems to have a distinctly utilitarian basis for judgment, for it evaluates the college educa- tion by the degree, apparently, to which it enables a man to go out and get a job. Like all opinions in opposition, there is something of truth in both contentions. We cannot, in a country like this, afford to neglect that material demanded which requires that a man pre- serve his own fortunes. But as I myself believe in the general college course, I cannot see in this method of criticism any safe guide towards permanent improvement. For a college should not be a glorified machine shop or car- pentry room. I believe firmly in any direct system of vocational and industrial education as a separate proposition, but I believe that the college has a function of its own. Nevertheless, Dr. Hicks, whom we have heard this evening, is distinctly right when he affirms that the splendid ideals which a true college education should inculcate are not very apt to carry themselves out into life when accepted merely as abstractions. There is a certain flabMness in a character that will indulge in large moral pronouncements that are harnessed to no specific circumstances. The Problem of College Education How, then, can a college education, which confessedly is a general education and which seeks to give the student not so much a profound knowledge of any one thing as a large view by which he may recognize the relations of knowledge in many things, find some point of tangency, some realization in living, unless in terms of specific vocational training ? Strangely enough, such a point of tangency is found in the modern devel- opment of the state. 33There was a time when we learned that that was the best state which governed least. In that older economy the agents of gov- ernment were the soldier, the judge and the tax gatherer. There are those who still believe that these three functions comprise all that a state should undertake to do; they are strangely indif- ferent to the actual life around them. So intimately has the state entered into the lives of the citizens that we find the physi- cian, the engineer, the accountant, the teacher, I might say every modern type of worker, employed as its agent. I do not object to being called a socialist, if being a socialist means a frank recognition of conditions as they are, and I believe further that this tremendous experiment of democracy, that you and I and a hundred million others are trying to work out, is bound to be the more successful as each of us finds himself in some personal touch with the activity of state or city. The things that are far away and that do not seem to affect us individually, these we are apt to neglect. But, when the state means cleaner streets, decent housing, better facilities for com- munication, greater opportunities for development, then we may not dare to neglect our duties as citizens. My text, therefore, points to this: that the broader and deeper consciousness of the relation of the citizen to the state should influence the teaching of a college so that the knowledge it im- parts and the ideals its creates shall bear an immediate relation to better citizenship in a direct and practical way. Tke College of tke City of New York The College of the City of New York, as you doubtless know, is an institution supported by the taxpayers of this city. It is not a very old college compared with some of our eastern col- leges, for its first graduates left its halls but sixty-five years ago. Its students are residents of the city and they, therefore, lack the advantages that would come from meeting men from other states and from other countries, an advantage that cannot be lightly disparaged. But, there are many things this college has of peculiar value. Were I speaking to an audience, who were associated with it, as instructors, students or alumni, it would be a pleasure to indulge in a retrospect of many characteristics of its training, but from mention of these I must forbear. One advantage, however, it has that I think is the greatest at this 34time, and that is its opportunity. In general terms, therefore, the opportunity lies in the possibilities of a closer relation of the college to the work of the city that supports it. The Commercial Opportunity of the College New York is possibly the largest manufacturing city of the country but in commerce it is preeminent. What, then, so ap- propriate as that the proposed College of Commerce should be established as a part of that college which is of itself of the city? I am glad to note that its very form of government will emphasize this cooperation among the governmental, educational and commercial factors of New York, for I am informed that in its projected board of trustees all three will be represented. I venture to express the hope that such a college would have trustees representing not only the Chamber of Commerce and the City College but the mayor and the president of the Board of Education. The Civic Opportunity of the College But, more directly related to city government itself, however, is a further opportunity for the college. When President Fin- ley established that beautiful custom of having the graduates repeat the Ephebic oath, it was much more than a bit of pretty sentiment, it was symbolic of this later idea. When the college opened its halls for public meetings, when it established its series of concerts that have given so much pleasure to the residents of the city, when it initiated the extension courses that have proved so valuable to teachers, it gave further promise of this closer relation. I believe, however, that we should not pause to congratulate ourselves on what the college has done, but to be concerned with what it may further do. Why, for example, can we not continue the curriculum and then modify it when possible, so that there will be a more pointed emphasis on the relation of knowledge to civic needs. I realize that instruction dissociated from prac- tical application lends itself to more pleasing, logical treatment, but 1 sometimes think that this all inclusive logical arrangement of material, in being dissociated with life is apt to fail in giving significance to learning. I, personally, would be less concerned 35to make a course of study in a subject complete than to make every part of it mean something to the student in its relation to the things that he knows and accepts. Certainly this can be done in some subjects, especially in such subjects as social and political science. Nor is this all. I believe that, even in the college, men might well be detached in order to observe for some period the work- ings of city activities. I know there is grave doubt but that this sort of instruction may be scattered; that it may lack proper supervision; that it may lead to no permanent conquest, and I do not doubt but that one hundred reasons might be given why any new experiment like this may fail. It is rather remarkable when we remember how many of the best things we have had in life were doomed to failure in advance in the judgment of peo- ple who were supposed to know the most about them. But I have complete faith that experiments of this kind, if they are worth anything at all, will find their solution in the process, I believe that the City College should have a special library and museum, a place where we might know all that is being done for the betterment of city government. We would not have to depend on the reports of enthusiasts for the success of some German city, but would find here every kind of information, impartially set forth, that might guide us in making better a city, which, in the words of our own district attorney, in spite of what may be said of it, is a great and a good city. The laboratories of the college could be adapted to city necessities and the teachers in the college could on occasion be well spared so that they might yield their service for the same purpose. A Lesson from the Medieval Universities You may remember the medieval universities. If you read some of our modern text-books you will assume they were at- tended by a rather disreputable lot of young men, who spent some small portion of their time in a study of such useless things as canon and civil law or rusty philosophy. This fault of measuring the value of a time five or six centuries past by the glass of the twentieth century, is apt to give us many dis- torted values. As a matter of fact, it is probably true that the educational methods of a time are fairly well suited to its needs and conditions and, therefore, I trust you will understand when 36I state that I should like to see the City College performing in some degree the functions of one of those old continental uni- versities. You remember that many of them were not over-wealthy, and that their judgment, nevertheless, found acceptance both in the church and state. Princes, bishops, kings and even the Pope, himself, were glad to turn to these universities for an opinion. Their strength lay not, however, in their treasury, nor in their political power, but in the knowledge which they could turn to practical values, as values were then determined. Their power, therefore, was the power of service. In some such way should we desire to consider the college of the city, not with a view to its aggrandizement, but rather with the thought of its usefulness, I should like to see the day when the officers of the government and its departments would turn, naturally, to the college for information, for suggestion for the solution of problems; and when it should be so intimately inter- woven with the life of the city that it will be exalted with a consciousness of the privilege of added labor and added respon- sibility. However significant the instruction of these added activities might be—whether of reference libraries or special laboratory facilities, or more carefully devised courses,—even of service directly rendered, whether by instructors or students, the most important fruit of such a movement would be the reflexive in- fluence on the student body. A View of tke Future College There never was a time or an occasion better suited for such a development—the city administration believes in more intelli- gent service, in broader cooperation—it seeks it, it is dedi- cated to it. Imagine, therefore, a system of instruction in which every individual is really conscious that what he has attained—whether of knowledge or ideals, is to be utilized in this civic relation. What a vision it is, these hundreds of picked young men, thrilled at the most impressionable age with this fine patriotism that finds its expression in school and civic performance! As they repeat those simple words of the old Athenian pledge, think 37how they have already been interpreted, not in terms of mere language but of a conscious aim in study and performance. This opportunity, then, is before the college. It has not been neglected; it must be further reinforced; and for the invest- ments the city has made in equipment, in money or in instruc- tion, these young men will return them all a hundred-fold in a service that will be unselfish, honest and valiant. 38WHAT A COLLEGE OF ADMINISTRATION MIGHT DO FOR NEW YORK JEREMIAH W. JENKS New York University MOWING something of the work and the temper of the committee that prepared this program, I assumed when I read the topic that had been assigned to me that it was desired that I give as best I might a brief catalogue of the specific, definite things that a university through its faculty and through its students might do for the city, and the direct help that the city could in that way render to the students in the matter of training. I have been thinking for a day or two that I might make that catalogue up, but so far I have been able to think of nothing more than what is already being done, or that has been done by the universities, the College of the City of New York, and perhaps especially by the Bureau of Municipal Research in the City of New York. In discussing this question, it is just to assume that the col- lege of administration would have the hearty cooperation of the city government as well as of the citizens. Such a college in New York City would find much done for the city government already by the colleges and universities located here and by the Bureau of Municipal Research. All of these have been at work heretofore; never, however, so much so as at the present time. A university consists of its faculty and students. In any work in connection with the city government, both faculty and stu- dents have an important part to play. What a College of Administration Might Do for a City Perhaps the first work for a college of administration to do is, working in connection with the city government, to take a care- ful inventory of the city administration as it exists and as it is doing its work. Careful account should be taken of the equipment of the city, scientific and administrative, covering the physical plant : the 39laboratories, the buildings for carrying on the administrative work, the docks and municipal ferries, the streets, the subways, and all other parts of the physical plant for doing the city work of whatever nature. There should also be taken into consideration the personnel of the city government, its full plan of organization on the basis of efficiency, with full consideration of the number of employes, whether too many or too few, in various departments, the prepa- ration of the men for the work that is assigned them, so as to do it best and cheapest. Again, is the work itself so planned and organized and routed as to get the best possibles results? If not, or whenever it is found not to be most efficient, in what ways should changes be made either in equipment or in organization? Such work as this is naturally adapted only for men unusually well qualified, either members of the faculty or advanced stu- dents working under their direction. It is interesting and im- portant to note as Mayor Mitchel said this morning that such work of taking an inventory of New York City is now under way under Mr. Loomis of New York University. Several gradu- ate students of the right caliber could now be used in this work. Some Specific Tilings the Faculty Might Do The city can find excellent use for the highest skill in expert service that can be rendered by the college. We have already learned that in Cincinnati the coal is tested by university ex- perts. There is no reason why similar use should not be made of experts in practically every line of administrative work, as is often done by private employers. A year or two ago Mr. Charles M. Schwab spoke to me of the advantages that he secured from asking outside engineers to come to his Bethlehem plant and look over the work from time to time. Often merely because they were not accustomed to the regular routine, they saw op- portunities for change and improvement that his own engineers did not see. Even though their suggestions were not always carried out, the points that they made were worthy of careful consideration. Last fall I had to make an alteration in the apartment in which I live so that I needed to get the permission of the Department of Buildings and the Tenement House Department. It seemed 40to me, as I was laying the matter before the different depart- ments and noting the routine, that there was a good deal of duplication of work that might well, under a proper organiza- tion, be eliminated. In some of the departments of this city there are now special experts belonging to the department who are studying its organization, replanning it, routing the mate- rial through the department from one clerk to another as would be done in a great manufacturing establishment. This kind of work should be carried on throughout the city, and it is exactly in this field that the trained specialist in administration ought to be a success. Moreover, in many instances, the city needs expert advice for a specific problem. It may be that the tax system should be improved. The mayor then should feel at liberty to call upon the university experts as well as upon the practical adminis- trators in the city department to help frame a new tax system. If there comes need of an improvement in the matter of sewage disposal, the college should again be called upon, as well as the city engineers. Questions may arise with reference to the best form of city charter. Experts here, again, in the constitutional convention or in the legislature or in committees that may wait upon the legislature should be of great service; and the city government should feel free or should have the formal right to call for such expert advice at need. Every department in the city government should be carefully studied by trained men with reference to its organization and its methods of administration, every expert that is called in, cooperating, of course, in the heartiest way with the city admin- istration officials. Without their cooperation, the outside ex- pert is helpless and useless, except as a hostile critic, arousing public opinion. With their cooperation, it is probable that there is no department from that of street cleaning to schools that can- not be materially assisted. While the board of education may well have its own medical experts, if the city were properly organized in connection with a municipal university or working in harmony with private universities, often much energy and duplication of work could be saved in the examination of de- fective children, whether for ailments such as adenoids or defective eyesight or for such serious conditions as feeble- mindedness or for apparent moral delinquency that comes from 41delayed mental development. The work mentioned is all expert work. We are now in New York University training teachers for defective children and for domestic science in public schools and elsewhere. Advanced Students May Do The student, more particularly the advanced student, may well perform work in connection with the city which will be helpful to the government, as well as extremely helpful to himself as practice work. This assistance can be given in many fields, under the supervision of the head of the department, in order to see that the work is well done, and under the direction of the professor of the university in order to see that the principles are well understood and that the student is getting his univer- sity training as well as practice. In Cincinnati, we know that much is done in the nature of part time work in the field of en- gineering. Why not likewise in the field of city administration, either in the technical departments such as the department of street cleaning or docks, or in the departments with greater human interest, that of correction or charities or health f It is probable that there has been too great readiness hereto- fore for teachers in all universities to emphasize the plan of in- spection too much, and actual work too little. Most of our pub- lic departments are inspected far beyond their needs and often the inspection on the part of students and of curious outsiders becomes a nuisance that is really detrimental to the best work in the department. Moreover, this looking things over does not give real training to students. On the other hand, if arrange- ments cam, be made—and there seems no inherent difficulty in the way—so that students can work part time in actual admin- istration, even receiving a low rate of pay therefor, the city will be the gainer both in the lessened cost of work and in finding men especially well fitted not only for the position that is then occupied, but also for higher positions that the city may wish to fill in days to come. Is there any special reason, for example, why men of proper judgment and discretion should not work part time in account- ing, let us say, or even in the Department of Charities, or pos- sibly even as assistant wardens in charge of certain classes of prisoners? Such work must, of course, be under the careful 42supervision of the authority in charge, and the men selected should be those already well trained enough to pass the civil service examinations and those whose studies as well as whose ambitions will lead them to take a real interest in their work and to do it thoroughly. In many cases, even though the men were working only half a day each—one forenoon, another after- noon, so that the shift would be somewhat more frequent than at the present time, the quality of the work ought not to suffer in the least. The young men would do excellent service. They would get training that would help them towards their degrees; they would be fitting themselves for practical work when their university career was over. By some careful planning, I be- lieve that in very many departments of the city government opportunities of this kind could be found that would give not merely routine training to young men, but would enable them to get really constructive work that would be suitable for credit in the university, as well as of help to the city in positions where reasonable pay could eventually be given by the administration. Special Courses for City Employes Skoulcl te Given Large numbers of city employes might well, with some out- side training, become more skillful than they now are. Indeed, in many cases arrangements are now made for the promotion of city employes after passing an examination. The college of administration should give courses suitable to such city employes. Topics such as accounting or business organization might be given in many departments. In others, a careful outline of the city government with full discussion as to the organization and nature of the work of the department under consideration would prove extremely valuable. In some cases even such subjects as criminology or psychology or comparative politics might well be helpful. For lower grade employes, even classes in spelling and punctuation and the writing of English such as would be suitable for reports, might well be undertaken. To my mind, it would be better in most cases to have such courses given in the city buildings than in the college buildings. In very many instances it might well pay the city to have the courses given even on city time. I understand that in the police department of New York City, some 3,000 policemen pass examinations every year in 43order to secure promotion. Under present circumstances, in- dependent cramming is the custom. Many of the better grade men would much prefer to have a regular training that would be thorough and that would be more far-reaching and much better as they look ahead to the future for a still higher work. There should be no compulsion about such work; but for those who are willing to take it, opportunity should be furnished by the city. The men themselves, inasmuch as they are likely to secure the benefits, might well pay reasonable fees for the teach- ing. This would cost the city only the use of a room from time to time, and possibly an hour or two hours a week for the em- ploye while he is getting his training. It would be a service bound to result in better work. The teaching, of course, could rarely be done by even the most advanced students, regularly only by members of the faculty. Instruction Should Be Given to the General Citizen There is no reason why such work should be confined to city employes. Already our universities are giving a great deal of so-called extra-mural work, for those who are willing to pay. Classes are organized in nearly all fields; but little has been done in the way of preparing men especially for citizenship; and this is a work that might well be undertaken by a college of administration. Why should not our voters, especially our younger voters, or our men or women, foreign or native, who are soon to become voters, learn to understand what are their rights as citizens, what are their duties as citizens, what is the city government and what is their relation to it! There are various ways in which this work could be carried on. First, a municipal library has been established in this city as well as in many others. In one borough, also, there has been established a municipal information bureau where any citizen can come to learn about his relations with the city and where he could go to secure his rights. A similar bureau has been estab- lished by one of our universities. These bureaus might well be extended. Each college or university should provide one and branches might well be established in other places. Last year a municipal hand-book was published by the city government. The advanced students in colleges might well aid in the preparation of such a work. 44Graduate students might themselves be especially taught and trained in the practical work of city government, under the direc- tion of their professors, and then go out and organize clubs among our younger citizens or among the foreigners in our city and give to them the same practical lesson taught in the same practical way that they themselves have been getting instruc- tion in the university. This is a plan, too, that has been tried and apparently with excellent success. Clubs have been formed among Italians, Bohemians, and other foreigners. American citizenship has been taught to young men and boys who have been leaders of gangs; classes organized for athletics have grown into classes of young men learning to do their work as citizens, I could—but I won't—furnish the names of young leaders of gangs who have earlier served time for misdemeanors, but who are now attempting to learn, not only their rights, but also their duties as citizens. Work of this kind can hardly be extended too far. Moreover, among these young men, there might well be organ- ized classes to prepare them for the lower grades of the civil service, as policemen or even for other work requiring skill such as that of the chauffeurs. They may well pay some small fee for such work; but, after all, the main thing to instill in them is the spirit of service. Moreover, this spirit of service should be extended to various lines of business. When a butcher or a baker gets the idea that his business is primarily to serve his fellow citizens, as well as to make money, we shall have a better quality of food; and it ought to mean more profit to the dealer in the long run. Such a school of administration might also very well help many of the voluntary charitable and social institutions of the city in organizing young people to practice good citizenship so that they would prove very beneficial to the city at large and in the long run extremely helpful to the city government. In the last one or two points I may seem to have run some- what away from my topic. Yet I am not sure that this is not as useful as teaching administration. And the students who do this club work are in training to become secretaries of social centers, leaders in settlements, playground work, welfare work and other useful public service. Let me before closing give one or two warnings. 45Tke Problem of Supervising Practical Training It is difficult to supervise carefully such work as cooperation with the city government requires. The work must be kept practical, systematic, complete and the supervision should be that of the city official, wherever possible, as well as that of the person in charge. Also, care must be taken to get always a scientific background for all the practical work done. Especially is this true, if we are giving training to our graduate students with the idea that they are to occupy later high places in the city administration. There is much danger of helter skelter practice and not enough thorough training and supervision. Moreover, the spirit of criticism and practical study of the city government should not be so much one of fault finding, as one of active, constructive work. There are many changes that can be made. All of the changes should be for the better, and the spirit of the university should be that of helpfulness. Most of these things, indeed all of them that I have men- tioned, have already been done or are now being done in New York City. Each one of these opens the way to many others. There is practically no limit to the amount of cooperation that can be brought about if both sides are willing. At the present time, the demand for men to undertake such work in a great city like New York is far beyond the supply. The cry is continually for more men, men of good sense and good judment as well as men of public spirit. Moreover, there is great demand for men outside the great cities. Every few days one gets the request, "Send me a man who can teach government and at the same time cooperate with the public officials, a man of judgment and character"; or, 44Send me a city manager for this city," or, "Give us a trained secretary for our chamber of commerce.'' Today I have been asked for men for three places. There is no reason why such work should not be done in a city college of administration. It can be done as well by a city college, a municipal university, or by an urban university whether en- dowed or supported by the state. The essential thing is the prac- tical viewpoint, and the cooperative spirit. There are one or two matters that I wish again to emphasize along lines that have been suggested above. They are difficult and extremely important. It is extremely difficult to supervise 46the work in such a way that the university students will not simply be scattering their energies, getting a little information here and a little information there and getting after all no real, comprehensive grasp of the principles of government that under- lie.* If we can get our students to work in one of the city de- partments on a task that in itself is helpful, we can get one city official to supervise him and, if his work is not well done, to fire him out or complain. The student must do the work to satisfy the city administration to begin with. . But he ought also to make definite reports to the university, as suggested by Dr. Lindsay, and those ought to be checked up, so that we shall know that the man is not getting merely a series of scattered facts. We must have definite university supervision. Mr. McCarthy : Have you anything to criticize in the plan laid down by the committee for those definite reports'? We would like to know about that. Professor Jenks: I do not know what the definite plan is. I do have the idea for supervision. I want the professor to pass upon the specific ways in which that supervision should be car- ried out and his plans would have to be followed. There are hardly any two departments of the city government where you could have the same type of supervision. Mr. McCarthy : I am sure the members of the committee are going very conservatively about this. They wish to have special places. They are very carefully examining all those places and carefully examining the supervisory part of the work. Professor Jenks: That is very important. Mr. McCarthy : And then they are insisting upon definite reports of written work, a signed weekly report coming in weekly, going to the professor of the college and being held there. That is, we have a regular efficiency record with the kind of work on it. It is not very hard to follow up that efficiency report and have a definite record. In fact, we have carried it out in one particular instance. We have carried one man through a par- ticular term. We realized that that would be the breaking down point and we have thrown great emphasis upon that point to answer that question. * For a plan of doing this, see Preliminary Report Committee on Practical Training for Public Service, pp. 339-352. Cf. also Survey Sept, 19, 1914. The Universities and Training for Public Service, by Edward A. Fitzpatrick. 47Professor Jenks: That, I think, is very wise. I might say further that I know sometimes in business establishments, but more particularly in government administration, efficiency rec- ords signed by the efficiency officer are not always trustworthy. I do not think much of them. But if checked up by an efficiency expert and a city official the report ought to be good. Mr. McCarthy : We hope to get enough money to make sure that those records are checked up or else the departments will not get the men into the departments to help. Professor Jenks: Perhaps I had better add just a word or two and then have the discussion. I think that in this attempted cooperation between the univer- sity and the city government there is one thing further that we should keep in mind. There should not be so much fault find- ing. At the present time the demand for work of this hind, help from the universities, is far beyond any possibility of supplying the needs, as I have stated. One other word concerning this subject—the universities must be extremely careful in the men they send to do the work. Not every graduate student is competent to be put into a position which requires judgment or special tact on his part. If you put the wrong man in a department, he could spoil in a month every opportunity you could have in that department for the next five years with your other men. It is a matter of careful super- vision of your individual men and a matter of giving proper tests yourself. There is no reason why this work should not be done by any university, whether supported by the city or outside. But it does want to be done with discretion. 48THE COLLEGE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND COMMUNITY SERVICE STEPHEN P. DUGGAN College of the City of New York NEW YORK resembles ancient Alexandria and Rome in one respect, viz.: in the number of races that make up its population. It differs from those two ancient cities in its atti- tude towards those races, for whereas the foreign races in those cities were treated with contempt, with us they are welcomed and even invited to participate in the municipal government. To do this they need wise leadership, for experience shows that every race has a natural desire to be guided by men of its own. The City College is today providing these different races with their own leaders. In the section that I am today teaching, there are sons of the Irish of the names of O'Connell and Farrell, of the Russian Jew of the names of Selmanowitz and Pasvolsky, of the Italian of the names of Battestilla and Distefano, of the Bohemian of the names of Zajac and Wodrazka, etc. These young men are not only becoming thoroughly imbued with American ideals, but they will become, as experience has shown in the past, leaders in the education and Americanization of their own people. This is the first and most important function of the City College, viz.: to provide a higher education for the youth of the city who are going to become its political and social leaders. This is the best contribution that the City College can make to the city for its generous support. To perform this function most efficiently, the college has opened its doors at night to give the same opportunity to the properly qualified adults of the city that it gives by day, and that it serves a great purpose in so doing is evident from the number who attend, seven hundred (700), i. e., the evening session of the city is in itself the third largest college of the thirty in New York State, being surpassed only by the day ses- sion and by Columbia. But the college can perform this pri- 49mary function still more efficiently when it provides additional sites in the different boroughs. At present all who wish to benefit by its fine work must receive its instruction at the group of buildings on Washington Heights, far removed from such places as Bay Ridge, Brooklyn; Flushing in Queens, or Wake- field in the Bronx. Yet each of those boroughs is in itself a large city. The efficiency of the college could be greatly increased if it had a junior college in each of those boroughs to do the work of the first two years which are prescribed and do not re- quire the use of the laboratories to the same extent as the last two years. This policy would be particularly helpful for the evening work and while waiting for its adoption there ought to be no great difficulty in securing from the Board of Education the use of a building in each borough by night to carry on the work of the evening session. Moreover, as 75% of the stu- dent body of the college remain in the city during the summer, the opening of the buildings for summer work is a real necessity. Were the students of the college permitted merely to do in the summer the prescribed work in drawing, physics, chemistry and biology, they would be enabled to save a half year of their course, and this policy would in no way militate against the thoroughness of the general work of their course. The Work of the Department of Education, as Typical Now while the college is performing this primary function of preparing for citizenship and leadership and making thereby its finest contribution to the city's welfare, it can make other important contributions to the city's welfare. This is best illus- trated by what one department of the college has already done, the department of education. Our primary function in that department is to train men teachers for the city schools and the majority of men teachers and principals in the city schools are graduates of the college. But the head of the department of education is in close and constant touch with the Board of Super- intendents, the Board of Examiners and the various committees of the Board of Education. As soon as a new educational 'ac- tivity is undertaeken by the Board of Education, the department of education of the college has supplied the training needed. When some seven years ago it was determined by the Board of Education that for all higher licenses teachers would have to be 50examined to test their culture and professional efficiency, the department of education of the college established the exten- sion courses for teachers to provide the necessary training. This year 3,400 teachers, i. e., one-fifth of the total number, receive their instruction in these courses. But since the teachers can only attend in the late afternoon after school closes, a very large proportion of the teachers in the other boroughs cannot get to the college on time and receive the benefit of these extension courses. The importance of having a center in each of the five boroughs convenient for the teachers to attend, is evident. So willing are the teachers of the college to give of their time and energy, that this great work of improving the efficiency of one great department of the city's employes is carried on with only an addition to the budget of the college of $3,300, less than a dollar a teacher. But this is not the only way the department of education helps the city to secure a more efficient adminis- tration of its educational affairs. When it was discovered that there were hundreds of backward and atypical children in the city schools who could not profit by the ordinary work of the schools and who would have to be placed in special classes with specially prepared teachers, the department of education of the college secured from the board of trustees an appropriation for the establishment of an educational clinic for the training of these teachers in the psychology of the exceptional children and the proper methods for their teaching. To make this train- ing as efficient as possible the school principals are requested to send suspected cases of abnormality in the afternoons to the clinic, where they are examined, and in each case there is an at- tempt made to outline a special course of study and special train- ing for the child. This is what the department of education of the college tries to do for the department of education of the city. It studies the needs of the latter and as soon as it dis- covers where it can improve the efficiency of the city's schools it undertakes the work necessary. Opportunities for Other Departments of the City College Now what the department of education of the college under- takes to do for the department of education of the city, I would have each department of the college do for the departments of the city government to which it is most cognate. Consider, 51e. g., what might be done by the department of sociology of the college to assist such departments of the city government as the departments of charities and correction to secure trained ex- perts for its service, a field which is practically a virgin field as far as the college is concerned in making it a sociological lab- oratory. Consider what the departments of chemistry and biol- ogy might do in addition to the splendid work they are al- ready doing in preparing experts for service in snch depart- ments as those of public health, water supply, etc. Perhaps one illustration will suffice to bring this home forcibly. The Board of Estimate is considering at the present time the organization of a central purchasing bureau to buy all the supplies of the city departments, the coal, milk, soap, asphalt, etc. It will not only need trained and honorable men to do the testing and see that the city gets what it pays for, but it will need laboratory facilities for the testing. What better laboratory facilities could it have than the splendid laboratories of the City College, and where should it more naturally look for the trained expert but to the City College. And, moreover, the college has so organized its course of study that practically all its prescribed work is done in the freshman and sophomore years, so that the work of the junior and senior years might more readily be organized to- wards vocational directions. The carrying out of these sugges- tions would mean a close correlation of work in the college with work in the city's departments so that the students of the col- lege might receive practical training in the city's departments for which they would receive college credit and the properly qualified city employes would be admitted to the departments of work in the college in which they could receive training for greater efficiency for which they would receive credit from the city government. I see no reason at all why this might not all be undertaken by the college with but slight increase in its budget and without in any way interfering with its primary function of training for citizenship and leadership. A Type of Next Step "We have heard tonight of New York as a sociological labora- tory and I have indicated that the department of sociolgy of the City College might do much in that direction. Let me illus- trate how the college is already doing considerable to help not 52the city government, but the city itself directly. Last year I sent a questionnaire to all the 500 schools of the city to find out which of them had Parents' Associations. I discovered that there were 125 such, some with strong associations and some with weak ones. I called a conference of persons interested, mem- bers of the school board, of the Public Education Association, of the Settlements to consider the organizing of a Federated Par- ents' Association. I agreed to ask our Board of Trustees to per- mit me to use one of my department rooms as headquarters for the association provided we could get the services of a trained expert as secretary who would supervise the work of the asso- ciation, look after the building up of a Parents' Association in all the schools, publish a weekly bulletin containing the activities of each association so that all might learn from one another and make the Parents' Association of each school the enighborhood center for the school activities of the district. I agreed, more- over, that as I could not expect the parents to come to the col- lege as did the teachers, I should bring the college to the parents and organize series of talks in various branches such as personal hygiene, sanitation, habit formation, books and their use, etc., and secure from the colleges and high schools of the city, the settlements and churches, the volunteers to carry on this work which could be done under the auspices of the City College. If every one of the 500 schools had a Parents' Association and each association would agree to pay 50 cents a month dues for the ten school months, the $2,500 income would suffice to pay for the printing of the bulletin, postage and all expenses except the salary of the secretary. The plan is ready, therefore, for con- summation as soon as the Bureau of Municipal Research or any unappropriated millionaire will volunteer to supply the $4,000 a year necessary to secure the services of the right kind of sec- retary. The possibilities in the administration and extension of this perfectly feasible plan would take more than the time allotted to me to discuss. I stated it merely to illustrate the possibilities of New York as a sociological laboratory for work by the City College. 53A NEW EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ROBERT S. BINKERD Secretary, City Club of New York AS THE "enfant terrible" of the party I presume I am ex- pected to say just what I really think. Even though I am likely to say it lamely I am going to try. All the men who have spoken to us tonight are professors. They belong to the new type. Nevertheless, they have skilfully concealed one fact. Be- hind this movement we have under discussion is a revolt against what but a short time ago was established academic tradition. To put it in another way, we have been cursed for the last gen- eration or so in this country by two different things which are but phases of the same thing: first, we have had a type of busi- ness man so short-sighted that he could not see beyond his nose and who therefore deemed that he was practical; and we have had a type of college instruction so ethereal and so far removed from the real facts of human life that the teachings and to a con- siderable extent the ideals which a man got from that instruction crumpled when he came into contact with actual life. Interrelation of Theory and Practice Therefore the progress of this movement—in which I am very deeply interested—has got to be along two lines. We have got to get professors and faculties who have not only a broad and thoroughly scientific or historical knowledge but who have the ability to give practical advice derived from that knowledge; and on the other hand we have to build up a body of educated men in this country who are prepared at all times to believe that the practice which they are then following may not be the final and ultimate word on the subject. How are we going to secure this ? I believe the answer has been given along at least one line by the work which Dean Schneider has done in Cincinnati, and I believe has been begun along another line by the work which Dr. McCarthy and others have done in the University of Wiscon- 54sin. And I do believe, beyond all question, that any course of instruction, whether in engineering, commerce, finance, or poli- tics which does not interrelate what we now deem to be academic instruction, with practical conduct, will be deemed a failure. Only by such interrelation can we surely get men in business and affairs in sympathy with the broader points of view. And only by such interrelation can we see to it that faculties of educa- tional institutions are made up of men whose intellects and teach- ings are strengthened by human experience and true to human life. And I believe, while not trying in the least to detract from what any institution has done, that we are on the eve of a new educational development in this country which spells tremen- dous possibilities for us; and that no country which now and in the future does not closely interrelate academic instruction with practical experience and the reception into a man's own inner being of a knowledge of the concrete is going to succeed. And I take the illustrations which Professor Jenks and others have given of various things they have done as only the natural by-products that might be expected when we bring into our fac- ulties the kind of men we ought to have there. But because we have done that much I see no reason why we should be satisfied with it. So far as I am concerned, as a citizen of New York interested in the College of New York, I believe that college can and will become a great training school in government, in finance, in commerce and in industry in which theoretical and historical study on the one hand and practical knowledge and conception of things dealt with on the other can proceed hand in hand. And I believe if that is not done New York City should feel ashamed of itself (applause). 55DEMONSTRATION OF UNIVERSITY AND GOVERN- MENTAL CO-OPERATION—THE NEXT STEP P. R. KOLBE President, University of Akron UNFORTUNATELY, I have nothing to say on the topic which you have suggested, because our own experiment in municipal university work is only a few months old. We came into existence as a municipal university only the 15th of last December (1913). I am sure it would be most presumptuous for me to say anything as to the practical working of a munici- pal university after having listened to men tonight who have had many years experience along those particular lines. I want to crave your indulgence to read to you a resolution which I believe expresses the sentiments of these men who have been instrumental in carrying out the municipal university ideals in calling this conference, which resolution is intended to in a certain sense summarize the purpose of this meeting. I would like to read the resolution and make a record here of the fact that I have read it: Whereas, the mayor in his opening address welcomed the cooperation of the universities in the City of New York, with the government of the City of New York; and Whereas, judging by the discussions at this conference there seem to be unlimited opportunities for public service by univer- sities; and Whereas, this seems best attained by a method of training men for the public service by doing things that need to be done in the community; and Whereas, this result and this method have been conclusively demonstrated in the University of Wisconsin, the University of Cincinnatiand other higher educational institutions in all parts of the country; and Whereasy there is a movement for municipal universities espe- cially in Ohio; and 56Whereas, New York is a particularly rich opportunity to effect cooperation between government and the higher institu- tions of learning; and Whereas, New York spends over a million dollars annually for its municipal colleges; Therefore, be it resolved by this Conference of Universities and Public Service that the municipal colleges of New York be requested to plan an adequate demonstration over a period of years of the community service of a municipally supported in- stitution in governmental administration and in promoting the general social welfare, and That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the board of trustees of the municipal colleges. I hesitated very much to read this resolution tonight for fear it might be misunderstood by the very people who should under- stand it best. I want to read you again the last clause of the resolution: Therefore, be it resolved by this Conference of Universities and Public Service that the municipal colleges of New York be requested to plan an adequate demonstration over a period of years of the community service of a municipally supported in- stitution in governmental administration and in promoting the general social welfare. Please notice that we mention here the planning of an ade- quate demonstration. I do not believe that a single one of us does know that the College of the City of New York has been doing most exceptional work along the very lines in which we are interested. I was particularly glad to hear the clear and logical statements given by the speakers from that institution as to the work being done, and I regret very much that I am forced to the belief that the country at large does not realize the work that has been done right here in New York, largely be- cause, as stated, it has been hidden under a bushel. And I want the smaller institutions North and West throughout the country to know what has been going on, and they want some adequate plan, some adequate demonstration of what a municipal univer- sity may do and may become. The purport of this resolution is, I think, that the College of the City of New York give us the result of their experience; that they take the experience which they have already had, add 57to it if they gain any help from this conference, and in the next year's work carry out a definite plan for the conduct of a munici- pal university in cooperation with the community in which it stands. Such a plan would be useful to universities already in existence and especially to that great body of colleges and uni- versities which exist in centers of population. I was very much surprised to find that out of 600 colleges ex- isting in this country only about 65 are in what might be called large cities, that is, 50 with populations of 50,000 or over, and unless some of the larger institutions like the College of the City of New York, which has immense resources at their disposal and immense opportunities to use them, will take the lead to show how a municipality should be served along the idea involved in municipal universities, the rest of us will be laboring to a large extent in the dark. Therefore this resolution. I present this paper in order to crystallize and summarize the purpose of this meeting. The Chairman : Do I understand you offer that to be acted upon this evening, or to be acted upon at the meeting tomorrow ? Mr. Kolbe : I believe the purpose was to secure some expres- sion at the meeting this evening. The Chairman: Are you ready for a discussion of the sub- ject? What is your pleasure? Are you ready for the question? Mr. Binkerd : Is there any reason why that should be limited to municipal universities exclusively? A Member : Do you mean the sending out of these reports ? Mr. Binkerd: No. I believe that all the way through they limit the application of the resolution to municipal universities or to municipal colleges, A Member: I do not find anything in the resolution except- ing in the last paragraph to that effect, which says that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the board of trustees of the municipal colleges. That merely refers to the resolution itself. There is nothing limiting the transmission of the result of the work to be done. Mr. Binkerd: Apparently the word '"urban" would be better to describe what is in mind than "municipal," which naturally would be taken to mean a college wholly or partly supported out of municipal funds. 58Mr. Kolbb: I think that change can very easily be made. Personally I shall be very glad to accept the suggestion. Mr. Binkerd : Then I shall so move. The motion was duly seconded and carried, the word "urban" to be substituted for the word "municipal." The Chairman: Are you ready to act on this tonight, gen- tlemen ? A motion was then duly made that the resolution be passed, which motion was duly seconded and unanimously carried. The Chairman: There being no further business before the Conference this evening a motion to adjourn will be in order. 59APPENDIX PROPOSED PLANS FOR TRAINING SCHOOLS FOR PUBLIC SERVICEPROPOSED PLAN FOR A TRAINING SCHOOL FOR PUBLIC SERVICE IN CONNECTION WITH ANY UNIVERSITY Preliminary Note In the following proposed plans for a training school for pub- lic service in connection with any university three problems are considered: (1) plan of organization; (2) method of training; and (3) administration. The Committee on Practical Training for Public Service is not raising at this time the question as to what specific positions or kind of positions there should be training for. It is hoped, how- ever, that no university will attempt to train men for all kinds of positions in the public service. If ever there was a field of effort in which the division of labor would be productive of good, it is here. Every institution ought to try to do only that work for which it has sufficient funds, well trained staff, adequate equipment, and present opportunities. It is not at all clear that every university in the United States, even those included in the Association of American Universities and the Association of State Universities, ought to take up now the work of practical training for public service. Those who are now ready to do this work should restrict themselves to the municipal service, state service, national service or the field of foreign service, depend- ing, as remarked above, on funds, staff, equipment and oppor- tunity. The kind of organization that each university should adopt will depend on what it proposes to do. Every genuine univer- sity in the country should develop its graduate school as sug- gested in the plans. Some universities might very well establish professional schools for public service similar in rank and dig- nity to the schools of law and medicine. Institutions in large cities might very well organize the proposed graduate school of public administration providing for continuation training for men in public service on a plan similar to the Graduate School of Medicine at Harvard. Every university could very well estab- 63lish an institute of government and social research similar to the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research. Every institution is now such an agency, only its investigations are not specifically directed to public service opportunities. L BASIS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR TRAINING (Explanatory note.) The need everywhere for a trained public service in city, county, state and nation cannot be gainsaid. The basis and opportunity for training men for public service exists at the present time in many universities, but seem to be unappreciated. Public service itself, as an opportunity, is also neglected. Everywhere outside of the universities are the rich opportunities for every field of study in the university. A few of these are listed below. A. State Scientific Bureaus Located in the University 1. State laboratories Public Health Laboratory, Wisconsin Public Health Laboratory, North Dakota 2. Experiment Stations In Agronomy, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Hus- bandry, Horticulture, and Botany (Illinois) In Engineering (Missouri) 3. Scientific surveys Geological surveys (Johns Hopkins) Biological Station, Devil's Lake (North Dakota) 4. Testing Bureaus Bureau of City Tests (Cincinnati) Testing bureau, State departments (Kansas) 5. Libraries and Research Bureaus Municipal Research and Reference Library (Texas) Municipal Reference Bureau (California) B. Investigations Assigned to University or Members of Staff 1. Mine Rescue Work (Illinois) 2. Legislative Investigations Economy and Efficiency (Durand, Minn.; Fairlie, in.) 3. Federal Commission on Industrial Relations (Com- mons and McCarthy, Wisconsin) 64C. Field Training Agencies (where work of students could be supervised by local university authorities) 1. State agencies located at capitol Administrative commission Tax, Railroad, Industrial (Madison, Wis.) Permanent investigating boards State Board of Public Affairs (Madison, Wis.) 2. City agencies City departments Board of Health (New York City) Investigative agencies Finance Commission (Boston) Quasi Public Organization Bureau of Municipal Research (Philadelphia) 3. Federal agencies In Washington In the field D. Field Training Agencies (under centralized supervision) 1. The agencies described above may be used by any other university than the local one through the central clearing house. 2. Agencies not located in university towns may be also utilized through this central clearing house. II. METHOD (Explanatory note.) This division is based on three gen- erally admitted propositions: that special training must build on broad educational foundations; that there are defi- nite sequences in the development of knowledge; that school or college work to be genuinely educative must coordinate past and present experience with instruction. A. Theoretical Training 1. Educational Foundations. a. Foreign language, English, history, a natural, an exact and a social science, art, physical education 65b. Special emphasis on 1. Actual government (administration) ad- ministrative law 2. Accounting, especially cost and govern- mental accounting 3. Statistics and graphic presentation 4. Report-writing (English composition) 5. Effective speech (debating essential) 6. Study of politics, economics and human as- sociation with emphasis on needed social changes 7. Fundamental legal concepts c. Possibility of combining general and special courses B. Field Training 1. Coordinated with theory 2. First investigation, then administration 3. Carefully supervised a. Personally By a professor of coordination b. Through preliminary inspection and approval of agency c. Through records d. Through doing work that needs to be done Such work when completed is its own test— the ultimate test. Did it satisfy the need? III. ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOL (Explanatory note.) The university ought to provide specific form of organization to meet specific needs. The proposed organizations are the result of the best experience of our contemporary university developments. While in the large, the proposed organizations adapt to the new field the experience of existing institutions, there would be opportu- nity for considerable difference in detail. A. Reorganization of Academic Course 1. Larger requirement in social sciences 2. Social aspects of other subjects 663. Emphasize administrative aspects of work in govern- ment 4. Where possible—field contact with the thing that is being lectured upon or theorized about in the uni- versity class-room B. The Regular Graduate School 1. Modification of requirements for doctor's degree a. Making possible one year in practical training b. Proposed regulation is attached 2. This year of field training should not be the last year because a. It should permit subsequent reflection and con- scious relating to theory b. It makes subsequent year so much more valuable C. A Professional School 1. This would provide specific training for public serv- ice and should rank with the professional schools of law and medicine 2. Two years college work as basis 3. Systematized organized part-time field training throughout (Cincinnati plan) D. Graduate School of Public Administration (on plan of Harvard Graduate School of Medicine) 1. Intended for graduates of professional schools who have not emphasized public administration, and for experienced public officials 2. Built on short course units 3. Supplements mere professional or technical training with 1. Study of governmental organization and admin- istration 2. Social phases of professional work 3. Studies in administrative efficiency and business organization 4. For illustration cf. Massachusetts Institute of Technology's new work for 1914-15. 4. Cooperation with public officers 67E. An Institute of Governmental and Social Research (Similar to Mellon Institute of Industrial Research) 1. Connecting link between university and government 2. Direct all investigation for public 3. Coordinating quasi-public agencies IV. DEGREES AND DIPLOMAS A. University Would Give Regular Degrees B. It Might Be Necessary to Have New Technical Degrees (B. P. A. Bachelor of Public Administration) C. System of Diplomas 1. University would grant degrees but public service school would grant diplomas (Cf. Teachers College, Columbia University) 2. A Bachelor of Arts or Science who specialized in public administration would receive also a. Diploma in municipal or state or federal admin- istration, or b. In any phase of it, e. g., public health admin- istration D. Theses, Essays, and Dissertations 1. As in Minnesota a. Dealing with Minnesota problems 2. Mellon Institute of Industrial Research a. Actual problems V. FELLOWSHIPS A. As General Thing, no Fellowships 1. Some criticisms of present fellowship system by mem- bers of Association of American Universities a. Artificial stimulus for graduate work b. Large inroads on time of fellow in 1. Laboratory drudgery 2. Working up some petty details of the work of a professor 3. The drudgery of marking hundreds of ex- amination papers and correcting themes 684. Library assistance c. Subsidizing mediocrity d. Aids students with reference to their poverty and not their ability e. Tempts students of superficial brilliancy and in- definiteness of purpose f. Awarded to people who have been unable to get a job that year g. Merely swell graduate enrollment h. A bribing-to-study device i. Tends to competition among institutions for stu- dents about to begin graduate work, without a corresponding increase in the number of genu- ine investigators j. Too many k. Limited to specific departments 2. Two other opinions a. President Butler of Columbia University says: "I have the conviction that the excellence of the principle underlying the fellowship system has been greatly obscured by the abuse of the system itself.'' b. Emeritus President Eliot of Harvard says : 4'The whole business of scholarships and fel- lowships is an experimental business in our country. What we need is a large variety of intelligent experimentations.'' B. Types (if awarded) 1. For specific purposes a. The Richard Watson Gilder Fund for the Pro- motion of Good Citizenship (Columbia) : "Two or more Gilder Fellowships shall be awarded annually by the University Council upon the recommendation of the Faculty of Po- litical Science to graduates of any college or uni- versity or to students having exceptional qualifi- cations. The holders of the fellowships shall devote themselves to the investigation of political and social conditions in this country or abroad; 69to the examination and analysis of the practical working of legislation enacted for the purpose of improving civic conditions or to practical civic conditions or to practical civic work, in ac- cordance with plans approved by the Professor of Politics and the Professor of Sociology." b. Research Fellowship for Study of Problem of Urban Growth (California) Mr. F. M. Smith of Oakland, California, has established a research fellowship for investiga- tion of certain problems incident to the growth of cities in the San Francisco Bay region. At- tention is directed especially to questions relat- ing to the development of parks, playgrounds, and other community interests demanding par- ticular consideration of space available for growth. c. Peabody Fellowship in Economics (Tulane Uni- versity) "The Peabody Fellowship in Economics, for encouragement of research into economic aspects of southern welfare, is offered in the belief that promotion of original investigation of economic and social conditions in the South afford large opportunity for service. The Peabody fellow must engage to undertake research, under the di- rection of the professor of economics and sociol- ogy, into some definite question concerning the economic and social welfare of the South. The holder receives, besides free tuition, a stipend of $175. 2. Traveling Fellowships a. Sheldon Traveling Fellowships (Harvard) C. Administration 1. Fellowships should be awarded solely on the basis of proved exceptional ability. It is better that no awards should be made than that mediocrity should be subsidized. 702. The amount of fellowships should cover living and traveling expenses of the fellow. 3. There should be no limitation as to geographical loca- tion of student's home or birthplace, the degrees he holds, etc. Requirements should be in terms of things done. 4. No fellowship should be awarded to anyone who has not been personally seen. Personality is of tre- mendously more importance in practical work than in investigation into economic and political theory. 5. Recommendations are rarely of much significance. 6. Fellows must have a definite program and definite interests. 7. More definite information should be sought than at present appears in many of the application blanks. Committees of award should take more active in- terest in finding out about a prospective fellow, and not permit him to determine what evidence shall be submitted. 8. The selection of men with reference to specific op- portunities which are opening up, establishes cer- tain definite qualities and abilities which the can- didate must have. VI. DOCENTS SHOULD BE APPOINTED Cf. Clark University Catalogue A. Who is Eligible The highest residential appointment not involving mem- bership in the faculty is that of docent. These positions are designed for men of marked gifts and attainments who have at least attained the dictorate and wish to en- gage in research, teaching, or both. B. Free Docents Each docent of this class will be expected to deliver a limited number of lectures on some topic within his de- partment. In so doing, he shall be entirely independent of other instructors both in his choice of special topic and his manner of treating it, and responsible only to the president of the university, by whom he shall be appointed 71after consultation with the head of the department. The free docent shall have command of the resources of the department in the way of books, apparatus, etc., so far as this does not interfere with its regular work. By estab- lishing free docents, the faculty desires not only to main- tain and guarantee the fullest academic freedom, but to expose itself to all the stimulus that can come by the rivalry of younger or outside men, and to introduce new topics and new departures in old ones. C. University Docents A university docent shall engage in research and may collaborate with the head of the department or other mem- ber of the faculty and supplement his work. He shall be appointed by the head of the department with the ap- proval of the president. VII. RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSORS A. Types 1. As at present understood, but dealing with Minne- sota problems, California problems, Cincinnati problems and New York problems. 2. In local governmental laboratories for testing bureau 3. In local investigations 4. Sent to investigate new things in government e. g., City manager plan—Dayton e. g., Board of social welfare—Kansas City B. Books Should Grow Out of Constructive Research though the record will normally be the piece of work accomplished C. Teachers of Social Sciences Should Have the Funds that would ordinarily be spent for laboratories, invested and income used for field investigation 72Proposed Standard Regulation for the Ph. D. Degree Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must pur- sue their studies in residence for a minimum period of three years, provided however, that the period of residence may be proportionately extended to students from institutions in which the course of study is not regarded as equivalent to that in (----------) College. In rare cases, students may, with the ap- proval of (the proper administrative authority) satisfy the resi- dence requirement in two years. The requirements of time for the degree of Doctor of Philoso- phy are wholly secondary. This degree does not rest on any computation of time, nor on any enumeration of courses; al- though no student can become a candidate for it until he has fulfilled the requirements of residence and study for the pre- scribed periods. Candidates for the doctor's degree in the social sciences, con- forming to all the other regulations for such persons, may fulfill the resident requirements of three years graduate study as fol- lows: 1. Two years resident graduate study in some recognized insti- tution of learning, at least one of which must be spent at this university. 2. Practical work for at least eleven months in a governmental department, bureau or commission, a legislative reference library, a bureau of municipal research or similar organiza- tion under the following conditions: (a) that a statement of facts regarding opportunities for practical work, nature and extent of supervision of student's work and related facts be submitted to the department by the Committee on Practical Training for Public Service of the American Politi- cal Science Association or by a member of the de- partment and accepted by the department con- cerned as satisfactory. (b) that weekly or bi-weekly reports of time spent and work done be kept on the forms suggested by the 73Committee on Practical Training for Public Serv- ice or similar forms, and submitted to the professor in charge of the major subject of the student, cur- rently ; (c) that the institution where student is working be vis- ited by a representative of the department or of the Committee on Practical Training at such inter- vals as the department may think necessary. We no longer believe in America today that a man who has shown himself fairly clever at something else, is thereby quali- fied to manage a railroad, a factory, or a bank. Are we better justified in assuming that an election by popular vote, or an ap- pointment by a chief magistrate, confers, without apprentice- ship, an immediate capacity to construct the roads and bridges, direct the education, manage the finances, purify the water sup- ply, or dispose of the sewage of a large city; and this when it is almost certain that the person selected will not remain in office long enough to learn thoroughly a business of which he knows little or nothing at the outset ? In industrial enterprise, in busi- ness concerns, the use of experts of all kinds is, indeed, con- stantly increasing. They have revolutionized some industries, and are indispensable in many more. Nor do we merely seek for men who have gained experience in practice. In one profes- sion after another we have learned to train them carefully in the theory of their work, taking them young and educating them for it as a distinct career. Sixty years ago, for example, there was scarcely a school of applied science in the country, but now they are everywhere, and they can hardly turn out students fast enough to supply the demand. They are ever adding new de- partments, while our universities are creating new specialized schools, and thus adding to the number of professions. We are training men today for all services but that of the public." A. Lawrence Lowell. 74MEMORANDUM re Ph. D. Requirements of Committee on Practical Training Under present arrangements a university has the following control over its graduate students : 1. The amount and quality of preparatory training—admis- sion to the graduate school frequently does not of itself imply candidacy for a degree; 2. Two years' residence requirement which may be indefinitely extended;—this is the irreducible minimum; 3. The quality of work in the courses during this residence period; 4. The preliminary examination for the doctor's degree in the general field in which the student is working. (I do not know if this is the requirement in all universities) ; 5. Oral examination of the doctor's dissertation. Under the requirements as proposed by the Committee on Practical Training for Public Service, the university still main- tains every element of control mentioned in the foregoing list. In fact, it has every species of control under present regulations. It adds an additional species of control, the ability of the man to cope with concrete situations, or to analyze concrete conditions. The force of the regulation so far as it affects present regula- tions is to make permissive—not mandatory, the substitution of eleven months' work in an investigative or administrative gov- ernmental agency for one of the three years residence work at the university required for the doctor's degree. ^In those universities having a two years' minimum residence requirement, the foregoing provision simply raises the require- ments for the degree. 75This book is a preservation facsimile produced for the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. It is made in compliance with copyright law and produced on acid-free archival 60# book weight paper which meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (permanence of paper). Preservation facsimile printing and binding by Northern Micrographics Brookhaven Bindery La Crosse, Wisconsin 2014