WE E respectfully suggest the adoption of the Australian Ballot system in the National Education Association elections. In the recent meeting of this body much heat, physical, mental and sentimental, would have been avoided, much time saved, and a great deal more dignity preserved had the Australian system been It is always fairer, more dignified, more expeditious. Polls could be opened for the third or the fourth day of the convention when every one had been given time to get there; official ballots could be printed giving the names of the candidates in nomination; each active member's name could be checked off on the address list as he entered the polling place, thus avoiding all possible danger of any vote being cast by a person who was not an active member. Each voter would cast his vote deliberately and privately, under conditions wholly free from the excitements that often exist in crowded assemblies where a hand or voice vote is taken. And the result could be counted with much greater assurance of accuracy. We can think of no objections to the change to this method. We would be glad to see the matter discussed in other educational papers. THE HERE are many "little things" that are thoroughly worth doing in the class room and that make up that subtle something which is sometimes called the "atmosphere" of the school. One of these "little" things, and after all we are the more inclined to call it a "great" thing, is the requirement of courtesy in all the relations of teacher to teacher, teacher to pupils and pupils to teachers and to each other. In the daily routine of school work there are countless opportunities for the exercise of this virtue. If character is the ultimate end of the entire process of education,-and few persons would deny that it is, then the cultivation of courtesy is one of the things for which every teacher should strive. For courtesy means self-control, chivalrous sentiments toward the opposite sex, respect for superiors, recognition of the rights of equals, and kindly consideration for all. A friend lamented in our hearing the other day, the decadence of this good, old-fashioned virtue. This friend had just come into the city from the suburbs in an electric car. She had seen a number of young men, clerks, school pupils, etc., rush into the car, jostling the other passengers and monopolizing the seats, making it necessary for many ladies and some feeble old people to become strap-hangers. The boisterous demonstrations and loud conversation of these young men were annoying to all. The remedy for such ill-bred manners should, of course, first be found in the home. But, alas, many homes are incapable of furnishing the instruction and example needed. The school exists to make up for the deficiencies of the home, and here is one of its splendid opportunities. Its aim should be to produce an atmosphere of refinement which shall be felt outside as well as inside the schoolroom. We know of schools where this is happily the case. The community is not long in finding it out when a true gentleman or a real lady is at the head of the school. The influences emanating from such a personality are far-reaching. The point is one to be seriously meditated upon in taking up the duties of a new school year. NOVA TOVA SCOTIA offers to the tired brain worker an exceptionally attractive vacation opportunity. We believe that it is destined to become more and more popular with teachers whose work lies near to the ports of New York or Boston. Steamers leave each of these ports frequently throughout the summer season for Halifax (Plant Line from Boston) or Yarmouth and Digby (Dominion Atlantic Line), and passage rates are reasonable. The voyage is a short one and gives the tourist a real taste of ocean travel, thus broadening the experience of those who have never been to sea. Once on shore one finds himself in a new environment and soon realizes that he is making a brief foreign tour though he has but just left his native land. The people of the province are most kindly and hospitable and do their best to make visitors comfortable and happy. Among the advantages of a tour to Nova Scotia may be mentioned the following: The climate is always cool and invigorating. There are no hot nights, which means the luxury of peaceful sleep under one or more blankets at a season when at home we might be sweltering in a muggy temperature of 80 degrees or higher at midnight. There is an abundance of beautiful natural scenery. The sea scenery is of great variety. The recently opened Halifax and Southwestern Railway follows the Atlantic Coast line with its incessant indentations,—a region of multitudinous bays, harbors, bold headlands and alluring beaches, where one may wander over stretches of white sand, bathe in splendid surf, pick up fascinatingly smooth and rounded peb bles, or stand on rugged bluffs and watch the sea craft pass and repass in their various vocations and avocations. Deep-sea fishing, trout and salmon fishing in the lakes and streams, gunning of various kinds, from deer, bear and moose hunting down through almost the whole catalogue of sea fowl to the snipe and upland plover, will allure those whose tastes run in this direction. Botanizing, geologizing and various other branches of nature study are attractive to others. And for all there are the delights of long drives and rides, of boating, of pic-nicking and of just plain simple loafing in the delicious ozoneladen atmosphere. Along the line of the Dominion Atlantic Railway there is the charming Annapolis Valley, with "Evangeline Land" so full of interest to all teachers of Longfellow's "Evangeline." And all this is possible to the seeker after rest and recreation at a very low cost. The round trip to Yarmouth, plus stateroom and food en route, would be covered by $15.00, and good wholesome board at a farm house can be secured at from four to six dollars a week. This kind of a vacation, for at least a part of the summer, pays good dividends in health, strength and enjoyment, and we cordially recommend it to the favorable consideration of our readers. O CONTINUATION SCHOOLS The anticipated arrival of Dr. Kerschensteiner in this country to take part in the fourth annual convention of the National Society for the promotion of Industrial Education, to be held in Boston in November, calls attention to the fact that under his administration Munich has developed the most complete system of technical continuation schools to be found in any city. The basis of the specialized training for boys is laid in an eighth year which has been added to the elementary school. Attendance during this year is compulsory for boys and the instruction is of an intensive nature, for of the 32 hours a week, 21 are spent in wood and metal work, drawing, mathematics and science, and two in gymnastics and swimming; the rest are given to literary subjects, including religion and modern German history. The remarkable results of this experiment are indicated by the fact that of 2,200 boys who left this highest class last year, 2,150 went a once into handword or other skilled employment. The general character of the continuation schools of Munich is set forth in a recent report of the Board of Education, England, as follows: The central principle is that only those continuation schools have an attractive power worth naming which work in the direction of the future calling of the pupils, and that such only can exert an educational influence on the masses. For the boys this technical training is indispensable in the economic, and for the girls in the social interest of the state. Accordingly the courses are organized for each trade singly as far as possible and strictly with a view to its needs and usages. There are completely separate courses for druggists, saddlers, coopers, metal workers, watchmakers, lithographers, jewelers, to name only a few, each with its expert craftsman to teach the practice and theory, while the composition, arithmetic, bookkeeping and drawing are taught also by special teachers for the purposes of the special trade. The schools are considered, however, not only from the economic standpoint, but also from the point of view of civic and national training, by the inclusion of religion, hygiene and citizenship. Technical and craft training alone are not thought enough to secure the general welfare; they may promote merely the egoistic side of man, but the outlook of the individual should be widened to include an understanding of other trades and other nations, and an appreciation of his duties to the community and the state. The elementary schools cannot do this, but the continuation schools should. The ultimate aim of a national system of education should be to train men and women for the advancement of the state. Munich is a city of 570,000 inhabitants. The elementary schools enroll 67,000 children 6 to 14 years of age, and the continuation schools about 15,000 (6,000 boys, and 9,000 girls). Attendance at the latter is compulsory for boys from 14 to 18 years of age and for girls 13 to 16. The schools are so organized that pupils pursue their specialties from four to six hours a week. For girls the 8th class of the elementary school is not yet compulsory, and those who leave from the 7th class are obliged, from 13-16 years, to attend the so-called Sonntagschule on Sundays or on Wednesday afternoon for three hours. Those who leave from the 8th class generally come from the better working families, and these have only to attend the continuation Sonntagschule for one year, entering the third-year class. Many prefer, however, to join the optional continuation schools either in commercial or in domestic subjects, which give 6 to 10 hours a week, not counting certain voluntary subjects. The instruction in the 8th class for girls is analogous to that for boys, but for the former its object is to give a strong bias for, and understanding of, the duties of the home and family. The teaching is, therefore, concentrated on cookery, needlework, domestic accounts, hygiene and the care of infants. An important factor in the system is the municipal labor bureau, which in 1907 placed apprentices from the elementary schools as follows: The city spends about a million marks ($238,000) a year on its technical continuation classes; but the vigor of the system is due not only to the resolute expenditure of public money but to the active interest and even enthusiasm of the trade associations and of the small employers, as well as of the large firms, and to the cordial collaboration between these and the school authorities. Continuation schools, their number, organization and attendance are subjects of earnest consideration in all countries. Ontario has special provision for schools of this class in districts that are not supplied with high schools. They are rapidly multiplying and everywhere show the tendency to give the course of study a practical direction. The principal countries of Europe include continuation schools in their systems of public instruction, and while they differ greatly in their organization and purposes in general, they have the form of classes, so arranged that pupils attend from four to six hours or even eight hours a |