ing machine. "I don't care for that there rag time music," said one of them, "I like good music, that there music that sounds like a graveyard." And he really and truly appreciated "that there music that sounded like a graveyard," for I have seen him sit by the hour listening to it and repeatedly calling for more. I have had numerous and repeated opportunities to observe his love for the beautiful in music. For over two years now, I have been carrying the message of music into the country by giving concerts with a male quartet, a violinist, and a phonograph, and have never yet failed to get a response from the people that admits of no doubt as to their attitude towards this form of entertainment. The essential nature of music would lead one to the conclusion that it ought to be one of the means for the solution of the so-called country-life problem. The country problem is a social problem and music is principally and essentially a social art. It not only brings people together, but it is the best medium to make them think and, consequently, work together. Music in its very origin was a social utility and remains such to this day. The folk-song in its simplicity expresses the collective sentiment of a simple people living under simple conditions, and the symphony in its complexity expresses the conflicting emotions of a sensitive soul in contact with the conflicting currents of a highly organized and complex environment. This is theory, and I have no spect nor use for mere theorizing on questions of this nature than did Iago for the 66 ... bookish theoric, Wherein the toged consuls can propose more re As masterly as he: mere prattle without practice." But this theory of the nature and value of music is well substantiated by practice. I have found that a phonograph played on the porch of a country home in the evening will bring the people of the neighborhood together quicker and hold them there longer than any other means that may or can be proposed. I have seen a crowd of young men sitting in front of a country hotel and engaged in unprofitable conversation and gossip become silent and attentive on hearing the strains of beautiful music emanate from a nearby home. I have seen country audiences that had come from a radius of at least five miles after dark crowded into a tiny one-room school listening to music for over three hours, and asking for more. The times call for tremendous food production. This can be effected by more intensive and more extensive cultivation of the soil. Extensive cultivation of the soil calls for more people on the farm. For this reason it is necessary that the present and future generations shall be brought to a state of mind that will keep them satisfied with country life. In order to bring this about the older generation on the farm must be made to realize that their boys and girls will either be supplied with opportunities for various kinds of enjoyment at home or will seek it elsewhere and leave the farm. Second, the country church and the country school must join hands in bringing the older people to this point of view, and also constitute themselves the centres of recreation for the people. Third, that the essential nature of music, strengthened by the evidence of experience regarding the attitude of country people towards it, makes it imperative that music should occupy a prominent part in the effort to spread contentment with country life through the organization of social centres for the people. OBSERVATIONS OF WESTERN SCHOOL MAN BY WILL C. WOOD, IN BLUE BULLETIN During my stay in the East this summer I learned to appreciate the freedom which high schools of the West enjoy-freedom to work out their courses of study and perform other functions without the overweening tutelage of colleges and universities. Not that the situation in the West is ideal-I recognize that there are many problems to be worked out-but that the high schools in the West have attained that degree of freedom which enables them to respond wholeheartedly to the needs of young people of secondary school age. Recently there was presented to me a high school curriculum designed to prepare graduates for admission to either of two great Eastern universities. Practically all the work outlined in this. curriculum was prescribed. Among other requirements was four years of Latin or Greek. However, the student had an alternative-he might take five years of modern languages. The AS OF YORE! [Harold Crawford Stearns in Boston Transcript.] requirement in mathematics was quite as heavy. No place whatever was found in the college preparatory course for manual arts, or music, or drawing, or commercial work. We should congratulate ourselves that we are not working under entrance requirements such as these. I would not have you think that the high schools of the East are not doing strong and purposeful work. I found the high school principals and teachers thoroughly alive to their problem. They are doing big things in spite of burdensome restrictions. But how much greater service might they render if they were unhampered by archaic prescriptions! In California we owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Lange, who has stood steadfastly for self-directed development of the high school, fighting the good fight for liberal college entrance requirements. STANDARDIZATION OF ONE-ROOM RURAL SCHOOLS IN NORTH DAKOTA To be entitled to state aid as a state rural school the law and the regulations of the state board of education require: 1. SCHOOL TERM. First Class: Must be not less than nine months during the school year. Second Class: Must be not less than nine months during the school year. Third Class: Must be not less than eight months during the school year. 2. ATTENDANCE. The actual per cent. of attendance (to find this, multiply average daily attendance by 100 and divide by total enrollment) for the school must be not less than seventy-five; provided, that each child of or between the ages of the seventh and the seventeenth birthdays must have an average attendance of ninety per cent. for the entire term except when excused under the law. Non-attendance is excusable if due to one of the following causes, viz.: (1) Attendance elsewhere at some approved private or parochial school; (2) actually necessary to the support of the family as determined by the state's attorney, subject to appeal; (3) completion of the eighth grade; (4) physical or mental incapacity; and (5) attendance at a public school elsewhere. 3. DEPARTMENTS. There must be not more than one department. 4. TEACHERS. First Class: The teacher must be efficient and must be a graduate of a standard normal school or must have completed at least one year of school work above a four-year high school course and must hold a professional certificate. Second Class: The teacher must be efficient and must hold at least a first grade elementary certificate and must have completed at least four years of work above the eighth grade. Third Class: The teacher must be efficient and must hold at least a second grade elementary certificate and must have. completed at least four years of work above the eighth grade. 5. SCHOOL BUILDINGS. Must be suitable for school purposes, clean, and well kept. There must be at least twelve square feet of floor space and 200 cubic feet of air space provided for each pupil. 6. EQUIPMENT. Each school must be provided with: (a) Encyclopedia: Must be a set of modern encyclopedia of at least four volumes. (b) Unabridged Dictionaries: Must be Webster's New International. (c) Abridged Dictionaries: Not less than five copies. (d) Supplementary Readers: In addition to regular basic readers for all grades, there must be at least two sets of sup- 8. LIBRARY. Must have a well selected library divided between general and reference books. The reference will include the dictionaries and the encyclopedia, but readers and other texts must not be included in either list. The books for the library shall be selected from lists approved by the state superintendent. First Class: Must have not less than 100 volumes. Second Class: Must have not less than 100 volumes. Third Class: Must have not less than 75 volumes. 9. HEATING, VENTILATING, AND LIGHTING. Each school must be properly heated, ventilated and lighted in the following way: (a) Heating: Must be either basement plant or jacketed stove, same to be properly installed, for purposes of ventilation. (b) Ventilating: Fresh air must be brought from outside over or by a heated body through an intake or flue that is large enough to furnish sufficient fresh air which calls for a cross section area of a square foot for every ten pupils. This fresh air must be delivered at about six feet above level of floor. The foul air exit or flue must be of the same dimensions as the fresh air flue. It must remove the foul air at level of the floor, bringing the air in contact with a heated body in order that it may move up and out. (c) Lighting. Light must be admitted from left side or rear, or both, and the total light area must be not less than twenty per cent. of the floor space. 10. CLOSETS. To guard more effectively the health and morals of the pupils, there must be in must be kept by the teacher a complete record showing in detail each and every item herein named for classification, and it must show the enumeration, enrollment, attendance and standings of all pupils. Each school must show that it has maintained a high standard of efficient service during the year which will be shown largely when at least ninety per cent. of available pupils enrolled complete their grades in a creditable manner. Examinations will be given by the state board of education, or inspector, to assist in determining this standard. [In response to a resolution passed by the Illinois State Teachers' Association during the Christmas holidays of 1913, a conference of men and women representing every type of public education in the state was called to meet in the office of Francis G. Blair, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, January 31, 1914, to consider plans for carrying forward the work of the survey. Those present at this conference were F. G. Blair, Springfield; David Felmley, Normal; J. W. Cook, DeKalb; W. P. Morgan, Macomb; W. B. Owen, Chicago; L. D. Coffman, Urbana; W. C. Bagley, Urbana; D. Walter Potts, East St. Louis; G. F. Randle, Danville; G. D. Wham, Carbondale; W. R. Hatfield, Chicago; E. G. Bauman, Quincy; H. S. McGill, Jr., Springfield; G. W. Conn, Woodstock; Morgan C. Hogge, Chicago; Chester C. Dodge, Chicago; Thomas F. Holgate, Evanston; J. F. Bobbitt, Chicago; Mrs. Ella Flagg Young, Chicago, The conference resulted in the appointment of the following executive committee: President David Felmley of Normal, chairman; Superintendent Hugh S. McGill, Jr., Springfield; County Superintendent Charles McIntosh, Monticello; Principal Morgan Hogge, Chicago. L. D. Coffman of Urbana was made ex-officio member of the committee and director of the survey.] The purpose of the Illinois Survey was purely educational. Its methods were distinctly professional. Its materialization was scientific. It was devoid of all political flavor. It elimi Illinois School Survey," a co-operative investigation of school conditions and school efficiency, initiated and conducted by the teachers of Illinois in the interest of all the children of all the people. L. D. Coffman, director. Bloomington, Illinois: Public School Publishing Company, Cloth, 380 pp. Price, $1.00, nated all scholastic jealousies. It was not intended to lambaste, boast, or boost. It had no desire to dethrone or enthrone anybody or anything. Honest men by honest means honestly endeavored to learn the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about certain phases of public school equipment, administration, and schoolroom efficiency in the state of Illinois. No one was trying to qualify as an expert in the science and art of surveying, and fortunately Illinois had at command as brainy, as devoted, as experienced men as could be found in all America, and her loyal professional sons were ready to place themselves at her service. Dr. Lotus D. Coffman, as director, had the leading part. He chose for his major "The Economic Status of the Teachers of Illinois" and "The Technique of Administration," which with his introduction takes 111 pages. Dr. W. C. Bagley studied and reported upon "The Program of Studies in Town and City Elementary Graded Schools" (54 pages). Dr. Elmer E. Jones, Northwestern University, gives seventeen pages to "Some Exceptional High School Pupils in Illinois." I. A. Clements in seventeen pages presents "Student Population and Related Problems in High Schools." Dr. J. F. Bobbitt gives a study of "Spelling Scores in Fifty-four Illinois Cities," and "Arithmetic Scores in Seven Illinois Cities." The rural schools have more than one-fourth. of the book in tables and articles by four surveyors. It is a notable and successful attempt to know November 29, 1917 some things reliably about the educational work in a great state, without attempting to know the unknowable. No school man's library can be complete without it. No public library has a right to be without it. Now let us tbank the Eternal Power; convinced -John Brown. SUCCESSFUL CLUB WORK BY AMELIA WILBURN Lebanon, Shelby County, Tennessee [Shelby County, Tennessee,-Miss Charl Williams, County Superintendent,-is one of the famous counties of the United States. One feature of its success has been the school club work for women and the attendant Parent-Teachers' Associations.] In establishing a school women's club and a parent-teachers' association in the country district I endeavored to show that rural women, especially, needed this work to relieve their hum-drum duties somewhat; being careful always to let them understand that I believed in work-hard workbut that some outside interest was necessary for their better development. I sometimes quoted the old saying: "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." In appealing to the material side, they were shown wherein land was more valuable in a lively community where a good school was maintained. All points were illustrated with concrete examples. I also told them what these organizations had done for the communities in the large schools where I had taught, assuring them that what they could do for their communities, on a small scale necessarily, would be just as great as what the mothers had done in the more populous communities. To clinch the point, they were reminded of the poor widow who cast in her mite. It was a pleasure to talk to them, they were so interested and gave such good attention. Living so far, out in the country many of them had few opportunities to attend any kind of gathering and less opportun:ties to read, because of the lack of books. As a general thing they were so enthusiastic over the work that the clubs were no trouble to organize and the officers easily secured, but in two or three places I had some difficulty in securing a president. None wanted the honor because they were afraid they would fail, as it was all so new to them. Never before this had Parent-Teachers' Associations been organized in the country, and it was such a depar ture from the old order of things. However, the people liked it. After the officers were elected it was found to be a good plan to put as many of those who remained on the program committee as possible, thereby giving them all something to do. After a club was organized it went to work, and considering the circumstances under which they labored, the good they accomplished was almost marvelous. At their second meeting, generally two weeks from the organization, they as a rule decided on some kind of entertainment to be given in the near future. Many of the clubs gave boxsuppers with other features added, some plays with the members taking the leading parts, others gave ice cream suppers and served dinners to public gatherings, while still others gave concerts and various kinds of social affairs. Not only did these various entertainments serve to give pleasure to the people of the different communities, but always a neat sum was realized. With this money one club painted the school building, another bought a piano for their school, while some put in a school library, which was a great benefit to all the surrounding country. In this county nearly half the schools had no desks of any kind, the pupils being compelled to sit all day on old long benches which had every appearance of having done service in the ark. When organizing a club in these schools I always advised them to use the first money they made to buy new patent desks, and my advice was taken. In about three months' time these clubs had made $1,000 to use in beautifying the school buildings and grounds in their respective communities. The monetary value was nothing compared with the school spirit created, the pleasure given, the confidence inspired and the great lesson taught, of being able to work together in unison. They did more to create a school spirit than all the other school agencies combined. In 1916 there was not a school in the county doing high school work, and only two schools having as many as three teachers. They now have three high schools, one of which employs as many as six teachers, and the other two four teachers each. A big-souled teacher in a modest building has a far better school than a small-souled teacher in a palatial building.-F. B. Pearson. PROFESSIONAL BOOKS COMPILED BY CHARLES E. SKINNER Ohio University, Athens In assembling this list of titles of professional books, I have tried to write, as nearly as might be, the kind of list that I should have found useful when I was beginning my study of education. Books that were regarded as superior yesterday may have only historical value today. New books are coming from the press every day. A list like this may save some one a great deal of labor and vexation of spirit. There are many books to choose from. Still, they are of varying merit; and, perhaps more important, their temperamental appeal is diverse. Titles of books on special methods of teaching, experimental education, laboratory manuals, backward and gifted children, mental and physical tests and school tests of handwriting, arithmetic, spelling, etc., have been omitted from this list. Such a list might be given later. The subject matter of a book should be worth while; the "ease and difficulty" factor should correspond with the class of students for whom the book was intended; the book should raise problems in the mind of the reader by getting him to do some reflective thinking; and finally, the book should make applications of the principles studied. In order to make the list more intelligible to the general reader, the names of the books that would serve admirably as texts in teachers' training the courses are marked by an asterisk (*); and names of the books intended for advanced students are marked by a dagger (†). In several instances, however, no one book would serve as a text; for example, in the case of a course in Introduction to Education, all four of the books. named should be used. The same statement holds true of the titles of books given under Curriculum and Adolescence. I. Introduction to Education. Dewey, School and Society (1915 edition), University of Chicago Press. Judd, Genetic Psychology for Teachers (1911 edi- Rugg, The Experimental Determination of Mental Watt, The Economy and Training of Memory. C. II. Educational Psychology. (a) Elementary texts. *Colvin and Bagley, Human Behavior, (1914). D. *Freeman, Psychology of Common School Branches (1916). E. James, Talks to Teachers (1906). F. *Kirkpatrick, Study. D. on Psychology Major, First Steps in Mental Growth (1906). D. Pyle, Outlines of Educational Psychology. B. *Sandiford, Mental and Physical Life of School Children (1913). C. Starch, Experiments in Educational Psy- . chology. D. (b) Advanced texts. *Colvin, The Learning Process (1911). D. *Judd, Psychology of High School Subjects (1915). G. **Freeman, Experimental Education (1916). E. +McDougall, Social Psychology. H. Rusk, Experimental Education (1912). C. **Thorndike, Educational Psychology (Briefer Course), 1914. Teachers College. J. †Thorndike, Educational Psychology. Vol. I. The Original Nature of Man. Vol. II. The Psychology of Learning. Vol III. Work and Fatigue. Individual Differences. K. †Whipple, Manual of Mental and Physical Tests. *Angell, Psychology. F. James, Psychology (Briefer Course). F. *+Münsterberg, Psychology, General and Applied. A. *Pillsbury, Essentials of Psychology (1911). D. **Pillsbury, Fundamentals of Psychology (1916). D. IV. Methods. (a) Methods of Teaching in Elementary Schools. Charters, Methods of Teaching. M. Gesell, Normal Child and Primary Educa |