in the nutrition classes and paid a high tribute to the Council of Jewish Women who now proQ vide the mid morning and mid afternoon meal for the undernourished children. Dr. McCord referred to the special class work, the sight saving work, the Little Mothers' League and the dental clinic work. The biggest feature, he said, was the health teaching.

Albany schools follow the health syllabus given out by the United States bureau of education. Once a month the health director meets the teachers and reviews the work for the period. Dr. McCord said the "school nurse' had given way to the health teacher.'' She is still one and the same person, but she is better able to cope with her duties, he pointed out, because of her training as a nurse. course follows the lines laid down by the state board of regents when it changed the title of the positions.

This

-Dr. Brubacher of the New York State College for Teachers recently announced that two prizes of $25 each will be awarded in May for excellence in speaking. The President's Prize" will be awarded for the best original oration given by a senior man. The "Trustees' Prize" will be awarded for the interpretation of a memorized selection by a freshman girl. The competition for both prizes will be held in the auditorium on the evening of moving-up day.

Columbia County

-Superintendent Charles S. Williams of Hudson, after a short illness of pneumonia, died on January 19. Born about 52 years ago in Brockport, N. Y., he received his early training in the elementary and secondary schools of that village and then attended and graduated from the Brockport Normal School. After teaching a year in his native county he continued his studies for two years at Rochester University. He then accepted the principalship of the Livonia high school, where he served six years. On leaving Livonia he resumed his studies at Cornell University, from which institution he graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors. After graduation he served with distinction as principal of the Groton and Chatham high schools. From Chatham he was called to the superintendency of the Hudson public school system, where he served with marked success for 18 years.

Supt. Williams was a tireless worker and progressive administrator, built up a first class

high school and replaced three or four old grammar school buildings with modern, well equipped, new buildings.

He was a profound, versatile scholar, a skillful teacher and a broad, well-rounded man and citizen. For years he has been an inspiring leader in the civil, social, religious and educational activities of Hudson. He leaves behind him a splendid record of fruitful service to the cause of education in New York state.

Jefferson County

--Mrs. Martha Slafter of Harrisville, 49, grandmother of four children but who smilingly gives her age as "over 21," is studying biology, psychology, algebra and early European history in the Carthage high school and working hard for the necessary 72 counts to graduate. The explanation is simple. Mrs. Slafter has been a school teacher for 32 years, and held a license that formerly enabled her to teach in grade, as well as rural schools. By a recent ruling, however, a teacher, to teach in grade schools must be a high school graduate with 72 counts, hold a teachers' certificate and have three years' experience.

Greater New York

—Federal, state and municipal officials on January 6, attended the unveiling at police headquarters of a bronze tablet to the late Theodore Roosevelt, in memory of his services to the city as head of the department in 1895. It was a gift from a group of the colonel's friends and was given a place in the room he used while planning and carrying out numerous reforms that brought the metropolitan police force to a high standard of discipline and efficiency.

-Associate Superintendent Andrew W. Edson, for twenty-five years in the New York public schools, will retire in February.

-Miss Charl Ormond Williams, president of the N. E. A., on her recent visit to New York city the first week in January, was given a hearty welcome and reception by the faculty and students of Teachers' College. At a large mas meeting after the reception Miss Williams, who was introduced by Dean James E. Russell, gave an inspiring address in which she emphasized the importance of teachers organizations on a national basis and their wholehearted cooperation in the great educational movements championed by the N. E. A.

-Men and women from every land who are

studying in the colleges, universities and professional schools of New York city will have a home centre when the Intercollegiate Cosmopolitan Club's new building, "International House, " is completed. According to the plans announced by Harry E. Edmonds, executive secretary of the club, the new home will accommodate 500 students with living rooms and its assembly and social rooms, cafeteria, gymnasium, swimming pool and reception rooms will provide for several times that number. The funds for the new building, which will be erected on Riverside Drive opposite Grant's Tomb, have been contributed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Monroe County

-Plans filed on January 17 with the superintendent of buildings in Rochester, provide for probably the largest single school building in the world. It will cover three and threequarters acres, have 211 rooms and a stage twice as large as the biggest theater building here. Its estimated cost is $4,000,000.

Niagara County

-A disastrous fire on January 24 destroyed the Niagara Falls high school, causing damage of more than $1,000,000. There were seventy students in the school at the time and all escaped without injury, although a large quantity of glass in the dome of the building crashed to the floor of the corridor near the children as they were hurrying from the building.

Several explosions in the chemical laboratory placed the fire beyond control a few minutes after the firemen arrived. Fire Chief Otto Utz and Fireman James McCardle were injured.

Oneida County

-A conference for all teachers of art and industrial arts in Utica and nearby places will be held in the Utica Free Academy Friday, February 17. This is one of a series of conferences held during the school year in various parts of the state under the direction of Leon L. Winslow, specialist in drawing and industrial training.

Saratoga County

-At a meeting of the board of education, January 24, Evan E. Jones, supervising princi

pal of Piermont was elected superintendent of schools of Mechanicville, succeeding Supt. E. H. Burdick who goes to Middletown, August 1.

-Troy Academy, organized in 1834, passed into history January 21 when Barrett Wellington obtained an order from Supreme Court Justice Wesley O. Howard dissolving the corporation which conducted the school. The city police and fire alarm signal station is located on the old academy site.

Schenectady County

-The commencement exercises of the midyear graduating class of the Schenectady high school, numbering about 125, were held the evening of January 24 in the First Methodist Church. The program of closing events inIcluded class day exercises at which two one act class plays were staged, a prize speaking contest and the senior ball. A number of the graduates will return to the high school and take up post graduate courses until June.

-Roy E. Abbey, assistant principal of the Schenectady high school, has been appointed principal of the McKinley school, the first junior high school, which opened January 23. Mr. Abbey came to Schenectady in 1912 to teach physical geography and physics in the high school. In 1914 and 1915 he assisted Dr. James Stoller of Union College. He was graduated from Colgate University in 1911.

The McKinley school was an elementary school, but since the completion of the new Pleasant Valley school building the first six grades of the McKinley school have been transferred to the Pleasant Valley building, while the seventh and eighth grades of the Mount Pleasant school and the first year high school pupils have been transferred to McKinley school.

Westchester County

-A program of exercises of unusual interest was carried out at the recent unveiling of the James Earl Fraser bust of Theodore Roosevelt at the Roosevelt School of New Rochelle.

This fine bronze bust is a full-sized replica of the original Roosevelt bust in Paris, made by Mr. Fraser himself. It was unveiled by Mrs. Douglas Robinson, sister of the Great American, and presented to the Board of Education by Frank J. Hermes, chairman of the fund committee.

The necessary money to purchase the bust was raised by popular subscription among the friends and patrons of the school. The list of speakers at the exercises included Mrs. Robinson, George Watson, president of the board of education, Supt. Albert Leonard and Principal Wilkinson.

In the course of her address Mrs. Robinson told how Theodore Roosevelt as a boy loved and read stories, like Kipling's Jungle Stories, how weak and delicate he was and how he promised to exercise daily to build up a strong body.

The speaker continued to tell of the obstacle walks that Roosevelt used to take with a great crowd of children. He was very fond of these and the object of these walks was to go over or through every object that obstructed their path. It was against the rules to go around and everyone who failed to go over or through suffered the indignity of being obliged to turn around and go home.

"So I want you to think of him," continued Mrs. Robinson, "the man who always went over or through-never around. He went right straight forward to the task he had to do and he loved nothing more than an obstacle. I am sure the name of this school will occur to all you little ones when you are tempted to do something that is not just right-perhaps when you are prompted to tell some little untruth. I think you will come to look upon Roosevelt as a sort of patron-saint and at such times will pause to think that he would not like the thing which you are about to do. Let the thought of him rule your lives that you may be true, honest and decent in all things.'

Supt. Leonard who spoke briefly said it was a great honor for any school to be named after Roosevelt. After extolling his virtues he concluded by expressing the hope that in time the school library would contain every worth while book about Theodore Roosevelt and his deeds.

-Miss Lucinda E. Feeney, who for a third of a century has served the public schools of New Rochelle and who is now the principal of the Columbus school has resigned. Her record has been a remarkably long and successful one. She has served four years as teacher in the class room, seventeen years as principal at the Union Avenue school, and twelve years as principal of the Columbus school. During all these years Miss Feeney has been an inspiring factor in the educational life of the city.

Miss Feeney is a native of Waterville, native of Waterville, Oneida County, where she received her early training and education. She later attended the

Brockport State Normal School and graduated at the head of her class. The board of education has passed a fitting resolution in appreciation of her long and distinguished services in the public schools of New Rochelle. Miss Feeney hopes to carry out a long-cherished plan for travel and recreation during the next few years.

MEETINGS TO BE HELD
February

24-March 2: Department of Superintendence, N. E. A., Chicago.

April

20-22: Georgia Education Association, Columbus, Georgia. President, Kyle T. Alfriend, Milledgeville.

July

3-9: National Education Association, Boston.

Playing Safe

Patient-Doctor, something is the matter with me. My mind is a blank sometimes and my memory constantly fails me.

Doctor-In view of the peculiar nature of the case, I must ask for my fee in advance.

The first duty of government, and the surest evidence of good government, is the encouragement of education. A general diffusion of knowledge is the precursor and protector of republican institutions, and in it we must confide as the conservative power that will watch over our liberties and guard them against fraud, intrigue, corruption, and violence. I consider the system of our common schools as the palladium of our freedom, for no reasonable apprehension can be entertained of its subversion as long as the great body of the people are enlightened by education.-De Witt

Clinton.

New Maps in Preparation The enterprising McConnell School Map Co. of Chicago, publishers of the widely used Ancient and Classical History Maps, have in preparation five sets of history maps as follows: Set No. 23, American History; set No. 24, Ancient and Classical History; set No. 25, Medieval and Modern History; set No. 26, Early European History; and set No. 27, Later European History.

These maps are being prepared and edited by Dr. Carl Russell Fish, Professor of American History, University of Wisconsin, Dr. James Alton James, Professor of History, Northwestern University, Dr. Arthur Guy Terry, Associate Professor of History, Northwestern University, Dr. Rolla Milton Tryon, Associate Professor of the Teaching of History, University of Chicago, and by other members of the Department of History, Northwestern University.

With the efforts and experience of these men from three of the leading Universities, the field of history will be covered in the best manner possible.

All in attendance at the Chicago meeting of the N. E. A. Department of Superintendence will have an opportunity in connection with the general exhibit of inspecting the full line of historical and geographical maps which the McConnell School Map Company publish.

Spanish Becomes Popular

Recent decreases in the enrollments in German and French and increases in Spanish in high schools and colleges are the result of well-marked tendencies in our educational system, according to Prof. A. G. Canfield, head of the romance languages department at the University of Michigan.

The falling off in German, which took place in the fall of 1918, will not be offset to any extent within the present

generation, according to Professor Canfield, although its manifest cultural advantages and especially its importance in scientific study will bring it back eventually to something like its former position. The decrease was a natural result of antipathy during the war period and has gone so far as to bring complete elimination of the subject in all but one of the 200 high schools in the state of Michigan.

In most cases the decrease in German was offset by a corresponding increase in Spanish, according to Professor Canfield. The impetus given to the study of Spanish is due to closer economic and political relations with South America, and is caused by a real desire to learn the language. Practically without exception the reason for taking Spanish was given as the desire to secure a talking and reading knowledge of the language, as opposed to the wish of many French students to learn the literature and culture of the people.

The decline in French study that was noted, Professor Canfield said, was due to the natural reaction from the great interest in France during the war and will continue for some time as relations become less close. Another factor is the poor teaching that is given, particularly in the smaller high schools where special teachers could not be secured. The future of French lies with the quality of instruction that is given, the professor believes, and as it improves the enrollment in French will undergo a revival.

"Four things come not back-the spoken word, the sped arrow, the past life, the neglected opportunity."Hazlitt.

"Wisdom is knowing what to do; knowledge is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it."-David Starr Jordan.