SLASHING BY EXPERTS

The final session of New York University's conference on junior high schools has adopted a resolution against "hurried and hysterical cutting of school budgets." It is argued that the national rush for economy may cripple seriously the essential functions of our educational machinery, and react to the disadvantage of future generations. Although the report gives half-hearted consent to "true economy," legislative bodies will be unable to escape the conclusion that the schools have joined the swelling ranks of state departments which, while ardent for budget balancing, insist that the axe must fall elsewhere.

Stripping the report of the buncombe which must inevitably attend any institutional effort at self preservation, there remains its very sound protest against unintelligent slashing. An example of this evil was afforded by the recent fate of the Ornithology Department at the Boston State House, which subsisted through halcyon decades on an, annual five thousand dollars, and very gratifyingly accumulated a surplus of several times that amount through persistent prudence. This surplus might easily, have been used to keep in operation a valuable public services, of long utility to scholars, but the responsible authorities were unable to withstand the hasty economy virus, and abolished the entire department. Against such abortive practices as these school conferences have every right to register on indignant objection.

On the other hand, the criticisms of Mr. Mencken and his followers on the innumerable costly futilities of our schools can not be summarily stilled. School budgets remain ill adjusted to a deflated economic order, and support many gadgets much could profitably be eliminated. A few members of the present conference offer the very sensible suggestion that the pruning be placed in the hands of leading educators in each community. Such men, cognizant of both the needed retrenchments and the really indispensable expenditures, can best reach a balance in the dilemma against which our scholastic bureaucracy and befuddled business men committees have struggled in vain.