Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 61.djvu/411

Rh proper province, would be so important that unless it were well performed, that of architects and builders would be imperfect. They should plan liberal things for the work, but should not leave the execution, as now, chiefly to one man. Under such conditions the bond between the boards would be close, for in frequent conferences each would become familiar with the general conditions and needs of the other, so that they would work, not merely in harmony, but also with the view to mutual helpfulness.

The writer has been informed that this plan is impracticable; that it has in itself the seeds of destruction; the faculties would be self-perpetuating bodies; conservatism would be crystallized; it is hard enough now to get rid of incompetent or antiquated professors, it would be impossible then; available funds would be applied to salaries and not to development; jealousies would paralyze the work; et cetera to the end of a list which does credit to its author 's power of imagination.

An answer in part would be Tu quoque, for certainly trustees are usually self-perpetuating bodies and it is equally certain that crystallization of conservatism in trustee boards has not been the least of the difficulties with which energetic faculties have had to contend. It is quite possible that salaries might be increased, or that an effort would be made to increase them so that a college instructor could live in modest comfort upon his salary. But there is no need of trustee supervision to prevent selfish grasping of funds. Chairs have been divided, new courses established, new methods introduced, the grade of instruction elevated—all upon the initiative of the faculties, and this in face of the fact that such expansion means decreasing salaries.

With educational matters under control of the faculties more attention would be paid to the qualifications of candidates for appointments than to the qualifications of their supporters; there would be fewer instructors of the type which some regard as burdensome; a college professorship would not be a haven of rest in which a failure might be anchored by his friends; expansion at the expense of efficiency would cease; there would be an end to extreme specialization in narrow groups but a wiser specialization in studies of a different type. No doubt mistakes, and many of them, would be made, as college professors are like other men; but the faculties are less likely to err in their management than are those who know very little about educational affairs.

It has been suggested that strong men would not serve as trustees; but the suggested conditions would change the actual conditions very little so far as most of the trustees are concerned. It is altogether probable that able men would be much readier to serve than they are now. A man who would not entrust any part of his business to a college professor simply because he does not understand it, can hardly