require that better and more extensive opportunities be given for accountants, clerks and stenographers.

As approximately 90 per cent. of the pupils in Elementary Schools do not enter Secondary Schools and only about 10 per cent. of the remainder enter College, the study of foreign languages and commercial methods must be made a part of the public school course. These students should have an opportunity for training which would render them more independent economically and at the same time more efficient in commercial work.

Commercial education in the United States is everywhere deficient in foreign language instruction. The Boston High School of Commerce now requires of all students four years study of German and offers French and Spanish besides for three years. For several reasons this language requirement is not, in the opinion of your committee, very satisfactory. Many pupils who find the study of foreign languages very difficult do not attain satisfactory proficiency and they hold back the more capable. Even the entire four years are too short to accomplish the adequate mastery of a foreign language. The study of a foreign language should be begun at an earlier age. German is not of such surpassing importance that it should be prescribed for four years to the exclusion of French and Spanish; on the contrary Spanish should, in our opinion, be given most prominence. It is difficult in the first instance to impress American students with the necessity of mastering a foreign language.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

We therefore recommend:

That a permanent committee on Commercial Education be appointed by the Chamber, such committee to be of sufficient size to permit of the subdivision of its work; that such committee invite subscriptions to a Commercial Scholarship Fund to aid meritorious graduates of the public schools in taking courses in commerce and foreign languages ; that it establish examinations, somewhat in the manner of those of the London Chamber, for candidates for its certificates of proficiency; that it arrange with merchants and other employers to give preference in employment to holders of such certificates; that it establish a free employment bureau for holders of these certificates; that it advertise broadly the existence of the bureau and the scholarship fund, as an inducement to pupils to demand courses in commerce and the commerci ally important languages, and thus lead the Universities, High Schools and Elementary Schools to give such courses; that it co-operate with the Board of Education and other educational authorities in this city for the furtherance of commercial education and the establishment of special courses in foreign languages; and that it call attention to the especial value of a knowledge of Spanish.

as

We recommend that the terms of the Commercial Scholarship Fund, called it, be made broad enough to cover the cost of exami

we have

nations, medals, certificates, advertising, etc., as well as actual scholarship awards, unless the Chamber shall deem it proper to appropriate a special fund for such expenses.

We suggest that the committee invite Columbia University, New York University and the College of the City of New York to collaborate with it.

We respectfully submit the following suggestions for the consideration of that committee when appointed:

1. Opportunity should be given boys and girls to begin their commercial training at the age of twelve, after six years of school life, instead of fourteen after eight years of school life. In other words, the first six years of school life should be given to the mastery of the elements, the tools of education; the next six years, or such part of them as pupils may have, to the study of subjects that will help them to earn a living. For some the work of this second period would still be a preparation for high school and college, as it is now perforce for the majority, but for many others it would be such a training in commercial work as would render them more efficient and more independent.

2. For the class of workers who must perforce begin work early and also for matured men and women of the same class, there should also be efficient evening schools in which they could receive training for the commercial work in which they are to be engaged.

3. For those who can take a High School course of four or six years in addition to the elementary course of six years, there should be in the larger cities efficient departments of Commerce or High Schools of Commerce, in which students should be trained in foreign languages and in the theory and practice of commercial life along with other subjects that make for general intelligence and culture. Such departments and schools should stand in much closer connection with business life than they usually do now.

4. The opportunities for higher commercial training in our universities should be increased.

5. There must be a fuller appreciation both of the value of a knowledge of foreign languages in commercial work and of the time and effort required to master them. Pupils must study them earlier and longer, and be able to speak them as well as to read and write them. Business interests must pay better for the services of those who have mastered them.

6. Chambers of Commerce should take a more active part than heretofore in promoting the interests of Commercial Education,— (a) By making known what is being done in Commercial Education in European countries.

(b) By bringing influence to bear upon the proper educational authorities, looking towards the extension of opportunities for Commercial Education in the public schools.

(c) By supporting the plan for a six year division in the work of the public schools.

(d) By active co-operation with school authorities in the establishment and management of commercial courses and commercial schools. School authorities are, as a rule, too far removed from commercial life and too little acquainted with the needs of a practical commercial life to manage such courses and schools successfully without the assistance of business men.

(e) By active co-operation with school authorities in finding positions for boys and girls who have taken an approved course in Commercial Education.

of a mastery

(f) By urging upon bankers, exporters and others the advantages of the Spanish language, and informing them of the difficulty of competing for the trade of Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries without a knowledge of their tongue.

Mr. KING moved the adoption of the following resolutions :

Resolved, That the report of the Special Committee on Commercial Education be accepted, and the committee discharged; and be it

further

Resolved, That the President of the Chamber appoint a Permanent Committee on Commercial Education, to be composed of fifteen members, with authority to invite from members of the Chamber and from other sources subscriptions to a Commercial Scholarship Fund, and with authority to carry out the other recommendations of the Special Committee, as contained in its report; such Permanent Committee to report to the Chamber from time to time the progress and details of

its work.

REMARKS OF PRESIDENT HEPBURN.

THE PRESIDENT.-You have heard the report of the Committee with the accompanying resolutions. I think that this is one of the most important subjects that has come before this Chamber for a very long time. We are behind all other parts of the world in furnishing an

opportunity for practical commercial education. The Chamber of Commerce of London took this matter up a number of years ago, and at first gave courses of instruction. It found out very soon that this was not necessary, and it ceased to give courses of instruction but in their place conducted examinations all over the world, one examination having been held in the City of Berlin last year. Applicants who go through the examinations successfully receive certificates of proficiency, according to the merits which they disclose. Throughout the British Empire merchants are asked to give and have agreed to give, precedence to the holders of such certificates.

If we are going to extend our commerce to the West Indies and to South America, we must have people here who can speak the commercial languages of those countries, and something must be done to encourage students to take up and study those languages. It can easily be done, and will be done, as soon as they know and appreciate the necessity for so-doing. You will remember that last spring you adopted resolutions looking to the granting of medals by this Chamber to students who had obtained proficiency in those languages. Now we want to go further, and we want to have established a grade of certificates which shall mean something to the commercial world, and shall mean something to the men who are seeking to employ clerks.

This report is very ably drawn, and is the result of a careful and painstaking study on the part of thoroughly competent men. It has been printed and a copy placed on each seat here before you. It will appear in the Bulletin at its next issue, and I beg you gentlemen to read it. We may ask you for funds later on, the income of which can be used for granting medals and conducting examinations as suggested, but we want you to read this report and understand the situation and see what we are trying to get at and trying to accomplish. It will not be giving money away; but it would be simply an expenditure of money in the prosecution of your own business, in the conduct of the commerce in which we are all engaged directly or indirectly; and therefore I ask you to give this matter thorough and serious consideration. We have a High School of Commerce in this city, established mainly at the request of this Chamber twenty years ago, but it is not teaching the subject as it ought to be taught, because it lacks contact with practical men who are engaged in commercial affairs, and that contact we should supply. We have in this City of New York something which they have in but one other place in the world, and that is a college that is doing college work, and ranking with other scholastic institutions of its class throughout the country,

which is supported by the taxpayers of this city, so that any one may be educated there gratuitously and receive a diploma, which, so far as scholarship is concerned, ranks with the average college of the country. Now, with these institutions which we support by taxation, and with the necessity for taking action in this matter, it seems that it is our duty to give this special attention, and we want practical suggestions from you all. We want you to help, we want your advice and co-operation and your countenance more than we want your money. We shall not ask for very much money, but we shall ask for some. Gentleman, this resolution is debatable by others as well as myself, but I could not refrain from saying this much.

LOUIS WINDMULLER.-Mr. Chairman, I would make one exception, namely that the report of the committee only refers to Spanish. I think other languages are necessary for our young merchants. It is too bad that no more languages are taught in our schools, and I hope that this action will lead to a better knowledge of modern languages.

Mr. KING.-Perhaps my empasis of the word "Spanish" was a little heavy. We do recommend that the commercially important modern languages be taught, and that special courses in specially important modern languages be given, but we particularly mention Spanish because, if the Chamber will remember, this special committee was appointed as the result of a suggestion made before the Chamber that the teaching of Spanish, because of its great commercial importance, should be made compulsory in the public schools. The Chamber did not think it wise to adopt the resolution in that form, and appointed this committee to take up the subject in a little broader way. We do emphasize the importance of Spanish to merchants engaged in trade on the American continent. We mention the matter a number of times in our report, because we found in our investigations that of those studying courses in foreign languages, about 70 per cent. take German, about 20 per cent. French, and only 10 per cent. Spanish, which seemed to invert the natural order of things.

THE PRESIDENT.-Gentlemen, the present resolutions before you discharge the special committee of five, with thanks for their labor so efficiently done, and authorizes the appointment of a larger committee of fifteen.

The motion to adopt the report and the resolutions being duly seconded, was carried unanimously.