strength as possible for study. He wants enough of athletic training to do his work in the best possible manner, and that I believe can be obtained by a regular system of athletic training in our colleges. Of that training 1 am decidedly in favor.

GYMNASTIC WORK AT SMITH COLLEGE

Miss Elizabeth C. Lawrence, Alumnæ gymnasium committee Within the past few years the interest in gymnastics at Smith college has considerably increased, owing largely to the efforts which have been made by the alumne to build a new gymnasium. In 1887 the need of a new building was imperative, as the wooden building which had been erected in 1879 proved too small for the increasing classes and was also poorly ventilated. The alumnæ, aided largely by personal gifts from the trustees of the college and from outside friends, secured funds for a new building which has been erected the past year and was opened last month, (June, 1891). The gymnasium is a two story brick building, the upper story offering a clear floor space larger than any, as yet, available in the other colleges for women in this country. Around the hall, 10 feet above the floor is a running track which serves also the purpose of a gallery for visitors. The lower story which is not yet completed is to be fitted with an ample number of dressing rooms and lockers with baths and with a swimming tank. The question of the introduction of a bowling alley is not yet settled. The building as it at present stands has cost just under $25,000 and $4,000 or $5,000 are needed to complete the lower story satisfactorily. Before the building is used in the fall it will be fitted with Swedish apparatus. This will be so arranged that in a few moments it can all be removed and a clear floor space be left for large class work.

From 1886 to 1889 the work at the college was under the supervision of Miss Gertrude Walker, a graduate of Dr Sargent's Sanatory gymnasium in Cambridge. During the past year Miss Adams, a graduate of Miss Mary E. Allen's gymnasium of Boston, has had the work in charge. The more nearly allied systems of Dr Sargent and Miss Allen have therefore been taught, although during the past year Miss Adams has introduced some of the Swedish work. With the coming year the Swedish system will be more fully introduced, Miss Grace H. Watson, a graduate of Boston university and of the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics, having been made instructor, The Swedish work is introduced because it is felt that this is a system fully elaborated and more carefully graded than any other

The exercises themselves are so varied that the pupils find nothing monotonous in them, and they tend to train the different organs of the body in a manner serving the great double purpose of promoting the efficiency of the circulatory and respiratory functions and of increasing the volitional control of the whole body rather than to develop physical specialists. From a practical point of view, too, it is found that large classes can be at exercise with simple apparatus, and with less waste of time than by some of the other methods.

Gymnastics are not ranked as a study at Smith college. Four afternoons of the week are given up to class work and the students of the first and second classes are required to spend half an hour in gymnastic practice on those days. For juniors and seniors the work is optional, and evening classes in more advanced work are formed by them, still under supervision of the instructor. Individual and specialized work is prescribed for any student for whom, for whatever reason, class work does not seem desirable. Such students have the advice of the resident physician as well as of the gymnasium instructor.

Taking college life as it is and the disinclination of the students for outdoor exercise during the winter months, the work which is thus required in the gymnasium is eminently desirable and helpful; and the effort should be to make the work as attractive as possible while yet it is carried on in a thoroughly systematic way.

SCHOOL ATHLETICS

Prin. D. C. Farr- The advocates of school athletics have a very difficult problem. That of college athletics has been thoroughly settled, so thoroughly settled, I suppose, that nothing will ever shake the foundation. It is generally conceded that athletics must have the first place in our colleges; but unfortunately the colleges. have been crowding back so much work on the schools that they are not quite ready to make athletics the principal work in which they are engaged, and so we stand at a very great disadvantage in this respect. What to do is one of the problems of the future.

I see reasons why collegians can give so much more attention to this subject than those of younger years can in our schools. Their nervous systems can endure stronger shocks than can those of the boys and girls of immature years. We have been told to-day that the examinations that the students in our schools are subject to are a tremendous strain on their nervous energies. There never was an examination set where it required as much nervous strain as does a

baseball game or a football game. I fully agree with those that sympathize with the view that some systematic training should be given in our schools, and it should be given in such a way that every student shall have the benefit of the thing and as much of it as he is able profitably to take. It is absolutely certain that in the baseball field and the football field very few persons get any benefit whatsoever from it. As far as the physical training of boys is concerned, military drill has been found very useful, but that does not do anything for the girls. But it seems to be entirely possible to give to all such physical training as will do them the most good without giving it to such an extent as the athletic craze would seem to require.

If there was a parent that required his boys or girls to perform the amount of physical exercise at home that these games exact from them, he would be considered a candidate for a mad house, and it would be said that he was abusing his son or his daughter, and public sentiment would not allow it.

We are crazy on this subject. In order that our blood should circulate well it is not necessary that we should run 12 miles a day. It is not necessary for us to subject ourselves to any such inconvenience. I do not know that walking made Charles Dickens the famous novelist that he was. I had supposed that nature had done something for the man. So let us attribute to those things the things that belong to them. Because a young man happens to go to college, gets into a boat race and is successful, and happens to be a good scholar at the same time, I never supposed for a moment that it was the boat race that won his scholarship in Greek, but rather something in here. (Pointing to his head.)

I think the time has come when the secondary schools ought to do systematic work, but it is very difficult, and the colleges are somewhat responsible. They want to shorten their course and they want to crowd back upon the schools more work so that when a young man graduates with his B. A. he will be much more advanced in literary lines. If we are to be crowded, where is the time coming for this extra work? The cry of the schools ought to be heeded by our colleges. The schools are required to do more work than they ought to be expected to do. The colleges say to us, "Send us boys prepared to enter our examinations," and I honestly suspect that they know that they are not going to do much work when they get into college, and so they require of us to do all before they go. I wish the college would see to it that the boys when they get there

should do some work, and then we would be most happy to give systematic athletic training in the lower schools, and just as soon as they will do that we promise to do our part of it. I think the colleges are t ́e elvet sinners in this land. I hope I am not right, but 1 thick I am.

Prin. Solomon Sias - Under the term "school athletics" I incate a sports and exercises that tend to physical development.

A large number of schools labor under disadvantages. The school I represe is situated in a small village; the pupils are children of working parents, and out of school hours have home and farm work

dx Nather they nor their parents think they need physical exercise, and it is difficult showing them the difference between mesele use and bysical training.

We are no gymnasium, and a large part of our exercises have to be carried on in one of the selioolrooms. We have tried calisthenic and "go" gymnastics, with and without music, for our young ladies; but the object in is made that they can not do the exercises properly by their usual dress. We have tried dancing; and have noticed an hypoverent in the ease and elasticity of the step, and in a more gracelift carruce. The great objection to indoor exercise is the lack of pure art and I question if the fine dust that is raised is not more is de exerbe is beneficial. In pleasant weather we Dave trod cutler ball tossing and similar sports, and have derived Lench far, then

Our goane meca are in the usual sports, such as running, jumpng, basala kaod fact all Care being taken to limit the amount of or gymnastic apparatus would be and has been inSymousy, beh, so we have none on our playground. We have at various evolations, and have found the benefits to PRE Camage, Sreater attention to commands whenever

SNOWAK acet of palcker o edience.

KINGSTON ACADEMY CADETS

PAH W. Callaban-Military dl with out strict discipline is 1. 1, 1 d to seeing to a discit line in an institution where

et

Extory is exceedingly difficult. It re

26 1st and determine toge ting, and whether

year with our company at Kingston

WA s "rpented, the boys Berg We placed before

them in as pleasant a light as possible the advantages to be derived from military training, we presented the bright side of Annapolis and West Point life. The clean-cut, live figure of the cadet was made the object of envy. To convince them that enlistment does not mean boys' play is a very important point. Our boys were shown that enlistment meant military service for a year; that it meant obedience. Suits were provided for them at a reasonable figure and orders were issued for a regular drill twice a week. It would be difficult for any one without having seen this company to understand or realize the advantage which it has been to our school. Every cadet wanted to be a good soldier. They put forth their very best energies to make a good company. The work of the drill was hard work. When the boys were about through, the company was characterized with all the dignity and discipline of any military organization. In marching, I have seldom seen better soldiers than those boys seemed to be. The company appeared in public on three occasions during the year. On Arbor day, after the public exercises, they were regularly inspected by the mavor assisted by the commissioned officers of the 14th Separate company. During the inspection they stood like a lot of statues. In their alignment, in their marching, etc., they were almost perfect. On Memorial day they were invited to lead the line by the Grand Army, and on commencement week the two platoons of the company drilled for a prize, which was made and presented to them by the young ladies of the academy. The boys have worked hard and have done well this year, but whether they will undertake the work which is necessary for success in another year, I do not know.

General discussion

Commissioner W: T. Harris, U. S. Bureau of Education I thank for you I consider it a great kind reference to me. your privilege to be able to be here this afternoon and hope that I may be able to-morrow to listen to the discussions on the topics announced. I have always thought, in my later years specially, that when I came to be present at a discussion on physical exercise, that it was my duty to utter two or three heresies which I hold on this subject; since I think it justifiable on the ground that anything which is not in the regular line of ideas and thought on this subject, perhaps may divert the attention toward possible discovery.

In early years I was a great believer in gymnastics pure and simple.