One of the greatest trials of that period was the want of an acknowledgment of the educator's position and rights. The teacher too often was obliged to ask for his rights as favors to be accorded only with reluctance. What an absurdity! Does the sun ask permission to shine? Shall the accredited teacher ask permission to instruct his pupils? Shall the truth stay its course in enlightening and stimulating the soul and elevating the human race? Happily a change for the better is apparent; largely brought about among us through the instrumentality of this and other educational associations. They have also greatly contributed to the improvement of woman's position in education. What superior opportunities are now offered her to fit herself for the noble profession of the educator! and I am glad to be able to add, as is indicated by her presence here, that with this increasing responsibility she is so ready to embrace opportunities for improvement by attending institutes and normal schools and reading the best educational literature of the day.

Again, we see the advantage of these associations in the great struggles that are occurring in reference to the progress of education. What an advantage to the school officer and teacher in one locality to know definitely what form these issues take in other localities, for one in Maine to receive light from those in Massachusetts, or Oregon or Florida, or vice versa !

In conclusion I may add that when I remember that the great German Teachers' Association has an attendance of 5,000 members, I have often wished that we might have as great or greater attendance upon similar meetings in this country. Happily, under the leadership of your eminent president and his coadjutors, we see here the evidences of the possibility of realizing such a desire, and I trust that this great meeting is only the beginning of a series by which, in all the future, our educators will be better acquainted with each other and with each other's experiences in every part of our vast country, and that each may receive from these periodical gatherings new strength as he returns to his own responsibilities, while the public interest and confidence in the profession is correspondingly quickened and increased.

Address by John Hancock, President National Teachers' Association :

EDUCATION IN OHIO.

Ohio has a very tender regard for New England. You all have heard how New England furnished us with our school system, and Ohio is grateful for it; and like New England we are now trying to persuade our people that there is something above the common branches of education which they may all aspire to, and so build themselves into nobler and better men and women. There is also another bond of sympathy between the people of New England and Ohio, a common heritage of both. I allude to our great teacher, Horace Mann, whose great heart ceased to beat on our soil, although born on yours. As to our present educational status, I must say the legislators of Ohio have done but little for us. They have permitted us to tax ourselves for the education of the people; but from Samuel Lewis, the colaborer of Horace Mann, to the present day, we have had a band of teachers who have nobly done the work left undone by our legislators. They have built up the common-school system of Ohio, thus proving that they share the energy of New England teachers in educational matters.

Address by E. E. White, president of Purdue University, Indiana :

Those who visited the Centennial Exhibition, and noticed the very creditable representation of the school system of Indiana, will not be surprised to learn that the State occupies a high educational position in the West. It is believed that no other State in the Union has made greater progress in popular education in the past fifteen years than Indiana. Her citizens point with justifiable pride to her magnificent school fund, her excellent township system, her efficient system of supervision, city, county, and State; her two State universities, each supplementing and supporting the other; her model Normal school, and her admirable and well-sustained school journal. There is much progress yet to be made, but the results attained are full of encouragement and promise.

Indiana delights to acknowledge her indebtedness to the older States. She is one of the favored Commonwealths which were consecrated to universal education by the grand ordinance of 1787. The central provision of that great national statute was in these words: "Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged."

The great fact and the greater duty embodied in this clause were made a part of the organic law of the State and a part of her history. It may be proper to add that this peerless charter, which dedicated the Northwestern Territory to liberty and learning, was inspired by a New England man, Dr. Manassah Cutler, of the Ohio Company. Every State formed from this highly favored territory owes a debt to New England which it will never disown, and an obligation which it will never dishonor.

Indiana and her sister States of the central West propose to stand by the American school system in its integrity. It is true that their school systems are just now subjected to an assault of wild and hostile criticism, but the loyal people of these States stand back of their schools, ready and able to defend them. Our school systems are imperfect, and improvements are needed, and so far as hostile criticism points out real defects, it will promote the very cause which it assails.

Indiana is committed to the doctrine that the State has the right to teach any branch of knowledge that will promote the public welfare. She has never attempted the impossible logical feat of drawing a line through education, and affirming the right of the State to teach up to this line and denying the right of the State to cross it, conceding the right of the State to teach one boy to measure a board, and denying its right to teach another to measure a field. The State has either the right to teach all branches of useful knowledge, or it has no right to teach any branch. There is no middle ground.

As a representative of the West, I confidently pledge it to no step backwards in popular education. The high school will continue to be the most democratic feature of its school systems.

Address by M. A. Newell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction:

EDUCATION IN MARYLAND.

Although we may not have much to boast of from an educational standpoint in Maryland, we have adopted one modern improvement in advance of New England, and that is, when we fix the salaries of our teachers, we never ask whether the applicant be a lady or a gentleman. We pay so much or so little, but the amount is not raised if a gentleman takes the position, or lowered if a lady accepts.

Like you, we have also had to pass through a storm of criticism, to keep our common-school system, but I believe we are better for having successfully passed the ordeal. Before, we thought we had a good system; now, we know we have.

Address by Tanetaro Mengata, United States Commissioner of Education for Japan, Boston:

EDUCATION IN JAPAN.

Educational matters in Japan have taken a fresh start. The political revolution of 1878 vividly demonstrated to the government of Japan the importance of universal education; and a short time after it was decreed that means should be provided for the education of every child in the empire. For this purpose the country was divided into seven districts; and subdivided into high and elementary school districts, a population of 600 making one elementary school district. These sub-districts, of which there are 36, are under the immediate control of a local government of committecs or supervisors, who attend to the items of local expenditure, the organization of schools, text-books to be used, etc. They are answerable to a central department of education, which has the general control of all matters pertaining to education in the empire, the publishing of text-books, of reports and educational journals, and has under its immediate supervision several colleges. This department of educa

tion is represented in the cabinet by a chief executive officer, the same as any other department.

There are about 24,000 common schools in the empire, with an average attendance of 2,000,000, out of a total population of 34,000,000. The course of studies in these schools is somewhat similar to that in America, they having been largely modelled on the American and German plans. There are 216 high schools, of which 103 are specially devoted to the study of foreign languages; the total attendance averages 12,000, but this grade of schools has not yet come into general favor.

One of the most efficacious helps are the normal schools, 90 in number, which are educating and sending out a new class of teachers They have at present an attendance of about 8,000. Special lecturers have also been appointed to instruct the present common-school teachers, and they have commenced to hold teachers' institutes throughout the empire. The teachers, of whom there are about 45,000, of all grades, are licensed by the government Board of Education.

Japan, at present, can boast of one university, at Tokio, the capital, and about a dozen colleges throughout the empire, devoted to agriculture, law, medicine, etc.

A permanent fund of $8,000,000 has been established for the purposes of education. The total income for the public schools is about $6,500,000 per year, arising from interest on the permanent fund, local taxation, private donations, etc. Out of this, the expenditure for the last few years, for the common schools alone, has been nearly $5,000,000. The disadvantages Japan labors under are the want of a larger permanent fund and greater facilities for providing education for the poorer classes. Another drawback is the difficulty experienced in first learning to write the languages, although when understood, its beauty and great simplicity become apparent. The greatest need of the country is good teachers, but this is fast being remedied by the energetic measures of the present government. The Empress of Japan herself has established the first normal school for girls, and directed the publishing of new text-books by her express order.