Uncle Sam’s Schools
For many years Uncle Sam left to the people at large the task of educating young people, except the future officers of the United States army and much later of the navy. These schools have been kept up, enlarged and provided with magnificent buildings; and they trained nearly all the officers in high command during the world war in both army and navy. In the course of the war the number of cadets was much increased; but it was found necessary hastily to set up special officers’ schools and training corps in various parts of the country. The United States also takes part in the public education of the states in a variety of ways. It has given to the states for common schools about 80 million acres of land, and for agricultural colleges and similar purposes about 15 million more. Ever since 1887 it has made also money grants to state agricultural colleges for experiment stations; and by the recent Smith-Hughes act is preparing to spend millions for vocational instruction, including farming. The states are obliged to put up an equal amount for the same purpose. Other bills look forward to a larger expenditure which would aid the states to get rid of the deplorable illiteracy found in some of them. Uncle Sam maintains schools in the dependencies—the Philippines, Hawaii, Porto Rico, etc.; and the Bureau of Education in Washington is a kind of center and clearing house of information and activity in education of every kind.
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Old Building, Washington, D. C.
This leading scientific establishment of the Government is also a great agency for the distribution of scientific, literary and Government publications
A FARMERS’ BULLETIN
The Department of Agriculture issued more than twenty million copies of these bulletins last year (1918)