philanthropic movement which has for its end the advance
ment of higher education. The press is announcing weekly,
and it may almost be said daily, the bequest of a large en
dowment fund to some college or university, or the establish
ing of industrial schools, laboratories, etc. At the same
time our more literary institutions are throwing off their
garb of conservatism and are strengthening the scientific
side of their work in a manner that would not have been
thought of ten years ago. Is all this to be accounted for
simply as a chance occurrence in time? We think not.
Some years ago Germany underwent a great revival in re
gard to her industrial education and commercial interests
and to day her standing in learning and the industries is
among the foremost, if not the best, in the world. Nngland
soon learned the secret of the rapid progress in Germany
and immediately applied herself to the people, and happily
for her, for she has struck the right source. In the United
States, if the tendency is toward commercialism, as seems
evident, do we not find in this a partial explanation why
millions upon millions are being given to the furtherance of
this work in education? The greater part of this vast sum
of wealth being used for practical purposes, it seems as
though it is but one expression of the spirit of the times.
Most of our great philanthropists are business men and it is
but logical to think that it is owing to the business and
moral interests of the county that they concentrate most of
their wealth in the more practical institutions, and such
seems to be the case. Whether this charitable movement is
to continue very long can only be seen in the future; but
whatever may be its outcome, the beginning of the twentieth
century in the United States may well be characterized as
being an era of unprecedented advance in the interests of