panoramic view of the school work of the State was clearly presented and the visitor furnished concrete proof of the progressiveness of the Garden State and the excellence of its public school system.

NEW MEXICO.

BY M. W. PORTERFIELD, COMMISSIONER.

THE EXHIBIT.

New Mexico's educational institutions were represented at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition by excellent exhibits from the normal school at Silver City, the Normal University at Las Vegas, the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque, the College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts at Mesilla Park, the School of Mines at Socorro, the Military Institute at Roswell, and from a large number of graded schools and country schools, fully demonstrating the educational facilities of the Territory.

It must be said for the educators who had the preparation of this work in charge that the brief time allotted to them was well employed, as the late date at which the appropriation was available left them only the few weeks remaining between the 1st of January, 1904, and the opening of the exposition.

At a meeting of the educational association, convened at the capitol building at Santa Fe on December 27, 1903, M. W. Porterfield, superintendent of exhibits for New Mexico, appeared before the association and addressed the educators on the subject of providing a creditable exhibit of the educational facilities of New Mexico at the exposition, asking the association to appoint a committee to aid him in outlining a plan which would insure uniform and comprehensive exhibits from all the schools of the Territory. The committee appointed consisted of Dr. C. M. Light, president of the Silver City Normal School; Prof. A. B. Stroup, principal of the Albuquerque High School, and Prof. J. A. Wood, superintendent of the Santa Fe schools, who presented to the association a detailed working plan, which was adopted, and the principals of all schools of the Territory and the presidents of all the higher institutions were appointed to cooperate in the work of preparing the exhibits.

It was agreed that cabinets and wing frames of suitable design would be used, and that the New Mexico commission would furnish to each school as many of these as it could utilize. The cards to be used in the wing frames were shipped direct to each school, and the school work attached to these according to a prescribed rule, ready to be placed in the frames. In this condition they were shipped to St. Louis, where the cabinets and wing frames were ready to receive them.

The work was uniformly prepared in the manner outlined, and the cards numbered, so that when they reached St. Louis everything was in systematic order and readily fitted into the cabinets. In addition to the work suited for installation in the wing frames were specimens from the manual training departments, biological departments, kindergarten work, raffia work, map work, and photographs of the school buildings. These were exhibited on the walls of the booth and in upright show cases along the front of the aisle, making in all a very neat and attractive exhibit.

NEW YORK.

BY DE LANCY M. ELLIS, DIRECTOR.

ORGANIZATION.

The administration of the school system of the State of New York has been more complex than that of any other State in the Union. This was owing to the fact that while the sentiment toward public education is in no State more generous, yet the administration of educational affairs was highly centralized in two departments. The State department of public instruction and the University of the State of New York, the two educational departments under which the schools were formerly administered, were merged by act of the legislature of 1904, and now the controlling power is designated as the education department of the State of New York, consisting of two coordinate branches-the board of regents (the legislative branch) and the commissioner of education (the executive).

The members of the board of regents, numbering eleven, are elected by the legislature on joint ballot, and serve for a term of eleven years, one member retiring each year. The board exercises the powers of the corporation known as the University of the State of New York, with which powers it has been charged since the granting of the charter by the legislature in 1784, and in addition thereto exercises advisory powers on State educational policies as related to, elementary and secondary schools, as well as the higher institutions. The members of the board receive no compensation, but are paid actual expenses while in attendance upon meetings of the board.

The first commissioner of education was elected by the legislature for a term of six years, and his successors are to be appointed by the board of regents and serve during its pleasure. He is the executive officer of the board and has general and administrative supervision of all educational interests in the State. He administers the consolidated school law, the university law, and the general statutes of the State relating to education, and has power to create such departments as in his judgment are necessary and to appoint deputies and heads of departments, subject to the approval of the board. The heads of the several divisions appoint, subject to the approval of the commissioner, the subordinates in their respective divisions. All appropriations of public money made in support of the common school system and all appropriations in aid of secondary education are certified by the commissioner and paid by the State treasurer on the warrant of the comptroller. The commissioner receives a salary of $7,500 per annum and $1,500 per annum in lieu of personal expenses. There are three assistant commissioners, appointed on the nomination of the commissioner and the approval of the board, each receiving $5,000 per annum. The first assistant commissioner is in charge of universities, colleges, professional and technical schools, and of the execution of the laws concerning the professions, also the relations and chartering of institutions. The second assistant has charge of high schools and academies and of the training of teachers therefor, including the oversight of the State Normal College. The third assistant has charge of the elementary schools and of the training of teachers therefor, including normal schools, training classes, and teachers' institutes. It devolves on each assistant to guide the work and uplift the institutions of his class. In the absence of the commissioner, the assistant commissioners in their numerical order act in his

stead.

The administrative and clerical work of the department is classified under divisions, as follows: Accounts, compulsory attendance, examinations, inspections, law, records, statistics. The heads of divisions are called "chiefs," unless otherwise indicated, and are appointed on the nomination of the commissioner and confirmation by the board. Such work as is carried on directly by the department, rather than through schools, is included under libraries and home education, and State science work.

The head of the libraries and home education division is called "director," and the operations and work of this division are under the immediate supervision of the commissioner. The division includes the State library, the Library School, the administration or aid of town, school, and other libraries, including the supervision of all agencies for promoting study and culture outside of teaching institutions.

The head of the science work division is called "director of science work” and of the State museum. The work of this division is likewise under the commissioner's immediate supervision. It includes the work of the State geologist, paleontologist, entomologist, and botanist, and the charge of the State scientific collections.

The head of the division of accounts is called the "cashier," who is required to give a bond approved by the comptroller for the proper discharge of his duties. In addition to keeping all financial accounts he is charged with the management of the business affairs of the department, and with the care and proper expenditure of all moneys received.

The administration of the compulsory education law is lodged in the compulsory attendance division.

The examinations division includes the entire public examination system of the State, comprising the examinations of pupils in the schools with reference to their advancement, the examination of all candidates for certificates as teachers, and the examination of candidates for admission to the professions.

The inspections division contains twelve inspectors, and includes the inspection of the elementary, secondary, and higher institutions of the State as to methods and efficiency of instruction, equipment, sanitary conditions, etc.

The law division answers all inquiries made informally as to the provisions and meaning of the school laws, and has charge of all appeals from the acts of local school officials which are taken on formal pleadings to the commissioner, and on which his decision is final and can not be called in question in the courts. This distinctive feature of the New York system has been in operation for three-quarters of a century and provides a court for settling school controversies speedily, inexpensively, and conclusively.

The records division has charge of all permanent records of the department, and all data bearing on the history of education in the State.

The statistics division compiles the annual reports from the elementary, secondary, and higher institutions, and apportions all school moneys.

Under the professional laws of the State, boards of examiners are provided in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, certified public accountants, and nurses, in connection with the work of the department.

The annual apportionment of school moneys affects every public school in the State of elementary and secondary grade, and is made with special reference to aiding the weak rural districts. These moneys are derived from three sources— the free school fund, raised by taxation, and so much of the income of the United States deposit fund, and so much of the income of the common school fund as may be appropriated, it being provided by statute that all moneys so apportioned, except the library moneys, shall be applied exclusively to the payment of teachers' wages. In apportioning the school moneys the commissioner

is required, first, to set aside a sum to pay the salaries of school commissioners, who are local officers in rural districts, chosen by popular vote and serving for a term of three years, $1,000 per annum each; then such sum for library moneys as shall be appropriated for that purpose. The balance is apportioned as follows: To each city, $800; to each village and union school district with a population of 5,000 or more, which employs a superintendent of schools devoting his entire time to supervision, $800; for contingent fund, not more than $10,000; to each school district having an assessed valuation of $40,000 or less, and to each Indian reservation for each teacher, a quota of $150, and to each of the remaining districts and to each of the cities in the State, $125, this apportionment being known as a “district quota;" to each district or city, for each additional qualified teacher, $100, this apportionment being known as a "teacher's quota." (In order to receive a “teacher's quota " a district must present verified evidence that a duly licensed teacher has taught therein at least one hundred and sixty days in the school year.) The balance is apportioned to the several counties on the basis of population. The apportionment is certified to the county clerk, the county treasurer, school commissioners, and city treasurer, or chamberlain in every county in the State. The school commissioners of each county thereupon meet and reapportion the money in accordance with the instructions of the commissioner of education, dividing the amount which has been apportioned to each county on the basis of population among the several districts therein on the basis of aggregate attendance. Having made their apportionment, the school commissioners certify the same to the treasurer of the county and the commissioner of education, and to the supervisor of each town the amount of school moneys apportioned to his town, the supervisor being required to give his bond for at least double the amount of school moneys so apportioned for the faithful disbursement, safe-keeping, and accounting for such moneys and all other school moneys that may come into his hands from any other source.

No person can teach in the public schools of the State without a license, and the State maintains an elaborate system for the training and certification of teachers, as follows: First, a normal school system, comprising 1 normal college and 11 normal schools, the first named being a degree-conferring institution and all of them, upon the completion of one of the prescribed courses of study, issuing certificates to teach for life in the State; second, training schools for the preparation of teachers in the various cities of the State, carried on under State supervision and with State aid, with a course covering two years, upon completion of which course a certificate to teach is issued for three years, renewable for ten years; third, training classes in the high schools and union schools of rural districts of the State, maintained under State supervision and with State aid, the course of study being one year, upon the completion of which a certificate is issued to teach for three years, renewable for five years; fourth, a graded system of teachers' examinations for the rural districts, known as the "uniform" examinations, so graded that applicants for the profession must begin at the lower grade, and in order to remain in the profession must gradually earn the certificates of the higher grades. The certificates are valid for different lengths of time, depending upon the scope of the examination. These examinations are prepared by the staff of the education department and conducted by local school authorities throughout the State, and papers are returned for correction and rating in the State department of education, which issues the certificates.

A system of teachers' institutes is maintained throughout the State by a competent corps of instructors, an institute being held in every commissioner district in the State each year lasting one week. The system is being gradually extended to the cities, wherein, however, at this time the holding of institutes is optional, whereas in the rural districts it is obligatory. Lectures are given

on pedagogical subjects. Attendance upon the part of teachers is obligatory, the penalty for failure to attend without valid reasons being the revocation of the teacher's certificate. The attendance upon teachers' institutes is counted in the required number of days to be taught, and the law provides for the payment of teachers' wages for institute week.

THE EXHIBIT.

The educational exhibit of the State of New York was prepared with the hearty cooperation of all of the educational interests of the State. The movement was inaugurated at a meeting of the State Teachers' Association held at Saratoga in July, 1902, at which a resolution was offered inviting the various educational associations in the State to cooperate with the above association in arousing interest and obtaining funds for making an exhibit commensurate with the State's educational importance at the St. Louis Exposition. An immediate response was received from the administrative departments of the State and from each of 10 powerful educational associations, who each sent a representative to a so-called "conference committee." This committee succeeded in obtaining the requisite funds from the commission appointed by the governor to represent the State at St. Louis and the appointment of a director for the exhibit. The matter was presented at every educational meeting of importance during the year 1903, and that fact, in conjunction with the circulars sent throughout the State, aroused a widespread interest in the project. The exhibit was collected, systematically arranged, and mounted in the office of the director at Rochester, N. Y., the entire expense of its preparation and transportation being borne by the State, with the exception of the binding of written work and small incidental expenses, which were borne by local school authorities. Full instructions were forwarded to local authorities as to the preparation of work, amount of material desired, and the proposed plan of arrangement. To the latter, which is described below, objection was raised on the part of one or two cities, but it was generally considered that while the arrangement made no concession to local pride, it was the wisest arrangement to follow in an exposition of international scope. This arrangement was briefly as follows:

That, save the city of New York, which had been assigned separate space by the exposition authorities, and which had made an appropriation more than half as large as that made for the entire State exhibit, no city should be permitted to make a distinctive exhibit, but that all should be merged in a State exhibit, which should indicate clearly what the State as a whole is doing in education. Having decided upon this method, it but remained to decide whether the work should be arranged by grades or subjects. The conference committee, which, upon the appointment of a director, took the name of “Advisory committee," recommended that the grammar school work should be arranged by grades; in other words, that all the work of the State in a single grade should be installed together, thus making it possible for a grade teacher to compare her own work readily with that of New York's and to profit by the comparison, no matter in whose favor it might be. In the high school section all the work was to be installed by subjects and classed under various departments, such as science, classics, mathematics, etc., for the benefit of instructors in charge of departments. The compliments which have been bestowed upon the arrangement, and the readiness with which all visitors have found the work in which they were particularly interested, have demonstrated beyond doubt the wisdom of the committee in pursuing the course above outlined, and, in the opinion of