the higher learning in america-第48节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





profession；　and　it　is　doubtless　believed　by　its　apologists　to　be



a　useful　profession；　on　the　whole；　but　a　body　of　lawyers　somewhat



less　numerous；　and　with　a　lower　average　proficiency　in　legal



subtleties　and　expedients；　would　unquestionably　be　quite　as



serviceable　to　the　community　at　large　as　a　larger　number　of　such



men　with　a　higher　efficiency；　at　the　same　time　they　would　be　less



costly；　both　as　to　initial　cost　and　as　to　the　expenses　of



maintenance　that　come　of　that　excessive　volume　and　retardation　of



litigation　due　to　an　extreme　facility　in　legal　technique　on　the



part　of　the　members　of　the　bar。



　　　　It　will　also　be　found　true　that　both　the　schools　of　law　and



those　of　commerce；　and　in　a　less　degree　the　other　vocational



schools；　serve　the　advantage　of　one　class　as　against　another。　In



the　measure　in　which　these　schools　accomplish　what　they　aim　at；



they　increase　the　advantage　of　such　men　as　already　have　some



advantage　over　the　common　run。　The　instruction　is　half…way



gratuitous；　that　is　the　purpose　of　placing　these　schools　on　a



foundation　or　maintaining　them　at　the　public　expense。　It　is



presumed　to　be　worth　more　than　its　cost　to　the　students。　The　fees



and　other　incidental　expenses　do　not　nearly　cover　the　cost　of　the



schools；　otherwise　no　foundation　or　support　from　the　public　funds



would　be　required；　and　the　universities　would　have　no　colourable



excuse　for　going　into　this　field。　But　even　if　the　instruction　and



facilities　offered　by　these　schools　are　virtually　gratuitous；　yet



the　fees　and　incidental　expenses；　together　with　the　expenditure



of　time　and　the　cost　of　living　required　for　a　residence　at　the



schools；　make　up　so　considerable　an　item　of　expense　as



effectually　to　exclude　the　majority　of　those　young　men　who　might



otherwise　be　inclined　to　avail　themselves　of　these　advantages。　In



effect；　none　can　afford　the　time　and　expense　of　this　business



training；　whether　in　Commerce；　Law；　or　the　other　professions；



except　those　who　are　already　possessed　of　something　more　than　the



average　wealth　or　average　income；　and　none；　presumably；　take



kindly　to　this　training；　in　commerce　or　law；　e。g。；　except　those



who　already　have　something　more　than　the　average　taste　and



aptitude　for　business　traffic；　or　who　have　a　promising　〃opening〃



of　this　character　in　sight。　So　that　this　training　that　is　desired



to　serve　the　private　advantage　of　commercial　students　is；　for　the



greater　part；　extended　to　a　select　body　of　young　men；　only　such



applicants　being　eligible；　in　effect；　as　do　not　on　any　showing



need　this　gratuity。



　　　　In　proportion　to　the　work　which　it　undertakes；　the　College　of



Commerce　is　　or　it　would　be　if　it　lived　up　to　its　professions



　the　most　expensive　branch　of　the　university　corporation。　In



this　connection　the　case　of　the　law　school　offers　a　significant



object…lesson　of　what　to　expect　in　the　further　growth　of　the



schools　of　commerce。　The　law　school　is　of　older　standing　and



maturer　growth；　at　the　same　time　that　its　aims　and　circumstances



are　of　much　the　same　general　character　as　those　that　condition



the　schools　of　commerce；　and　it　is　therefore　to　be　taken　as



indicating　something　of　what　must　be　looked　for　in　the　college　of



commerce　if　it　is　to　do　the　work　for　which　it　is　established。　The



indications；　then；　are　（a）　that　the　instruction　in　the　field　of



commercial　training　may　be　expected　gradually　to　fall　into　a　more



rigidly　drawn　curriculum；　which　will　discard　all　irrelevant



theoretical　excursions　and　will　diverge　more　and　more　widely　from



the　ways　of　scientific　inquiry；　in　proportion　as　experience　and



tactful　organization　bring　the　school　to　a　maturer　insight　into



its　purposes　and　a　more　consistent　adherence　to　its　chief　purpose



of　training　expert　men　for　the　higher　business　practice；　and　（b）



that　the　personnel　of　its　staff　must　increasingly　be　drawn　from



among　the　successful　businessmen；　rather　than　from　men　of



academic　training。



　　　　Among　the　immediate　consequences　of　this　latter　feature；　as



shown　in　the　example　of　the　law　schools；　is　a　relatively　high



cost。　The　schedule　of　salaries　in　the　law　schools　attached　to　the



universities；　e。　g。；　runs　appreciably　higher　than　in　the



university　proper。　the　reason　being；　of　course；　that　men　suitable



efficiently　to　serve　as　instructors　and　directive　officials　in　a



school　of　law　are　almost　necessarily　men　whose　services　in　the



practice　of　the　law　would　command　a　high　rate　of　pay。　What　is



needed　in　the　law　school　（as　in　the　school　of　commerce）　is　men



who　are　practically　conversant　with　the　ways　and　means　of　earning



large　fees；　　that　being　the　point　of　it　all。　Indeed；　the　scale



of　pay　which　their　services　will　command　in　the　open　market　is



the　chief　and　ordinary　test　of　their　fitness　for　the　work　of



instruction。　The　salaries　paid　these　men　of　affairs；　who　have　so



been　diverted　to　the　service　of　the　schools；　is　commonly　some



multiple　of　the　salary　assigned　to　men　of　a　comparable　ability



and　attainments　in　the　academic　work　proper。　The　academic　rank



assigned　them　is　also　necessarily；　and　for　the　like　reason；



commensurate　with　their　higher　scale　of　pay；　all　of　which　throws



an　undue　preponderance　of　discretion　and　authority　into　the　hands



of　these　men　of　affairs；　and　so　introduces　a　disproportionate



bias　in　favour　of　unscientific　and　unscholarly　aims　and　ideals　in



the　university　at　large。



　　　　Judged　by　the　example　of　the　law　schools；　then；　the　college



of　commerce；　if　it　is　to　live　and　thrive；　may　be　counted　on　to



divert　a　much　larger　body　of　funds　from　legitimate　university



uses；　and　to　create　more　of　a　bias　hostile　to　scholarly　and



scientific　work　in　the　academic　body；　than　the　mere　numerical



showing　of　its　staff　would　suggest。　It　is　fairly　to　be　expected



that　capable　men　of　affairs；　drawn　from　the　traffic　of　successful



business　for　this　service；　will　require　even　a　higher　rate　of



pay；　at　the　same　time　that　they　will　be　even　more　cordially　out



of　sympathy　with　the　ideals　of　scholarship；　than　the　personnel　of



the　law　schools。　Such　will　necessarily　be　the　outcome；　if　these



schools　are　at　all　effectually　to　serve　the　purpose　for　which



they　are　created。



　　　　But　for　the　present；　as　matters　stand　now；　near　the　inception



of　this　enterprise　in　training　masters　of　gain；　such　an　outcome



has　not　been　reached。　Neither　have　the　schools　of　commerce　yet



been　placed　on　such　a　footing　of　expensiveness　and　authoritative



discretion　as　the　high　sanction　of　the　quest　of　gain　would　seem



properly　to　assign　them；　nor　are　they；　as　at　present　organized



and　equipped；　at　all　eminently　fit　to　carry　out　the　work



entrusted　to　their　care。　Commonly；　it　is　to　be　admitted；　the　men



selected　for　the　staff　are　men　of　some　academic　training；　rather



than　men　of　affairs　who　have　shown　evidence　of　fitness　to　give



counsel　and　instruction；　by　eminently　gainful　success　in



business。　They　are；　indeed；　commonly　men　of　moderate　rating　in



the　academic　community；　and　are　vested　with　a　moderate　rank　and



authority；　and　the　emoluments　of　these　offices　are　also　such　as



attach　to　positions　of　a　middling　grade　in　academic　work；　instead



of　being　comparable　with　the　gains　that　come　to　capable　men



engaged　in　the　large　business　outside。　Yet　it　is　from　among　these



higher　grades　of　expert　businessmen　outside　that　the　schools　of



commerce　must　draw　their　staff　of　instructors　and　their



administrative　officers　if　they　are　to　accomplish　the　task



proposed　to　them。　A　movement　in　this　direction　is　already　visibly



setting　in。



　　　　It　is　reasonably　to　be　expected　that　one　or　the　other　result



should　follow：　either　the　college　of　commerce　must　remain；



somewhat　as　in　practice　it　now　is；　something　in　the　way　of　an



academic　division；　with　an　academic　routine　and　standards；　and



with　an　unfulfilled　ambition　to　serve　the　higher　needs　of



business　training；　with　a　poorly　paid　staff　of　nondescript



academic　men；　not　peculiarly　fitted　to　lead　their　students　into



the　straight　and　narrow　way　of　business　success；　nor　yet



eminently　equipped　for　a　theoretical　inquiry　into　the　phenomena



of　business　traffic　and　their　underlying　causes　so　that　the



school　will　continue　to　stand；　in　effect；　as　a　more　or　less



pedantic　and　equivocal　adjunct　of　a　department　of　economics；　or



the　schools　must　be　endowed　and　organized　with　a　larger　and



stricter　regard　to　the　needs　of　the　higher　business　traffic；　with



a　personnel　composed　of　men　of　the　highest　business　talent　and



attainments；　tempted　from　such