Biology, Introduction to Science, Etymology, LatinElements of English, Spanish and Greek. This diversity has crept in to some extent, no doubt, through the attempt on the part of colleges to meet the varying courses of their contributory schools through a system of options in requirements, and possibly, to make the scientific courses level up to the classical ones without the necessity of imposing the dead languages on the student. But the effect has been to scatter and to produce confusion on the one hand, and to limit each college to its own field of cultivated schools on the other. What some of these subjects are doing as requirements for engineering courses, unless as temporary makeshifts, is not easily comprehended. There is enough within the above list, that so many colleges agree upon, to fully occupy the time. of any boy in his four years in the high school, and there is variety enough to give breadth of training. There is work in the five chief lines of Mathematics, Language and Literature, History, Science and Art. Any school course, on the one hand, and any college set of requirements, on the other, ought to include all of these lines.

Again, while the colleges should confine themselves to the above subjects, there is nothing in the list that does not properly fit into the school curriculum. Laboratory work of the right kind in Physics, Chemistry and Botany may be found in comparatively few schools, but it ought to be given in all high schools with four-year courses, for their own sakes, irrespective of the demands of scientific colleges.

Somewhat apart from the other subjects named,

stands Manual Training, including Shop Work and Mechanical Drawing.

It is obviously impossible-even if desirable-to make either of these a requirement for admission to engineering colleges generally. On the other hand, the engineering colleges should be the first to recognize the true value of hand and eye work as a form of education. The committee believes that, so far as practicable, such recognition should be more generally shown by the acceptance of certified work in Manual Training as an optional requirement by institutions accepting any optional subjects. As previously stated there are only two engineering colleges that at present require Manual Training.

2. What Should be Required. It is difficult to generalize, to the extent of laying down absolute requirements to which all colleges should conform. Yet, broadly speaking, there exist to-day two grades of engineering colleges whose work lies about one year apart. For the first of these the minimum requirements should include the following subjects:

Algebra, Advanced.

Plane and Solid Geometry.

Physics with Laboratory Work.

Chemistry with Laboratory Work.

New England Requirements in English.

Two years of Foreign Language.

American History and some additional History.

Free Hand Drawing.

For the second grade the minimum requirements should include:

Algebra through Quadratics.

Plane Geometry.

Physics.*

English along the line of New England Requirements but less in amount.

One year of Foreign Language.

American History.

Free Hand Drawing.

Below these are colleges, like some of the colleges of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, that are forced by the necessities of environment or the terms of their foundation to maintain low standards of admission and do in course what other colleges throw into requirements. These should insist on requiring as a minimum:

Arithmetic (complete).

Elementary Algebra.
Plane Geometry.

English along the line of New England Requirements but less in amount.

American History.

Any lower requirements than these bring students into college before they have completed their courses in the lower schools. This works a double injustice, through lessening the force and prestige of the preparatory school and making it necessary for the college to do some of its work.

The differentiation here spoken of is not confined to the requirements, but is naturally apparent in the courses. These gradations in colleges are inevitable. They constitute one of the expressions of the varying

*In the opinion of the committee the Physics should include laboratory work.

conditions of life in the different communities and sections of this broad land. The sooner that this is frankly and freely admitted and acted upon, the better for American education. The older and higher grade colleges should recognize the value and dignity of the work of those that are newer or of lower grade, and on the basis of quality rather than grade. On the other hand, the newer or lower grade colleges ought to recognize that the graduates of the colleges of higher grade are more evenly educated, more broadly cultured and better equipped for professional life than their own, and cease trying to bring about an apparent equality of grade. President S. P. McCrea, of the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, writes: "New Western colleges like this will be more concerned in securing advanced standing for their engineering students in the older and high grade institutions, than in attempting to put their work on the same plane without respect to conditions. Can your committee do anything in this direction? If not, can a committee be appointed to deal with this matter?" The same spirit is manifested by correspondents from some other points.

3. Admission by Certificate. In the opinion of the Committee, the advantages of the certificate system as already outlined, are fundamental, and its defects are to a great extent' temporary and remediable with the general "levelling up" of secondary school work. Here absolute uniformity is not to be thought of. The more general observance of the following principles is of the highest importance.

(a) As the primary essential, personal visitation and inspec

tion on the part of the college of the school asking a commission.

(b) This commission to be limited as to time and re-issued only after re-inspection, or on full knowledge of the condition of the school.

(c) The reservation of the right of the college to withdraw the commission for cause shown.

(d) Certificates to show in detail the extent of the ground covered and actual time spent in each subject and to contain the personal recommendation of the superintendent or principal.

(e) Students received on certificate to be required to make up any deficiency in preparation that may appear in any certificated subject.

(f) The college to cultivate friendly relations with its accredited schools and to make clear, through publications and conferences, just what its requirements are.

In the application of these principles each college would necessarily work out its own details, and under present conditions be obliged to do its own visiting and inspecting. But there is no reason why the colleges should not co-operate in this matter under suitable restrictions, the commissioning of a school by one, involving its acceptance by others.

4. Entrance Conditions. It is fair to assume that colleges making no answer under this head have no regulations. This, with the scattering nature of the replies received, indicates an unsettled state of affairs. The granting of a condition should be largely governed by the merits of each individual case. It should not be used as a breach through which poorly prepared students break into college. The practice sometimes results in an actual lowering of nominal requirements and, when so used, it can be but demoralizing and