to reach a decision in this con
troversy; therefore private
schools and public schools exist
side by side in many commun
ities, and each individual parent
has the opportunity to decide
for himself where his child shall
be oducated. The problem it
self, however, has been compli
cated in the United States by
the nature of our government.
We have left to local initiative
end to local enterprise those ac
tivities of major concern to each
locality. We aim to handle na
tionally only such matters as
cannot well be performed local
ly. Therefore we have a United
States Navy, a United States
Foreign Service; but we have
state systems of schools, state
systems of highways, state care
for the insane and the unfor
tunate, etc. As a result of this
separation of powers, the United
States Government has had lit
tle direct concern with general
education, and has exercised
practically n o administrative
authority even in cases where
Federal subsidies have been
granted to states to encourage
education of special types.
One noteworthy exception to
this general system is found in
the educational system of the
Territory of Alaska. The schools
for the white citizens of the Ter
ritory are handled by the Terri
torial Government as the schools
would be handled if the Terri
tory had the status of a state
in the Union. The education of
the natives, however, is a re
sponsibility of the United States
Government and is administer
ed by the Department of the In
terior under direction of the
United States Commissioner of
Education.
According to the last reports,
the Department of the Interior
is maintaining in Alaska nine
ty-seven schools with an enroll
ment of 3,775 pupils taught by
one hundred sevent y-seven
teachers. In addition there are
three industrial schools with an
enrollment of two hundred sev
enty-nine pupils taught by
twenty-seven teachers. All of
these schools under the immedi
ate supervision of six district
superintendents who report to
the Chief of the Alaska Division
of the Bureau of Education, Mr.
J. H. Wagner, whose office is in
Seattle, Washington.
As U .S. Commissioner of Ed
ucation, I am now enroute to
Alaska partly for the purpose of
inspecting sites proposed for a
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Ketchkan
Established in I9C6
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fourth industrial school. If Al
aska is to develop adequately its
own resources, its people must
be trained—a principle which
applies to the native and to the
new'er white population alike.
If Alaskans are to raise their
standard of living as residents of
Continental United States have
raised theirs, education and
technical training must be de
veloped as it has developed in
the States.
Ed. (note: The following was
given before he visited us).
But I am interested in anoth
er matter even more vital. I
should like to develop Alaskan
leaders of Alaska. It is entirely
in order during a pioneer period
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TOURISTS CAN GET
ALASKA CURIOS and
Totems, Moccosins, Spoons
MOMENTOS at
SKAGYVAY DRUG CO.
Perry Hern,
Skagway, Alaska
Sheldon Jackson
School
SITKA, ALASK/
High School
and
Industrial Training
Write for Information
| KETCHIKAN GROCERY j
i Ketchikan, Alaska I
| Tt. W. EDMONDS, PROP. j
| Night Phone—Green 233 |
KETCHIKAN FOUNDRY
H. P. HANSEN, Prop.
Manufacturer of
STAR TROLLING GURDIE3
Phone Black 121 Box 843