partment of the Interior and other bureaus and offices in the department because of proximity and convenience.

The bureau collects and disseminates information on educational problems. The greater part of this work is accomplished through the bulletins and circulars which are issued from time to time. Part of these are the result of researches made by members of the staff and part are the result of studies undertaken by persons not connected with the bureau. In the promotion of education members of the bureau's staff are called upon to inspect schools and colleges, to address educational meetings and conventions, to hold conferences with educational leaders in the several fields, and to conduct educational surveys. Owing to the limited travel funds of the bureau much of the field service can be undertaken only when the expenses of travel and subsistence are paid by educational administrators and educational associations.

During the fiscal year 23 members of the bureau's staff, exclusive of the commissioner, rendered an aggregate of 883 days of field service outside of the District of Columbia in 31 different States. As one feature of this service, 20 members of the staff, exclusive of the commissioner, delivered 164 addresses in 26 different States, to audiences aggregating about 41,227 persons.

During the year the commissioner traveled 58,140 miles; spent 173 days in the field, including Sundays; conducted four national educational conferences; and in collaboration with the General Federation of Women's Clubs, the National Education Association, and the American Legion, conducted a national conference on illiteracy. He addressed 16 national associations, 4 regional associations, and 19 State associations, besides making many addresses before institutions of higher education, business organizations, and the like. The National Conference on Illiteracy, held in the auditorium of the Department of the Interior on January 11-14, 1924, was well attended and attracted wide attention on the part of educators, the daily press, and the public generally. Many noted speakers addressed the conference. The program was comprehensive and suggestive, and doubtless results of a constructive character will flow from this meeting.

The bureau prepared an exhibit of educational material, consisting of maps, charts, models, graphs, etc., showing the status and progress of education in the United States, which was displayed in the Interior Department Building during the session of the National Education Association, at Washington, in July, 1924. Other bureaus of the department cooperated with the Bureau of Education in this exhibit and made elaborate displays of their educational activities.

Research and investigations.--The members of the technical staff of the bureau are engaged constantly in various forms of research in the field of education. One of the most important and direct services which the bureau has rendered to educational administrators in the several States has been the educational survey. During the fiscal year 1923-24 the following surveys were made: Higher education, 3; rural education (county and other local systems of public education), 9; city schools, 6; making a total of 18.

The bureau has been invited to undertake these surveys because its representatives are completely detached from any local interest, and, at the same time, possess extended experience and knowledge which are of great value for this purpose. On the other hand, the bureau has been careful to request the assistance of well-known educators who are familiar with all the practical situations which call for discussion. These surveys to a very appreciable extent stimulate education in the various States. Owing to limited resources, the bureau has been able to respond to only a small proportion of the invitations for surveys which have come to it.

Division of higher education.-This division conducted three surveys, as follows: State system of higher education of Massachusetts, general conditions relating to higher education in Tennessee, and higher education in Cleveland, Ohio.

The field work of the Massachusetts survey was accomplished in 1923 and a fact-finding report was submitted to the State Survey Commission, appointed by the governor, on December 26, 1923. The commission recommended the establishment of a State system of junior colleges. The survey report was printed as a legislative document by the State of Massachusetts.

The state-wide survey of higher education in Tennessee, undertaken at the invitation of the Tennessee College Association, is in progress. The survey of higher education in Cleveland, Ohio, with special reference to Western Reserve University and the Case School of Applied Science, was undertaken at the request of the Cleveland Foundation. The survey commission is studying the needs of the city in higher education and the possibility of developing the two institutions through some permanent cooperative arrangement.

A number of special studies and reports have been made by the division of higher education during the fiscal year, among which may be mentioned a study of the curriculum of engineering schools in the United States. The assistant specialist in higher education cooperated with the Pan American Highway Commission in organizing and inviting to this country a group of 38 representatives of the departments of public works, financial officials, and chief highway inspectors, and other men noted in transportation circles of Latin America, to visit the United States as guests of the High

way Education Board and to make a study of highway methods and finances in the typical States of the Union.

At the request of the Commissioner of Education the assistant specialist organized the fourth Southern Conference on Negro LandGrant College Education at Hampton Institute, Hampton, Va., March 3 to 5, inclusive, 1924.

Division of rural education.-Research studies and investigations have occupied the greater part of the time of the specialists in this division, such as rural school supervision, conferences of county superintendents and supervisors, progress of rural education in the United States, consolidation and transportation problems, preparation and salaries of teachers, etc. Surveys and projects in cooperation with State and county departments of education have been completed or are in preparation as follows: Phoenix Union High School, Arizona; Currituck County, N. C., and Arlington County, Va.; Orangeburg, S. C. (occupational survey); Fairfax County, Va. (evaluation of seven and eight year elementary systems); Princess Anne, King William, King and Queen, and Chesterfield Counties, Va. (secondary education surveys).

Division of city schools. In addition to studies in primary and kindergarten education, nature-study work in some of the schools of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, etc., the division of city schools conducted five educational surveys, as follows: Swarthmore and Radnor Township, Pa. (general public-school systems); Alexandria, Va. (general public-school system); and school-building surveys of Portland, Oreg.; Fairmont, W. Va.; and Uniontown, Pa. The field work of the Alexandria, Va., survey was made in 1922-23; the report was completed in 1923-24.

Under the direction of the Commissioner of Education, the specialist in city schools organized the third national conference on the work-study-play or platoon plan, which was held in cooperation with the department of superintendence of the National Education Association at Chicago, Ill., February 27, 1924.

Division of physical education and school hygiene.-Two conferences on health teaching were held and two meetings of the State directors of physical education were arranged. The reports of these conferences have been prepared for publication. The division assisted in the survey of the schools of Swarthmore, Pa., Radnor Township, Pa., and Currituck County, N. C.

Service division.-The activities of the service division comprise industrial education, commercial education, home economics education, educational legislation, and foreign education. The position of specialist in industrial education was vacant for most of the fiscal year, but the former specialist held at Urbana, Ill., a conference of representatives from institutions in the Mississippi Valley which

are training teachers of manual arts and industrial education. The proceedings of their conference was published by the bureau.

The specialist in commercial education made numerous addresses before schools and commercial bodies and conducted conferences in a number of cities. Preliminary arrangements were made by the specialist for the conduct, in cooperation with an adequate local committee, of a business education survey of Indiana, the purpose of which is to collect, assemble, and interpret business data on which to base an articulated and motivated course of study in preparation for business in that State.

The specialist in home economics conducted two conferences during the year, in cooperation with the American Home Economics Association, at its annual meetings in Chicago, July 31, 1923, and New Orleans, La., January 1, 1924. The specialist planned the program and conducted the National Home Economics Conference called by the Commissioner of Education for April 21 to 24, at Washington, D. C., also conducted the home economics survey of the public schools of Swarthmore, Pa., and planned the course of study in home economics for the junior and senior high schools.

During the year the specialist in school legislation prepared for publication reports on legal provisions for high schools; compulsory school attendance laws, etc.

The specialist in education in foreign countries continued the comparative study of education equivalence, or the true evaluation of primary and secondary school credits of foreign countries in the corresponding credits of the schools of this country. The number of foreign school certificates that were evaluated at the request of university registrars exceeded 250 for the year. Studies were made of foreign educational systems, etc.

Statistical division.-Educational statistics for the year 1921-22 were prepared and published. The division made statistical studies for the library division, the physical education division, the rural education division, the city school divison, and the division of higher education. Conferences were held with the State officials, college groups, normal school committees, statistical associations, the League of Compulsory Education Officers, and National Association of Public School Business Officials. Statistics are now being collected from States, cities, and institutions for the school year 1923-24.

Editorial division.-Forty-two bulletins were issued during the fiscal year 1924, the smallest number in many years. Leaflets and circulars of a few pages each, and usually in small editions, were published in somewhat greater number than formerly, namely, 103. The comparatively small output of publications of the bureau is due to the policy of economy of the Government; the allotment

for printing was less by $8,000 than that for the preceding year. Many manuscripts which would have been appropriate for publication were declined, of necessity, and everything that was printed was reduced in volume as much as possible.

Specially attractive numbers of School Life were issued in May and June by permission of the Bureau of the Budget in recognition of the meeting of the National Education Association in Washington. The May number was devoted principally to the activities of the bureau, and the June number was intended to bring before the teachers of the country the opportunities offered to them by the Department of the Interior and its several bureaus. Forty thousand copies of each of these two special numbers were printed for free distribution.

The editorial division inaugurated during the year a clip sheet of brief educational items, which was sent to about 5,000 newspapers. The clip sheet is issued regularly on the 15th of every month and has been favorably received.

Library division.-The volumes and pamphlets acquired by gift, exchange, and purchase during the year numbered 725; also 336 volumes of copyright transfers from the Library of Congress and 5,000 numbers of serial publications. The printed, mimeographed, and typewritten bibliographies, prepared by the library staff, continued in demand and large numbers were distributed. During the year 1,567 volumes were loaned to borrowers outside of the office.

Home education section.-During the year more than a thousand readers enrolled for one or more of the courses in reading prepared by the home education section. Since the inception of this work over 17,000 readers have enrolled in the courses and more than 700 readers have received certificates. The director of home education addressed six regional meetings of the Michigan State Teachers Association and other educational bodies. The Second National Conference on Home Education was called by the Commissioner of Education at the University of Minnesota.

Alaska division.-The Alaska division is required to make provision for the education of the natives of Alaska and extend to them all possible medical relief, train them in the industries, and, so far as possible, relieve worthy cases of destitution.

During the fiscal year the activities of this division were reorganized. In order to provide more adequate supervision it was decided to move the superintendent of education for the natives of Alaska to Anchorage, where he might get a first-hand contact with problems connected with Alaska service. Mr. W. T. Lopp, the present superintendent, was therefore stationed at Anchorage, with duties of a supervisory nature. At the request of the Commissioner of Education, the Secretary of the Interior created the position of chief