its adoption by the conference, had been brought to the attention of a number of experts generally throughout the country, and had received at least some consideration at their hands. Moreover, all who shared in the preparation of the act enjoyed the very great advantage of having before their eyes the English Bills of Exchange Act, which offered suggestions on every important point; afforded a constant opportunity for useful comparison, whose provisions moreover could be examined in the light of twenty years' experience. In spite of all this, some errors (precisely how serious no one can say as yet) crept into the Negotiable Instruments Law which might have been avoided had the act, prior to its final revision, been subjected for several years to the most searching criticism obtained by giving to it the widest publicity and by soliciting the active co-operation of the considerable number of men whose thorough knowledge of the law of negotiable paper, whether from the standpoint of the banker, the practitioner or the student, had fitted them to render valuable assistance in the preparation of a code on that subject. The two or three additional years consumed by pursuing this method would have yielded an ample return, and those who would object to the labor, expense and time required by this method little

appreciate the gravity and difficulty of the task of embodying the law in a series of authoritative abstract propositions. Many will regard the shortcomings of the Negotiable Instruments Law as not very serious, but all may well remember that these shortcomings (such as they are) can probably be ascribed to the lack of adequate criticism."

The Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws should be provided not only with money with which to pay experts, but also funds with which to have printing done for a wide distribution of the proposed code, thoroughly annotated, with references to the source of each provision and detailed explanations. The code should be sent throughout the country to all warehousemen, and experts on this branch of the law and business. All criticisms should be compiled and reported to the Conference of Commissioners. The code and the criticism should be fully discussed by the Conference and the discussions printed and distributed. At least a year should be taken for their careful reconsideration. This work requires money and the Conference of Commissioners' sources of revenue are limited. Will it not be wise for the American Warehousemen's Association to make provision that the Conference may not be hampered by lack of funds in its work?

Physical Culture an Essential

Branch of Education.

(An address delivered at the Silver Jubilee Dinner of the North Cincinnati Turnverein, Saturday, June 16, 1906.) Mr. Toastmaster, Ladies and Gentlemen

When the American colonies had won the battle for religious and political freedom, the sovereign American States ceded to Congress a vast empire west of the Alleghenies; and when Congress, in 1787, came to ordain a government for the great wilderness northwest of the Ohio river, it recognized the true foundation of human progress by proclaiming that:

"Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged."

While education thus became the rudder of the new political craft, the world was still at sea with no bright pedagogical star to guide it to a wise educational system. A Herbert Spencer had not yet arisen to clearly classify the human activities or to point out that the object of education was to fit mankind to perform the activities of life by im

parting useful information and disciplining the body and mind.

These now recognized self evident truths, at that day, had not yet dawned on mankind. As direct self preservation is necessary to human existence, a high degree of importance should be given to those branches of education which teach how to preserve life and health. The systems then and still much in vogue, were conceived in the past ages when it was thought sufficient that the masses should be taught reading, writing and arithmetic; and for those destined for the limited learned professions, to memorize Caesar, Horace and Virgil, and solve problems in algebra, geometry and trigonometry. Broad shoulders and an erect carriage were signs of ignorance; sallow cheeks the marks of literary genius. No courses of instruction found place in schools, to fit men and women to choose an industrial or commercial occupation or to pursue the practical affairs of life. It is true, that as time progressed, a few farseeing men, such as Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, preached the wisdom of physical education. In 1818, Thomas Jefferson, in drafting a plan for the University of Virginia, laid stress on the necessity of a gymnasium in connection with every institution of learning. These philosophers and

statesmen were regarded as dreamers and theorists, far in advance of their times. The principle that healthy, well trained and disciplined bodies as well as minds, were more important to the mass of the people in fighting the battles of life, than a proficiency in the classics and the higher mathematics, has gradually dawned upon those who have been charged with the grave responsibility of educating youth.

It remained for Germany to formulate a correct system of physical instruction as a regular department of education. Schnepfenthal, near Gotha, in 1784, became "the cradle" and Frederick Ludwig Jahn the "Father of German Turning." Jahn is to be classed with Watt and Morse and Bell as a great inventor having done as much for mankind in inventing the parallel and horizontal bars, as they in inventing the steam engine and the telegraph and the telephone. All honor to Jahn, who has done as much by his teachings to improve mankind physically, intellectually and morally, as all who went before or who have come since.

Ling, the Swede, did much in the great cause, but the crowning work was done by Jahn.

The year 1842 is a milestone on the roadway of the great cause, for in that year King Frederick William IV, of Prussia, declared that bodily ex