They have in Portland a system whereby the teachers are supposed to have something to do with the selecting of text-books. There was a sort of “book-election,” at which the teachers were to indicate their choice. Swarms of book men descended upon the city, and were charming to the teachers; then the ballot boxes were taken secretly to the court house, where they were kept all night—open. Ginn & Company got four of the principal books, and the agent laughed and said he hadn’t had to work very hard. Having heard about Portland’s banker-boss, Mr. Mills, you will not be surprised to learn that the Portland schools are active in the interest of commercialism. In the last few weeks the bankers have been giving lectures every week; the Navy got its “day,” and then the “Oregonian” with a spelling-bee! As a means of teaching Big Business in the schools, they introduced what they called the “Business Science Normal”; there were two meetings a week for three weeks, and each meeting was repeated twice, so that all the teachers might attend. At the suggestion of the superintendent, invitation cards were sent in bulk to the principals, and by them distributed to the teachers; the schools were closed early, so that every teacher might be on hand. In addition to lectures, there were fifty-two printed articles about business, twelve issues of “Business Philosophy,” the official organ of the “Business Science Society,” and “a year’s council privilege with the educational director of this society.” Here was a wizard without peer in all the realms of Mammon—as you learned from a circular got out by the Portland Chamber of Commerce, which described him as “known wherever the English language is spoken as one of the world’s greatest business scientists. He is the author of five sciences dealing with human relationships.” Did you ever hear anything so wonderful? A man who created five new sciences, all out of one head and in one lifetime! I wonder how many Newton created! While I was in Portland this wide-awake Chamber of Commerce had taken up propaganda for a “world’s fair” to celebrate the discovery of the Northwest. Of course they thought first of the school children: Let the children write compositions upon the desirability of this world’s fair! The Chamber of Commerce would supply the arguments, and the children would copy out maxims, and take them home to their parents, and so the people would be induced to pay the cost of the fair out of public taxes! Also, the city has a “Rose Festival” every year, the purpose being to exhibit advertising “floats” of the various stores. The children are supposedly not required to appear in this parade, but schools which neglect their duty are considered disloyal. The children spend two or three weeks being drilled, and of course lose that time from study. They have to stand round in the streets all day; there are no toilets available, and some of the children became seriously ill.