92 Kansas University Weekly. cal education and therefore the greatest number of skilled artisans will gain precedence in the manufacturing world. What is the United States doing in this matter of technical education? Germany has no less than nine polytechnicums of the highest class besides any number of trade schools of various kinds. And the schools are always crowded, turning out year by year thousands of expert workmen who now are surprising the world with the frequency with which that little sign "Made in Germany" appears. The United States has one well equipped institution at Troy, N. Y., one recently opened at Lowell, Mass., and a few scattered industrial schools. With our magnificent natural resources, our intelligent energetic workmen there is no excuse for allowing the first place among manufacturing nations to go to Germany or any other country on the earth. IT WOULD probably be well, if at this critical time in the history of the University, it should receive the solid support and assurance of our own towns-people, instead of the lack of support or rather the injury caused by such editorials as recently appeared in one of the town papers. The editorial referred to was not only an unfair criticism of the management of the University but it contained statements which the writer must certainly have known to be false. The University can hardly expect the support of a not too friendly legislature if it does not rethe support of those who are most intimately benefited byits existence here. W.C. THE MUCH hoped for revival in oratory has not yet come. We think that one complete victory in the annual state contest might inspire us to mightier effort along this line but as we haven't won first place for some time we are unwarranted in this expression of hopefulness. However, too much praise cannot be accorded to Mr. McMurray and the other participants in the preliminary contest for their undaunted zeal in trying to perpetuate oratory at Kansas University. Their best efforts were put forth under most disheartening circumstances, and results were altogether creditable. Yet, we are again brought to face the question "is college oratory a good thing?"-a question which calls for lengthy discussion and one which our debating clubs might consider with profit both to themselves and to the University. The special case of our own school in its relation, oratorically, to Kansas colleges of less importance is simple. We ought to have withdrawn from the state association long ago. Oratory is not in our line, and the time has passed for cultivating it. Let us give it up entirely and confine our future contesting to debate. THE odors which have pervaded the atmosphere of the lower halls, in the main building for the past two weeks, impress upon one forcibly the fact that a new chemistry building is "devoutly to be wished." The present accommodations in the old building are very inadequate. The class rooms can only be used with great inconvenience, and the laboratories are so small, that it has been necessary to fit up a room in the basement of the main building for use as such. As a result all the noxious odors and gases, which the chemical department is capable of producing fill the class rooms on the first floor, and not only cause great discomfort to the students but greatly endanger their health. J. E. M. Eilqraqq. Wool-Gathering. THE POETRY OF BUZZARD'S ROOST. George Arnold was the favorite poet of Buzzard's Roost. Indeed, some of the Bohemians had committed his masterpiece to memory and there was never a supper or a "blow-out" that was not preceded by a reading from the epicurean verse of this poet.