Page:The Wisconsin idea (IA cu31924032449252).pdf/211

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ADMINISTRATION
187

made for legislation in Germany. A recent statement by one of the Prussian statesmen shows that half the members, not only of the imperial parliament but also of the various state parliaments, were men who had received some training for their work and most of the officers, in fact nearly all of the administrative officers in Germany, are especially educated for this important work.

The German university is the usual channel through which this training is acquired, whereas in America the university man is sometimes looked at askance if he utters an opinion upon a public question. In Germany, says a recent report from the German minister of education, it is the duty of the university "to give opinions of all kinds regarding scientific questions falling within their province, or for working out important problems concerning public life." It is not surprising then, that the expert is welcome in a state like Wisconsin where Germanic standards and Teutonic blood, whether Scandinavian or German, are so prevalent.

The science of administration seems only to have begun in America. The pioneer work done by the New York bureau of municipal research, which is influencing many of the cities of the country and is now touching the federal government through the Bureau of efficiency and economy under the efficient management of Dr. Frederick A. Cleveland, shows us a new field for the