The evening times., 1897-02-22
BOOKER WASHINGTON
ON TUSKEGEE WORK


to suggest remedies which lie in their own
power to supply.
About six years ago was impressed
| with the idea that there was an unused
force among the colored farmers in the
| BLACK Belt, which, IL properly directed,
could be made OF great value in improv-
ing their general condition Accordingly
1 sent out invitations to about seventy-five
substantial colored farmers, mechanics,
| preachers and teachers, the bone and
| sinew Of the race, to attend meeting,
| and discuss in calm common sense way
| their actual needs and TO suggest among
| themselves the remedies for these exist
ing conditions. In answer to this cali
about four hundred farmers and others
came to the conference. This was the
| first conference, and its success was SO
marked that it was decided To make it one
OF the permanent features nf the work of
the Tuskegee Institute.
I'm all OF its discussion the conference
has steercd clear of politics, but has dis
| cussed, instead, such subjects as the evils
| OF the mortgage system, the demoraliz-
| ing influence of the one-room cabin, the
| Importance OF raising home supplies rather
than the ex elusive production of cotton,
African immigration, an improved ministry
| and better school teachers and school
| houses. II has been the aim of each
| conference TO make the discussion prac-
! teal in its every phase.
I'm the Black Belt States the average
| school term is three months. but il is
rarely the case that a community. espc-
| ciaIly one which has sent delegate TO
| our conference, does not exert itself 10
| lengthen the school term to four and five
Iand sometimes eight months.
I'm the first conference, when the' 'Iues-
| ton, How many make mortgages was
| asked, nearly every hand went up. In the
second conference the same question was
| put, and the show of hands was smaller.
| In the session held last March not more
| than 80 per cent had made mortgages dur
ing the previous year. More had raised
corn peas, peanuts and hogs There was
| stronger determination to get rid OF the
| immoral preacher and incompetent teacher
! At least dozen reported new and better
| equipped schoolhouses. The reports these
| farmers make are not the only source of
| information II is impossible for any one
| at all acquainted with the condition OF the
| race n the Black Belt to travel through the
| country without noticing the radical I'M
| provement in thelives OF these people which
! has resulted from the negro conference.
Whenever il has been possible, the actual
| condition is looked into. For instance, ole
| one of the members of the last conference
| reported a most prosperous condition Of
! affairs in his community Shortly after
| the conference one of our teachers made
| special trip to this community and foand
| that instead of overestimating the oondi-
tion of the people the delegate had greatly
underestimatcd it, This change was
! brought about by reason of the fact that
/ one of our graduates had gone into this
| community and had taught the people how
| to direct their efforts; how and for what
to spend their money. II is IA noticeable
! fact that whenever a community secures
| a competent leader, il is not long before
there is Improvement in their general con-
dition.
During the past three years there have
| been organized sUbconierenCes, conducted
| on the same plan as the TUskegee Con-
ference These subconferences are held
| usually monthly, and are a kind OF CO.
operative society for the colored people.
About fifty of these conferences will send
delegates to the meeting of the 24th of
| this month.
There is also, in connection with the
| regular Negro Conference, and held on the
same day, a conference OF women. in W hich
| subjects of Importance are discussed. on
the day following the Negro Conference
there is held a Workers Conference, com
posed of representatives of the various
religious organizations, devoted TO the
elevation of the negro. In former years
about thirty institutions have been repre-
sented. The object of this conference has
been to discuss the lessons learned in the
first days conference, and to determine
how the condition OF the negro can be
improved from an educational point of
view.
THE following are among the declara
tions adopted by this conference at the
last session:
That we regard universal industrial
education as fundamental TO the prosperity
of our whole people. We also express our
conviction that the higher education OF
ina ny young women and young men is not
secondary in Importance.
That we invite the attention Of college
graduates 10 the need OF intelligent leader
ship in the conduct Of all the common in
dustrieS which are rapidly passing out
of the hands of the colored people into the
management of companies, which mOnopo-
lie the work, but do not give the colored
workers employment.
That we especially emphasize the duty
of all college graduates to encourage 10y
instruction all who labor in manual in
dustrieS, and to add to their instructions
the force of their own example.
THAT we express our strong conviction
that in the matter of general education
the various Christian churches and minis
ters should unite to secure a better school
and longer term, and that all denom
inatioralism should be excluded from pub
lie education.
''That we urge all teachers in State
schools. during the time of their labor in
any district, thoroughly to identify them
selves with every interest of the people in
their homes and occupations.
THAT we remind all our teachers that
their work is of a truly missionary char
acter and thatthe best reward of their self
denying labor will be, not their salary, but
the blessing of the Son of Man. On the
other hand, we remind the patrons of such
schools that the lab0rer is worthy of his
hire"
$4,000 Vibrations i'm an Hour.
Although no watch has ever received at