The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-13
DR.. S0UTHALL REPLIES
TO DR.. ROBT. FRASER
Interview With Superintend-
ent of Public instruction.
HEIs GREATLY SURPRISED
Says Or. Fraser Never Expressed
Any Such Views to Him.
SCHOOLS NOT C0NTEMPTlBLE
They are Not Nearly SO Bad as Or. FrassS
is Reported to Have Painted Them--A't
Have Greatly lmprovsd-.Dou't Pull
Dowu,'' Says the Superinieu-
dent, but Encourage In.
creased Effort.
Says Or. Fraser Never Expressed
Any Such Views to Him,
SCHOOLS NOT C0NTEMPTlBLE


DR.. Robert Fraser's severe arralEf-
nent of the public schools OF the State
created great surprise. Many cues wcnr
wide open when they saw the report OF
lis recent address. The people of Isich-
mond never had the faintest idea tt;,s
conditions existed in the rural districts
as painted by DE-. Fraser. People have
talked about what he said ever since hs
made his speech to the ENectltivb Coui-
nlittee OF the Richmond Education Asso-
citation some days age.
Ills address on that occasion certainly
had the result of accomplishing. IN =
measure. what will be his work when he
lays down the presidency of the. stats
Female Normal, ut rarmyille. next June1
that OF stirring up interest in educatioS
i'll Virginia..
Many have asked if DR.. Fraser could
have been accurately informed. lie even
displayed photographs of several schoot.
houses to illustrate his remarks and
confirm his statements.
DR.. SDUTIIALI. REPLIES.
Dr. Joseph w Southall. Superintendent
of Public Instruction of the State, WIS
seen last night, and asked for a state
ment regarding the criticisms of. DR..
Fraser.
Il have been surprised by the criti-
cisns of the public schools of this State
by DR. Fraser. as reported by the press;
especially so from the fact that have
been closely associated with him in the
educational work of the State. | haSe
had him to meet with a number of dis
tinguisIced educators in my office soTe
months ago when those gentlemen sub
mitted the result OF their conferences TO
the Committee on Education OF tbs pres
ent State convention
..Ou no ocCasioI!-not even the occasion
of the conference just referred todd
Or. Fraser indicate that he would cs-
press any such opinions as he IS
now reported as having given utterance
to. Again. wien 1 saw him iast-the day
of the election of his successor to the
presidency Of the F'armville school-hs
assured me that he would still be united
with myself in our noble work
This he said i'll his graceful and lnl-
pulsive way that touched my heart and
drew me to him. And now his utterances.
as they have been reported, give me great
surprise
Or. SouthaIl continued: Several months
ago a number of distinguished gentlemen.
representing, as / was told, large money
influences from outside OF the State to-
be invested III education in the South,
came into my office aud convcrsed with me-
on the subject of educational schemes
and enterprises, which, though not deti-
nitelv explained or outlined to me at tha
time, I felt sure would be explained IN
the near future. Since then have heard
nothing authoritatively from theni-
have, however, been cherishing the nope
that this company OF phlanthropist5
would in some efficient way Become CO.
workers with the State organization for
the promotion of eGIcaotion IT the rising
generation.
This constitutes another reason for my
being AT q loss to understand Dr. Fraser
utterances."
well, Doctor the reporter asked,
what about the schools Of the stated
Is Dr. Fraser correct?'
ARE NOT .GONTTNI2TIBLE.
Dr. SotthaII replied: 1.-The officials who
compose the Department of State Educ;a-
ton have never pretended that our rnraI
schools are such as we wnuld like and ara
trying. TO have them My Etterances IN
public wherever | have spoken III tia
State will bear me out in THIS. But wa
do say that with the resources at the
command OF the Board OF Education
| these schools are not contemptfble. as
Dir Fraser would have the public to be-
iievc.
REPORTS conc 10 tits Office from aImoss
every section ana Locality. of the State
assuring us Of q general Improvement IN
school buildings anu school teachers
Dr. SotlthaH named. the schools Of Chess
terfield as an illustration OF the sood
| condition generally OF she rural schools.
..sn Chesterfield he declared. "the school
| buildings are neat. comfortable structures
| Of ample size and pleasing 10 loo at.
| Regarding the means employed t:1 tbs
State Department for improving ths
| schools, DR.. southal; declared: .tour pol
| icy has been to improve our schools by
| consolidating several weak schools. and.
| while making fewer. also, make stronger
| and better ones. having better teachers
| Another policy he said, has been to
| get the views OF parents aut. tax payers
| as to the best means or increasing the,
| efficiency OF the schools, hoping thus 10
stir lp their interest in the matter and SCI
] i3them TO thinking. For q number OF wears
| we have been most anSio;ss to employ
/ speakers for the purpose OF stirring sp
! interest III education. Dr. traser. 10
| doubt remembers my otter to hin, to enter
1.-the field with this object in view Eat IL
| could not be done with the money at e,ssr
| disposal" /"
..iT IS NOT JUST or FAIR.
1 Or. soutIiIlI continued earnestly: 1T
/ is not fair or just to compare this State.
i with its two millions for education, with
/ those states which appropriate from ten to
! thirty millions for this purpose. Then hs
i said feeilnEIy: ..rf,e thing for the friends
i of education to do is not to pull down
/ what NJ. have been so long building and
l thus discourage all efforts in this good
tlcause. but to direct all energies to mako
better and encourage to still greater eff
fort
{ DR.. southail was asked It he knew IN,
4 ,,.ans of the gentlemen employing Ds
t Fraser He replied that he did nes. and
that while he had understood that thes
1 lad held many conferences, he had ROT
i bs.a: invited. 20 any OF them