The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-11-14
GREAT DAY IN THE
STATE CONFERENCE
DR.. Buttrick Pays Tribute to
North Carolina.
DISCUSSIONS FRUITFUL
Mention Of Mild Compulsory School Law Meets
With Spontaneous Applause---W c.
/. u. Representative Addresses
Conference.

Conference.
Yesterday, the second day of the State
Conference of County Superintendents
was marked by a very interesting talk
by DR.. Wallace Buttrick, the secretary of
the General Education Board, in the
morning; in the afternoon a very in
teresting paper by Miss Eula Dixon. rep
resenting the w. C. T. u, practical illus
trations of the possibility of teaching
agriculture in the rural schools by Profs.
Burkett and Stevens, of the A. and M.
College; and at the night session some
unusually interesting and animated dis
cussions. which brought out many splen-
did suggestions.
The mention by superintendent Massey,
of Durham. Of the need in that county
of mild compulsory school law elected
hearty, spontaneous applause all over the
hall.
feature last night was the presence
of the band from the Institute for the
Blind, which rendered very delightful.
music during several intervals.
At $3.50 yesterday morning, Immediately
after State Superintendent Joyner had
called the body to order, DR.. Buttrick
proceeded to explain the origin purpose
and aims of the General and Southern
Education Boards
This he did very clearly It was at
Capon Springs, Va, that the idea was
started. There DR.. j. L. McCurry met
several gentlemen who were travelling
through the South for the purpose of
studying educational conditions. Mr..
Ogden became the leading spirit and or
Sanized the movement in Winston Salem
two years ago.
The purpose is to conduct series of
meetings throughout the South in order
to ascertain the real condition and pri-
mary needs in the section.
DR.. Buttrick, in the course of his re-
marks, paid a glowing tribute to the
people of North Carolina, their courage,
patriotism, determination.
OF DR.. Chas. d. McIver who is i'm
charge of the campaign work of the
Southern Education Board he spoke in
terms of magnificent eulogy
In order to obtain definite Information.
blanks containing lie questions had been
provided and were given to the superin-
tendents to fill out. each for his own
county. The idea is to make the office
of the General Education Board bureau
of information which could not be OBJ
tanned from any other source whatever.
The filling out of these blanks took up
a good part of the morning session.
When this was concluded the chair
man called on Mr.. w. II. Heck, of the
Southern Education Board to talk on the
work of that board. After this a dis
cussion on consolidation would be in or
der.
Mr.. Heck explained the publication
work of the Southern Education Board
The work. he said, was divided into the
investigation work. in charge of Prof. Z.
j. Claxton. the campaign work, in charge
of President McIver, and the publication
work, of which he himself had charge,
He urged that every one who was in
need of any information or printed matter
in his work. should let the board know
his wants promptly.
Specimens of the publications of the
board were shown, all touching upon edu-
cational work in the South.
The most important, he said was
southern Educational Notes. published
every other week. and sent to a large
number of newspapers
superintendent Joyner than introduced
Ia very happy manner Prof P. p CIax-
ton, of Knoxville, Tenn
ne quoted Governor Montague of Vir-
ginla, as saying that he would rather
nave tor his children a good school five
miles away than a poor one at his very |
door
Gull1ord county, he said was a very
good ADMINISTRATION of the matter of conso1, |
dation Originally the courty was divided /
into 36 districts. Then these were cop.
solidated into 1S townhips. and these sub |
divided into SO school districts at dte-
tances or to 2-3 miles apart with one
teacher each
IF YOU had millions of money WOW
could never get good teaching in the
schools of North Carolina or Tennes. |
see unless you put more teachers in
them," said Prof. Claxton.
He showed by telling some of his own
experiences and observations how i'm. |
POSSIBLE it was for one teacher to prom. |
erly conduct recitations in school o.
4n or more pupils, giving only about 8 |
minutes to each recitation.
On the question of children walking to
school as a result of consolidation There
are not in North Carolina, he said five
days in the year that are too cold and |
stormy for children to walk three miles |
to school.
Anyone who had ever watched children |
had noticed that they were not exhausted |
after walk of two or three miles to |
school, but if there were any time lert |
over they would run and play fox and |
hounds.
Let us get back" he exclaimed "to |
the days of our fathers: let us have |
fewer and better schools Moreover. con-
solidation creates greater community OF |!
interest Then when the districts are