The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-24
RocISEFELLER,s GIFT.

The announcement that John D.
| Rockefeller has placed 81 ,0O0. 900 in the
hands Of Robert c. Ogden, the president
of the Southern Educational Board,
which has for its object the Lettering
| of the educational conditions in the
South. adds additional interest to the
educational conference which meets at
Athens to-day. There is every indi-
cation that the conference viii be a
notable one. There will be present 300
or 400 leading educators and
men interested in educational matters.
At least 100 of them will be from the
North. Just what the Southern EGu-
cational Board proposes to do is not
known. but it is the understanding that
a beginning of the work which it has
in hand viii be made during its present
visit to the South.
No doubt it viii first be determined
what the South is most in need of in
the matter of education. With that
point settled, the question as to how
the funds can be used to the best ad-
vantage viii be discussed.
~ AON VI lDAA PlOEJOoE 10 OIIET
the board advice. but We should like to
offer the suggestion that from the edu-
cational standpoint the South is more
in need Of public schools in the country
districts than anything else. We know
that this is the case in this state There
are counties in which the schools are
open only three or four months in the
year. and the school houses are so far
from many Of the homes that there are
hundreds of children who seldom OF
never see the inside of them.
In these counties the only money ap-
piled to education is that which is re-
ceived from the state It is probable,
however that If the state fund were
supplemented with outside aid an in
terest in education would be aroused,
and eventually there would be local
taxation for school purposes. It seems
TO US therefore that the money which
the Southern Educational Board has TO
distribute could be made to accomplish
more good by using IL to arouse inter-
est in public schools than by applying
- 80 any NtA~A way NO part OF the
money should be given to counties
which now have local taxation for
school purposes, because those coun-
ties can take care of thmselves.
OF course one of the reasons why
there is SO little interest in education
in counties in which there is no local
help given 10 the schools is the poverty
Of the people. but if stimulated, they
could do something for the betterment
of the public schools, and with better
educational facilities there would come
a clearer understanding of the re-
sources of their counties-and the I'M
developed resources of very many
counties are great-and with such an
understanding material conditions
would undergo rapid improvement.
The work which the Southern Edu-
cational Board has undertaken is a
great one. 1t cannot be accomplished
In a day or year. or in a dozen years.
But if it is properly undertaken and
wisely and economically directed, its
good effects will quickly become appa-
rent. With every year there will be a
noticeable improvement in the public
schools of the communities in which
the money is applied, and with the inn
provement of the schools win come a
change for the better in the appearance
OF the country and in the lives and
SI1rTOupdfpUs Of tbo