The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-16
CONFUSION BY ATTRACTION
Give This Christ-Like Law Fair Trial Before Pro-
*
ceeding to Demand Legislative COmpusion
Says Supt. Venable.

I to, and retain therein, persistent att
tendance during the winter months of
such a winter as this has been? If not
is it proper to charge that these twenty
three schools lose the money offered by
the State, by the indifference of both
children and patience in regard to at
tendance? Were these parents indffer-
ent? Why in this high, Piedmont Sec
ton, were these schools put off to the
most inclement season of the year?
Roads saturated with water and masses
of mud. Could it be expected that par
ents with hearts and children with SEN
sitive bodies would willingly face such
conditions of weather and roads with the
attraction before them of a mile or two
of mud and water wading, and of enjoying
the balmy air inside a tight and COM
pactly built $95 or $73 school house?
Put yourself in their place." Would
you like to try it every day, just ''to
keep up the required average?" | think
not, nor do l think that it was legally
requisite. How many children from TO
II years could face these conditionsh
Yet, the reports of the State show ting
those ages constitute more than half
the census of the children of the State
tendance in Catawba county emphasize
the claim made, try 1.-The Christ-like law
of compulsion, before proceeding to de-
mand legislative compulsion?" This is
all the the writer claims. Give the
Law of compulsion by attraction fair
trial and if it fails to bring the children
to school in fair and reasonable numbers
then appeal to the legislature will
In oil T
before l can do so, / must see a fair and
faithful attempt made in the line of cat
traction" You asked aid of the State
there was, under the circumstances. no
need of it, How about this? First, re-
duce your schools to not more than fifty.
less if possible, SO to so or less. proper
ly located, to be in the centre of the pop
ulation of the district made for it. not II
the centre of population at any given
point. This will give you a census, say,
OF from 165 to 200, a school with a net
amount, for education exclusively. or
$17655, or 1914. The first will give you
within $345 of having enough to pay two
lady teachers your published salary,
$3.50, for a four months school; in tho
second, to pay $26.75 to two men teach
ers for the same term The house must
SS c'h ililpI OFSlueuL OH the 390 building.
Sell your az surplus houses, and as MANY
OF the others as may be out of position.
Add to and repair those properly located
and build anew where necessary At all
hazard, make your houses comfortable
and attractive.
Building is cheap in Catawba. as well
as in all of the Piedmont section. Bum
combe has to buy much of her lumber
there and haul it over the mountains
and yet it is very cheap. Good buildings
in concentrated districts having been
secured, what next? Proper methods If
carrying on those schools! Catawba
has, in some respects, a very similar eli
mate to Buncombe Here the trouble
and a serious one it is and was. has been
met. After remodeling districts AMI
providing proper houses, there is no
question more serious than the adapta
ton of the schools to suit the necessi-
ties of the children and not the children
to suit the schools, which has aIwayg
resulted in signal failure Our people
and your people, as is the case with
nearly all of this and other Southern
States, in the rural districts are poor.
many of them, especially the non land