The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-23

atton for school purposes. Three of these have been held, in Georgia, North Car oiina. and Louisiana; those in Virginia. In the conferences already held there was remarkable enthusiasm and much valuable discussion, particularly on the subjects of taxation the education of the tricts the transportation 0 of pupils pupils and the beautifying of school houses and grounds. In North Carolina the work of consolidation has progressed so rapidly that th 5ne Boards agent Is able to report every other day in the year 1902. and the building of school house every day in the year.
 Each State has its separate and indi- he carefully considered. In North Caro- Ina. for instance. there is a liberal stat utory provision for local taxation. The, task here is to induce the districts to vote It. In Guilford County the Board offered to duplicate all private subscrip- tons up to $4000 in each district where special local tax was levied Tor free public schools. A steady campaign on behalf of local taxation has been made by Governor Aycock. and leading poliu- clans and educators. In Georgia. there being practically no constitutional per
 mission to levy local taxes for schools, the movement naturally takes on diff ferent aspect Here the Board has lent its means and influence to the lengthen- Ing of the term and consolidating schools to show how little taxation would be re- quired to improve and enlarge them: In this case it has given money only where the citizens have done their snare Ill raising funds.
 But the Board has been active in many other directions. It Is establishing model school for negroes near Athens, Ga. Contributions aggregating s0,oVO have been made to fourteen schools for colored people, with the special object of educating teachers. It has estaonsn- ed summer schools for colored teachers at Hampton and Tuskegee. and is coop erating with six summer schools for white teachers. It mas given varying sums to schools for the training of white teachers, for example, at Athens. Ga, Knoxville, Tenn. Greensboro N. C.. and Troy and Montevallo, Ala. Meanwhile it's New York office is becoming store house of information about every school district and every college or normal school in the South. And this is merely part of the astonishing record of nine months of activity. Hitherto the Board has appealed publicly to no one for finan- cial aid. With it's machinery and plans perfected, 1t will probably call upon ev- cry friend of the cause to make 1t the responsible clearing house for all forms of education that 1t ought to be-
 Perhaps most important of all Is the fact that this undertaking is giving the men and women of the South @ chance to aid in the uplifting of their States, which is being heartily welcomed by the best elements in every community. It has already inspired many deeds of gen. uine patriotism. Of this the act of the superintendent of schools who declined college professorship carrying two and one half times the salary he was receiv- ing, rather than lay down his County work and the agency of the General Board. is merely a type. but noble one. This readiness to serve the State and one's feIlowmen unselfishly is the most encouraging sign of a growing recogni- ton that the educational path is the only one out of the South's overwhelmingly difficult social and industrial problems.