The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-15
RURAL SCHOOLS
To Be Assisted by the Peabody
 Fund.


 Hon. Hoke Smith has returned from the meeting of the board of trustees of the Peabody educational fund, wnich
 was held last week in New York. MT. Smith states that reports which nave been sent out from New York concern ing the meeting have given an erron- eous impression of what was done by the board.
 Mir Smith says that instead of denounc- ing the Southern School Commissioners for their action, the board followed al- most identically the suggestions made by them In telling of the meeting to- day MT. Smith said:
 Tt is to be regretted that a misappre- hension has resulted from several publi- cations with reference to the action of the Peabody board So far from having denounced the State school commission CTS, the Peabody board almost unani- mously voted to follow the views pre- sented by the Association of Southern School Commissioners.
 Last January committee composed of Dr. Gilman, Senator Hoar, MT. J. Pierpont Morgan, Hon. Richard Olney and I were appointed to consider the question of establishing with the Pea body fund a college for teachers, the plan being to make this college one to which those already engaged in teach ing, and graduates of normal schools,
  ing advanced instruction. Subsequently Dr. Gilman and I were appointed a spe- cal committee from this committee and were authorized to employ experts, and conduct generally an investigation with reference to the future use of the Pea body fund.
 We called several Southern educators to our assistance, and, as far back as last July. we had practically abandoned the idea of recommending the establish ment of teachers college The reports of our experts. and our own examina- tion. lead us to believe that the imme- diate work to which the Peabody fund could best be applied was in the line of aiding State normals and summer schools, and contributing to rural schools. Our committee had received the individ ual opinions of a number of commits
 sioners of education of the Southern States on this subject, all of whom ad
 vised in favor of aid to State normals and rural schools.
 ''The report of the committee had been prepared along this line before the ac- tion of the State School Commissioners took place in Atlanta. MT. Joiner tele- graphed the result of the action of the commissioners to me, and the telegram was presented to Dr. Gilman along with the report of our committee, and with other reports from educators which he had gathered, all of which indicated the wisdom of the same course.
 Instead of criticising the commission CTS for their action, their action was used as additional evidence to show the wis dom of the report of the committee. 'I introduced a resolution declaring it to be the future policy of the Peabody board of trustees for some years to come
 to use the income of the fund entrusted | to their care to aid State normal and me nd n of the Southern States. I do not think | but one member of the board voted | against this resolution
 "In pursuance of this policy the board ordered the scholarships at the Nashville | Peabody stopped after the close of the
 scholastic year 1903-4. As $25.0O0 yearly
 has heretofore been spent on these schol- | arships. the board will after next summer have $25 900 annually in addition to what {! it has at the present time to aid rural | school work. The Peabody board has heretofore contributed about $4O,O00 year to scholarships and salaries of teachers at the Peabody normal at Nash | vile. After the present year it will be
 seen that at least $25,000 of this sum | will be in hand for general work. "lt was the unanimous sense of the l trustees that Dr. Curry's place should be filled by a leading Southern educator. | Not a Northern member favored the se- lection of Northern man for the place. | Several names were discussed, but 1t | was understood that each of these men was engaged in work which he could
 not give up before next summer Most | of the fund was assigned for distribution | for the present school year. and 1t was | therefore determined to ask the secre- | tary of the board, Dr. Green, to look
 after the work for the present year and
 until the regular successor of Dr. Curry could be elected.
 "A committee composed of Dr. Gilman, Senator Hoar and myself was appoint | ed with the request that we present the
 name of a suitable man to the trustees in January. at a meeting called to be held in Washington city, so that an election might then take place and l new agent be prepared to give up his present work in time to begin our work next fall.
 "A misapprehension seems to have ex- isted with regard to Prof. c. R. Glenn.
 He was never elected general agent of the Peabody board. Last October on ac- | count of the i'll health of Dr. Curry. Dr. Curry was authorized to employ a secre- tary or assistant at a salary of $2 OO0 year. Dr. Curry employed Prof Glenn | under this action of the trustees. Mir | Courtney. of South Carolina, and I, both | being on the executive committee of the
 Peabody board, in Atlanta. shortly af- | ter the death Of Dr. Curry, requested
 Professor Glenn to continue in the posi- | ton Professor Glenn then filled until the October meeting of the Peabody trus-
 tees. The distribution of the fund had | already been outlined by Dr. Curry. and
 We simply carried out the plan of work
 which he had determined upon
 | Professor Glenn was not displaced | by the board of trustees. He was only given temporary work under pr. Curry, 1 ceased ha a
 missioner of Georgia. Dr. Curry did not 1 select him as his successor and he was