The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-04-28

,th,n5 Conference a year ago
=. rsoaest of the program committee,
a-' .tel q statement in regard to
work as enc Of the District Directors
I' Southern Education Board, which
o. ,.,,hIfshed in the proceedings of the
vas F' That statement explains the
toD'''.fo1 of the educational forces
oI5@'t Carolina at the Raleigh Confer
OF Gives an account of the meet
eA'- Greensboro Oh April Ord and :th,
H. ,,arkcd the beginning of co-opera-
VIM t.tyeen the Southern Education
~" and the General Education Board
OD"I4 work. This statement also made
" that nv work in North Carolina
' F., ro-Opcration with Governor Ay-
. and state superintendent Joyner,
.braa constituting the Executive Com
...~ represeuting the organization Con-
lr.-ra held at Raleigh February 18th.
81 the Raleigh Conference represent
all educational interests-Statc, de-
-,o,fnatf3naI and private-the opinion
.as unanimous that all influences should
t. brought to bear upon the Improvement
~. t1a rural public school, that the con-
.oIi1ation of school districts, the i'm
rroyamcnt Of school houses. and the adop-
.,n Of the principle Of local taxation for
,.hr.c education were our three funda-
~enral needs. and that there should be
q systematic and persistent agitation to
secure these needs. | have used the
finds placed in my hands by the South
ern Education Board to aid IN this agita-
tiCn.
Nv work as District Director has been
largely. though not entirely, confined to
North Carolina, and practically all Of it
has been done IN connection with and
through the following agencies:
Educational Conferences for various
purposes;
.. A systematic popular campaign for
local taxation;
3. The Organization and work of the
Women's Association for the Betterment
of Public School Houses in North Caro-
lima.
l. EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCES.
Conferences at Raleigh, Greensboro,
Charlotte and Hickory were held. The
general purpose of these conferences was
the same. though the distinctive feature
OF the first at Raleigh was general or
ganization, that of the second and third
at Greensboro and Charlotte for the
promotion of the idea of community phil
anthropy, while the purpose of the fourth
was to saturate a community with such
educational sentiment as would make it
ready to vote a special local tax for
schools.
All Of the conferences were attended
by the State superintendent, the Govern
or. the President of the State University,
the President Of the Agricultural and
Mechanical DvIlege, the President of the
State Normal and Industrial College, and
representatives of the leading denomina-
tl0nal colleges of the State. A large
number of public school and private
school teachers and of citizens engaged
in various callings we're also present al
each conference.
l paid the railroad expenses OF the su-
perintendent of about fifty counties ir
the western part of the State. enabling
each of them to attend one of the con-
t]erenccs. thus giving them an opportuni-
ty to come in touch with one nOthe
and with the educational leaders of the
state and, at the same time, giving the
state Superintendent an opportunity tt
outline a uniform policy for his lieutcn.
ants.
We had planned to hold two confer
ences IN the eastern part Of North Caro-
lima, but, finding that Secretary Buttrick
Of the General Education Board, Wa,
planning a conference OF all the count.
superintendents at Raleigh. | did no
think it wise to hold any district con
ferenCcs in the eastern section of tn
state this year.
In my Judgment, no money has eve
been spent more wisely than that which
made it possible for the county superin
tendcnts to come together In the smalle
conferences and in the general confer
ence at Raleigh. All Of these conference
except the two at Raleigh produced
profound impression upon the communi
ties in which they were held. The tW.
conferences in Raleigh also did nue.
10 quicken educational thought through
cut the State because the newspapers a
the capital and the special correspond
chjs located there gave wide circulation
I. the important work of each confer
cncc.
The work of the Greensboro Confer
once was told in the Athens report.
snail speak again, however, in this re
port Of some important results Of tina
conference.
On May End, Just after the Athens Con
terence, our Charlotte Conference wa
E'Id. An effort was made to repeat tn
Work OF the Greensboro Conference wit
one additional feature. We undertook t
IaIee from the city of Charlotte 5000
"hIch, in turn, the General Educatio
picard had agreed to duplicate, with Tn
understanding that twO-thirds of til
amount should 90 to the rural school
" A~HcklenFtlrg county and one-thir4
I'D me public schools of Henderson count
situated in the mountain section of til
'-"ie. Not quite all this money WE
'''S'd, but | am Informed that all of
VIII be raised and already several dis
.+o'@ In Me~cklenburg county have he
.''llons on the local tax question:. an
o. most Of thom the vote has been fl
vorablo.
M mo Hickory Conference. August 13t
If'1, no effort was made to rails
""'"eT Tor rural schools because Hicl
. lho"Pn a town Of considerable si1
VI some Importance in the State /;
'''huiacturing confer, had not yet vote
,'aI tax upon its own property. ]
l'oh 10 the ordinary work of IL
inference every effort was made
''"Sthen public sentiment in Hickor
on" wear previous to the Confer
Ue town had voted upon the que!
l vi lGEE4TNo 9. 80 -