The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-12

ion Vance Judd Chat name, Zeb Vance
is worth a pile to the young superil}-
tendent and shows his fathers creed) j.
the new county superintendent of
schools. He is busy at work study
ing the conditions in the several sec
tons of the county. familariZing him
self with the needs of the different
districts, studying the school law, and
getting ready to go into every portion
of the county and to help improve the
schools. Some districts are already
agitating for n local tax. Outside of
Raleigh township there is not single
local tax district in the county. There
ought to be a local tax i'm every village
and thickly settled school district in
Wake county, and if the people will
do their duty by their children they
will make such provision for their in
struction. Mr.. Judd will be glad TO
communicate with the parents in any
school district who are moving in that
direction.
Speaking of his qualification at his
selection of the position North Caro-
linians hold in the world. and the out
look in Wake, Mr.. Judd said
81 have a very keen sense Of appre-
citation of the many letters, hearty
handshakes and kind words of con-
q
the friends of public education IN
Wake county. While | was very re-
luctant in giving up my work in the
university of another State, 1t was not
due to a lack of love for my home
people-the people of my native State
and county There is nothing that
North Carolinian loves more than
North Carolina. | have been proud TO
observe that Tar Heels, wherever they
may be found, are not ashamed OF the
place of their birth.
whatever may have been said, or
may be said about the illiteracy in
North Carolina. we observe that in the
states far to the north of us where
school facilities have always been far
superior to ours. North Carolinlans
rank first in all the professions. only
a casual glance at the list of proml-
nent men in New York city Will
proye my statement. 1t was a great
pleasure to me last summer while IN
New York to notice the enthusiasm
with which every one of North caro-"
lina's sons proclaimed himself Tar
Heel.
but this does not argue that there
is not a great deal of work to be dohe
i'm the way of educating the young
manhood and wOmanhOod of our
state. and possibly nowhere is a
greater need than in our own>countV
I am not insensible of the great field
that lies out before the man who has
n hand in shaping the educatloflal
policy of this, the metropolitan county
of our State and which by means OF
its resources and number OF children
should rank first among all the couh-
ties in the State. Is it not from
among the common folk. whose intel
lectual welfare he has in trust, that
many of our bravest and best men
have come? Whence came our Gov
ernors. Senators and even our Pfesl-
dents but from the humber homes ::
Not only this, but many of our money
kings of today had similar beginnings
| deem it a matter of no small I'M
portance. then that of determining
the educational facilities of the rural
districts.
at shall be my purpose to so
FL miliarize myself with the peculiar
needs and difficulties of the various
districts of the county as that Whlte
endeavoring to secure good-sized dls-
tricts wherever possible, the school
house shall be kept within reach or all
those who most need its advantages
1t is my fond hope that, even before
one year shall have passed, we shail
find some of our peoDle sufficiently
enthusiastic over our educational wei
fare to be willing to assume a moder-
ate tax for the sake of more efhclent
and larger schools. / see no reason
why. in the near future. there should
not be at least one high school ior
every half-doZer, of lower grade, so
that wherever there is found ambi-
tious youth the facilities shall be such
as to thoroughly equip for college and
university training without incurrlng
the great expense-impossibl with
many to meet-of boarding far away
from homo ~