The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-02-15
Manufacturers Record.

be Offered as a Plea for Sinking
Great floral Responsibility.
Manufacturers Record.
Adding to it's wealth at the rate of
$4,000, 900 a day, the South has an
opportunity for educational invest
ment unparalleled in American his
tory.
Infinitely greater in value than its
mineral and timber wealth is the
South's wealth in undeveloped boys
There are tens of thousands of poor
white boys throughout the South in
whom there are latent abilities which
if quickened and developed and utiliz-
ed, would make them great leaders
in Southern upbuilding The finding
Of boy who has such abilities and
the development of that boy into a
real man, u leader of men, is far be-
yond the discovery of a new ore or
coal or gold mine. The opportunity
which the South will henceforth af-
ford to such boys is greater than can
be found in any section OF this or any
other country. How shall we find
the boys and how shall their abilities
be used to their own good and to the
blessing of the South?
A few years ago the Manufacturers
Record suggested that in view of this
situation business concerns and peO-
pie of means throughout the South
should undertake to aid in the tech
meal education of the poor white
boys. The rich need no help; the
poor boy needs not charity, but he
does need assistance. In every tech
meal school in the South there are a
number of boys who are paying for
their tuition and board by working
their way through college. Some do
this by work on the farm connected
with most of the schools, often up at
D O'Clock in the morning milking or
doing other farm labor in order to
secure the opportunity to get tech
meal education, while others are en-
ployed in the dining-room or about
the building doing other manual
labor. Fortunately, for the honor
and good sense OF the scholars in
these schools, the boys who work
their way through do not in any
way lose social caste or position. On
the contrary, it very generally hap
pens that these boys are such force
and strength of character that they
are leaders and the men of honor in
the schools. Where dozen or maybe
ID or 20 boys can find employment
| in this way and be able to work their
way through college, there are hun
dreds of others seeking similar OPP
pOrtunities who cannot be accepted,
because in these schools there is only
a certain amount of work to be done
and only a limited number of boys
can thus be employed. Some of the
| presidents of these schools to whom
applications are made have said to
the Manufacturers Record that their
hearts have ached at times because
OF having to refuse so many who de-
sired only the privilege OF working
their way through college.
The suggestion was made five years
ago by the Manufacturers Record
| that subscriptions should be given by
people in the South to aid in Offering
to these poor boys an opportunity
of education. 1t will cost anywhere
probably, from 1925 to $50 a year
to carry q boy through one of these
| technical SCHOOLS. A subscription Of,
say, $50 a year for four years made
through the president of the school
| could be utilized by him as loan to
such a boy, with the agreement on
his part that after graduation he
would begin to pay the money in an
nual instruments the full amount
without interest. This would elimi-
nate any charity feature the accept
ance of which would tend to destroy
the boys self-reliance and indeper-
! dence, and it would develop in him
an appreciation of business methods.
AS soon as the boy was graduated
and commenced in, say, one year
thereafter to repay to the school the
fund borrowed from it, this would
start another boy, and the $50 a
| year for four years would thus be-
come q perpetual fund, forever keep
ing some boy at college. 1t is true
that here and there death or disaster
might cause the ending of the fund
through the failure of the recipient
to repay, but it would be safe to
count that II very large proportion
OF these subscriptions would be con-
tinued as perpetual endowments. If
an outright endowment of $4,000
were given to a school, the annual
income would probably be $500,
and on the basis of $50 a year, if
the income should be utilized this
way, 16 or II boys might be annual
ly educated. But if, instead of invest
ing $50, 900 in stocks and bonds, the
same $4,000 should be invested in
boys and divided up into annual pay
ments of $112,5OO over so boys
could be educated in this way, and in
such an educational campaign an in
vestment in boys might be more
profitable than if put in stocks and
bonds. Still there is room enough
for the large endowments to schools
and for this plan of dealing with the
individual boy. Here Is a tangible
plan which should appeal to the
South. There are thousands of bust.
ness men. merchants, bankers, man
ufacturers, planters. and thousands
of business institutions which could
| well Oxford, in the interest of South.
ern upbuilding, in the interest of hu.
mainly, and if need be in their OWL
selfish interest for the advancement
OF the country, in which they would
share, to undertake to spend $50 a
year for four years in work OF this
kind. Each subscription could be