The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-10

to invest had come to Virginia to
purchase farm. He found one that
suited him exactly, In one of the
wealthiest counties in the State, and
said he would purchase 1t IL there was
a good school in reasonable distance.
The school (?) was there-O, yes,
there 1t was: That Is. there was a
rectangular box with roof on it; q
thing that looked ashamed OF itself in
its ashes and squalor and air of
neglect-the poor Cinderella of the
State And they have all of six
months term there and the teacher
II she has first grade certificate, gets
All OF $50 month. because the SAL
airy has been raised. And yet that
fellow left in disgust. He was too par
ticular. But he did what scores of
our Virginia country people are doing
he left Virginia country neighbour
hood because of the lack of school ia
cilities.
And this is one of the many diff
cult problems confronting the Com
missioner of Agriculture--how to get
good people to come and settle on our
virginia lands, when in literally thou
sands of communities good school
houses, long terms and good teaching
I'm other words. good schools) do not
exist. He cannot do 1t. He could not
do 1t If the General Assembly voted
him 100000 a year with which to nav
the travelling expenses oe intending
settlers, and gave each bona tide set
tier bonus to stay in the country.
The kind of people wanted in Virginia,
In our counties, towns and cities, are
people who are intelligent. virtuous and
solicitous for the Improvement of their
"a mt
who care little or nothing about edu-
eating their children. For my part. l
would prefer the smallpox as neigh.
Dor to man who is Indifferent about
the education of his own children and
those of the community. Physical
smallpox is not so bad as moral teta-
nus; is not more contagious, and is
more easily eradicated.
People Do Not Know.
Second In the letter quoted above,
the writer says: almost the first ques-
ton asked me (by the intending set
tle0 was: What about schools for my
children?' I replied that there would
De no trouble about this; that our pub
lie schools in the State of Virginia
were the very best" This reply was
not unique.
THE very best!" This is the burden
know what they are talking about, but
who ought to take the trouble to in
form themselves. The gentleman
quoted above did belong to this class
until he came into contact with the
real situation. 1T is safe to say that
he Is now very much Interested in the
public school question in Virginia: that
he Is now enrolled among those of us
"a constantly increasing number) who
know that We will get good, sturdy
immigrants to settle in Virginia and
to remain satisfied here without good
schools, In the very same year that we
all lift ourselves over hve-foot fence
by our bootstraps.
The very best: We hear it--have
heard II for years-from men who
haven't been inside OF school since
they We're spanked there in their
school days; we hear it in bonstful.
oratorical flights from those chosen TO
welcome the teachers in big meetings.
when tho teachers have to sit pa
! tiently and listen to the pattering of
plautudes and TO he told at each sue
cessive gathering that their profess
sion Is second to none" Cbut are not
told that their pay is next to nothins) !;
| We hear 1t from those who look at the
public school question through tho
I 5'S WIZ VI d 'tltSSODs. VIC see IL III
the newspapers as news items, and
near 1t repeated with parrot-like
monotony by some who could not define
| good school II they tried. Even some
! OF our good newspaper correspondents.
| writing for the Industrial Page of the
sundays paper, give glowing accounts
OF the various industries of a county
I or town, and almost Invariably add
mat the schools are ample" or fine. ;,
1 or first class" or Second to none,r
i sometimes the statement is true. some
tines IT would, like the schools de-
sesloea. be farclcal. IL. like them, it
were not tragedy.
Recently ] wrote Il letter OF con-
} hrusu'a'on 10 county superintendent
because the Supervisors Of his county
,'"n raised tho school levy very ma
.erial'y' stated In my letter that In
peohls would. in view of,the inoreas "a
/ III 'heir taxes, demand efficient teach-
! orS' good sehooihouses. ana ,onear
terms, anu that il was now nnssi,,,a
20 WI as necessary, To put the schools
~ ms county on a systematic ana an az, :
, cienl basis In his reply he s,adaa
a'hohs other things that his .n,,n,,.