The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-29
From the New Orleans Plcayune.

RV ROBSON, of Merrimac fame, N representative in Congress from the Sixth congressional district of Ala bama. arrived in New Orleans last even ing, accompanied by his wife. and is reg istered at the St. Charles. Captain Hob son is here to take part in the exercises of l-e Educationa Alliance at the Tulane theatre tonight.
 "I am taking up the question of educa- tional possibilities in the south, and have organized an expedition to go through my congressional district in Alabama with five experts from the government depart ments in Washington said Capt. Hob son. "It vii be something on the order of political tour, but each expert will speak thirty minutes on his speciality and all metings will be turned into educa- tional rallies. The experts consist, first, of forester, whose special purpose will b, to instruct how to cut the timber and yet preserve the forest. Then there will be a cotton culture expert who will give special instruction in how to increase the co,.on production, and will furnish spe- cial long-staple cotton seed and direct SGitlNiNlOh pS NOii "Aeii SiAS farmers taking it up.
 Next there will be a good roads ex- pert, who will give instructions on how to improve the different kinds of roads in the district, and he will undertake to start the building of sample length of r. las an object lesson. Then there will be a soils expert to give instructions in the unappreciated possibilities of the va rious soils found in the district. In addi- ton there will be special inspector from the pcstoffice department who will or r- nize the postal service of each county. especially the development of the rural delivery. This inspector will not, of course, be able to follow the expedition, as he will have to give considerable time ,o each county
 My own part will be to conduct the expedition and speak upon education, Yah ,, view to stimulating local interest and bringing about the improvement of thu schools of tue district and the estab- lishment of new schools. Alabama has just iraugurated a new policy which promises to be most useful by offering $l0,J T year to each county for the es- tablishnent of new schools, provided the county raises an equal amount. I shall endeavor to augment this interest by SC. curing additional funds to cover any ad- ditonal amounts raised locally for school purposes.
 "I believe that the Educational Alliance here in Louisiana has great possibilities for good, not only in determining the best v;sest educational policies, but in arousinE public interest. Experience in Alabama has proven that an energetic and progressive campaign for educational improvement always wins In an election anu I believe that the time is ripe for campaign to bring about the compulsory education in the southern states. I be- lieve that Miss Eleanor Riggs, in her pa per delivered before the recent educa- tional conference at Pinehurst, brought cut many valuable points, and one which struck me in particular was the sugges-- ton that the educational fund in the Mis- slssippi river states be increased by di- Vcrting to that fund the proceeds of the levee tax. The United States government shouli properly sustain this burden neces- sary for the proper preservation of this great water highway, and I hold myself re~dy to do all in my power in Congress to have this done.
 ''I believe in many ways the future of the south in general and of New Or leans in particular will rest upon our educational work. he one great thing we need is to arouse our people to our wonderful possibilities. It is hard to arouse the old. but it is easy to mold the young. The south has a right to look to New Orleans for leadership in the great movement aimed at producing the fin- ished product instead of the raw mate rial and in supplying the West Indies, Central America. the Orient and in a lar-e measure the rest of the world with the great staples of clothing, of steel, of coal and partly of sugar rice and other staples of food.
 "In my judgment the natural endow- ments of the south, which are absolutely unparalleled. and our commanding geo. graphic al position properly appreciated and utilized through the edpcation and the arousing of our people would give this section the industrial. agricultural ana commercial supremacy in America. and New Orleans, from it's central loca-