The Tupelo journal., 1908-07-24

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1t was no small thing to secure the
right men for speakers at the confer
ence, but it was eventually done, and
every hour of the various sessions had
its special interest. There was not one
dull speaker on the list, nor one talk
tnat was not attractive and interesting.
OF course Mr.. Powers made the most i'm
portant address, during the course of
which he. outlined the policy of the
present administration, and notified his
hearers that he would call upon them
for support in his efforts to secure the
bond issue for the training school, and
for $250,000 from the next legislature
for the common school fund. Judging
by the applause which greeted these
statements, there will not be one man
lacking when the votes come to be
counted on these questions.
Mr.. Powers has made a great many
friends already in the office which he
holds, and the Educational Conference
won for him many more. His Normals
this summer have proven successful, and
the teachers are satisfied with him and
is methods. This is a most fortunate
state of affairs, as there is always bet
ter work when there is harmony among
the workers.
The three presidents of the State in
situations were present, and each OF
them received all the honors and admir-
alton that man could ask. In the dis
tinguished chancellor of the university,
DR.. A. A.. Kincannon, we found the host,
the friend, the teacher all combined.
And at the same time the State found
in him her careful, painstaking ex-
ecutive officer in charge of the many
improvements which are rapidly trans
forming the old campus into a thing OF
beauty and a joy, if not forever, at
least for many years.
A very interesting feature of the con-
ference was the illustrated lecture by
DIR. Kern, the county superintendent of
Winnebago county, Illinois, which he
calls Along the Country Road with the
School Boy" 1t is a revelation, and
those who saw and heard it must carry
back to their work a fresh Inspiration
and determination to compass in their
work, something of the wonders that
this man achieved in his bare land.
Would that every farmer in the State
who allows his hands" to ruthlessly
cut and burn his splendid trees Just to
make "new ground" could see the value
these rich Illinois farmers, on the open
prairie, set on a tree. They make as
much ceremony about planting a little
sapling, and then give it as careful cul-
ture as we give to the most rare and
expensive plant from distant nurseries.
And it is because of the fact that beau
tiful trees are rare with them, and that
they are valuable, just as they are to
us, but we have not, as yet, learned
these facts. When DR.. Kern took up
the work to which he is devoting his
life, his schools were as bare as are
ours. But indomitable will and perse-
~Verance, genuine stick-to-it-avcness and
a clear brain have accomplished wonders,
and today the graded schools of his
county with their splendid buildings
lin place of the log huts by the road
side) their beautiful grounds and ar
tistic interiors, are the admiration of
the entire school world. When Nature
has done so much for us this man can
not understand why it is that we do
not start in and help her out to the eX-
tent, at least, of preserving the trees
around the school yard instead of cut
ting all OF them and leaving the house
in u dusty clearing.
Would that every father and mother
who is wont to take the chil'len' out
of the all-too-short- term school when
pNCi tIit NpbbCh ~ III Wv Il "
for similar reasons. could see and under
stand this lecturei Could this be
brought about there would be no need
for educational conferences. The peo-
pie would do, of their own free VIII,
all of these great and good things which
Mr.. Powers and Mr.. Scott and Mr.. Rose
and all of the other patriotic educators
hope to do one of these glad days.
1t is a sad fact that the white chit
dren of some of our counties are taught
but one hundred and eleven days, and
that by teachers who receive but about
SIG a month, all the year round-that
is. land they have to live durins the
time their schools are cioscd.)
1t is Il deplorable fact that twenty
per cent of the children of Mississippi
are not even enrolled in any school; of
those enrolled, only t~hirty.siX per cent
attend; our average attendance is but
ifty-two out of every hundred children
among us.
We are accustomed to boast nightly
about what we have done for our chill
dren. But | say it with regret and
humiliation, there are now forty-siS
States and territories spending more tor
the education of each child than we do.
There are longer school terms in thirty
seven States and territories II ours
are.
We are the only State in the Union
without a training school for teachers.
Our children in the country average six
months the year, while the average i'll
the United States is eight months, al
most. We spend but an average of five
dollars for each adult male in Missis-
sippi, while the amount spent for each
adult in the United States is thirteen
dollars.
And-ashamed though | am to tell
it-there are thirty-six States and ter
r%itories having a smaller percentage of
illterate adult male white citizens than
we have.
These are some of the reasons for the
Inauguration of the present campaign
for education in the State. They are
enough surely to draw to the banner.
meath which the splendid effort floats,
the loyal devotion of every Mississippi
man and woman, and we believe that
it will.
When the child cries for help the
stronger the man OF the woman who
hears the cry, the quicker, and the bet
ter is the help.
During the conference there was a
Committee on Organization appointed,
and this was, later, upon motion of Mr..
FAINT, of Meridian, made permanent.
The work of this committee after Sc
curing a proper organization was cut
ont for them they are tn nrenara and