The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-05-10
.DEPL0RES LACK
Of COHESION IN
MOUNTAIN WORK
Prof. Payne Points Out De-
fects and Suggests How the
Worthy MovementCan
be Strengthened.

| be Strengthened.
Lack OF cohesion was the chief de.
feet pointed out In the section on needy
families yesterday morning, during til.
discussion of work in isolated mountain
communities OF the South. Many or
CARNATIONS arc at work, some OF them
accomplishing excellent results. but
their efforts overlap, while large sec
tlons are left uncovered by any COM
prehenslve- movement. Religious sects.
often OF the most extreme and intoler
ant type. are laboring in, certain sec
tons, often being directly antagonistic
to tho spirit OF other organizations.
The subject was opened by paper
presented by Miss Katherine Petit. of
the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union settlement at Hindman. Ky. The
paper was very Illuminating, present
ling concrete cases, and dealing directly
with conditions in certain specified
sections
| The general discussion was taken up
by Mr.. c. C. Claxton. professor OF sec
ondary education in the University OF
Tennessee. who saw in the Isolated
mountain communities Of the South an
| opportunity for university settlement
and social work which would parallel
| the Work done Dy the soClai bctNie-
| ments of universities situated In large
cities OF the North.
weakness OF Work.
Professor Bruce r. Payne, who holds
| the chair of secondary education In the
| University OF Virginia. closed the de-
bate with a carefully prepared address,,
| In which, while praising to their full
| the good Intentions and In some cases
the worthy accomplishments OF set
| Elements among mountain people, and
OF missions established there by va
| rious churches, he still found from his
observation that there was much waste
effort, undirected energy and lack OF
cooperation.
| Referring to the defects iii the work.
Professor Payne took up three main
| ponts--first. the lack of cooperation
between the workers and the promoters
OF these isolated stations in the noun
tains: second. the lack OF correlation
OF the enterprises with existing per-
manently organized institutions, espe
cially state systems OF education. State
! bcards of charities. State boards OF
health, etc. third. the lack OF expert
study OF the entire social. Industrial.
educational and religious problems pc
GUITAR to mountain people in Isolated
communities. Criticizing this condl-
ton because 1t results in waste OF edu-
/ =
| he claimed that all waste was due to
isolation OF some sort. and that the
only cure for isolation is administra
| tive organization and cooperation.
/ This CO. operation was shown to be
strlkingly lacking among the various
/ churches. most OF the work attempted
| in mountain settlements 80 far being
supported by city congregations.
| Some OF the Needs.
Each denomination has it's mission
| settlement; sometimes several dcnom-
tinations ere within the same noun
tain cove CT valley: frequently they
are not on speaking terms. not to men
! ton their holding business or educa-
t,ona; conferences said Professor
.ayne. y, mile In the mountains is
longer than many in the lowiands.
| Railroads, telephones. rural free deliv-
cry AVE rot yet reached these over
hanging valleys. The UNCONVENTIONAL
ifeeliiig and the geographical barriers
are the two isolation factors between
/ the workings of the existing missions,
"More Important Is the second point
rhere arc certain well-organlzed inst-
tutons whose support is permanent.
whose machinery is tested yearly by
experience anu criticism of thousands
| of experts, whose genius is di-
ERECTED toward the elimination OF inc
waste of ISOLATION. under which head
comes the system Of public instruction
i in the common schools of any State.
ICriticism is tie chosen agency for the
education OF the race. 1t will be IN
Ithe busin,ss when all other agencies
lare moss-covered.
| "If the mountain work is to be MADE
! permanent and efficient. there must DC
la closer correlation between ieach .such
settlement and tho State school sys-
items. These two systems are too shy
of each other. a closer acauaih.tAnee
| would be mutually beneficial.
ION the other hand. the missionary
| must be willing to learn and yield Tor
the sake of better organization re
must be missionary to the pubic
| official a swell as to the settlers There
| should be discovered an Intermediate
agency between the two, in order that
the official may become enlightened as
! to better ways of working, and the
| missionary as to better organization
looking to the spread of his influence
and the permanence of his results
Time and Inclinntion:
"rhe misfortune In this and many
Other forms of social work is that those
responsible for their promotion have
too little time for reflection, and those
not responsible have not the inclination
/ We can never organize these undertake
Iings SO as to escape the leakage so
prevalent until larger group Of men
study the questions both indirectly
and comparatively. Why should the
universities neglect the study OF the
social problems in the mountains settle
ments moro than In the city settle-
| ments?
"Thc trained expert could free this
entire question from a sort Of sickly
sentimentality, which too often does
the cause more harm than good There
are men of business sense who are
alienated from the movement by GER
tain type Of sentiment which does not
appeal to them. TOO often the advo-
cate, by the lack of expert ability, es-