Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-27
Urged State Aid
for Rural Schools

Editor Journal: ALLOW me space in your paper.
please, for few words in behalf of our rural
schools
! Our legislature never fail. 20 hear from the
university people, but 1t seems that the whole
state Of Georgia never brings forth one cham
pion Of the common schools 1t seems that tho
capacious nav Of our university zealots is never
to be satisfied. When / looked over the appro-
priations our last legislature made to the uni
| versity and its branches, thought that for
once surely they would not have the audacity to
ask this legislature for any further increase in
appropriations; but comes Chancellor Bar
row with his leutenants and demands for the
university sustenance fund OF SESSION. He
says thA4 the university and its branches now
have 1900 students. Divide $2S5, 600 by $500
students and YOU have over $s1 for the annual
tuition OF each pupil in the university. From
the best information that l Can votain, the state
pays only abort $3.50 for the education OF each
child attending our common schools. II there is
to be any increase OF maintenance funds any
where, 1t ought to be to our rural schools.
The chancellor says that the heating system
at the university is a hundred years old; that
the boys still carrying coal up to their rooms
in the dormitory This may not accord with the
dignity OF those aspiring youths whom the chan
cellor is preparing for the practice Of law, medi
cine the ministry, and other higher calllngs in
life, but II is not 80 very bad when we consider
the opportunities of the thousands OF children
who attend country schools. Here you find
no coal to carry-only pine knots to be gathered
from the woods, the rudest kind Of seats and
building, a scanty supply of school books and
not infrequently very incompetent teacher.
eS, II our university EealOtS VIII only WISH
rural schools they will conclude that there are
worse things in Georgia than carrying a bucket
CT coal up flight OF stairs.
But 1t is claimed by some that the best way
to build up the country schools is to appropriate
more money to the university. For the life Of
me l can't see where the university has ever
been worth anything to the rural schools. You
find comparatively few, IL any, of its graduates
teaching country schools, and they are not to
be blamed for there thousand fields OF
personal endeavor that are more inviting to the
aspiring man or woman. Make the teaching OF
country school as profitable as the practice OF
law, the practice Of medicine or the charge OF
city church, and then you may tear down your
university and still there will be superabund
of competent teachers for our common
schools.
been able to take of itself, but the educA-
ton of the masses has ever needed the fostering
care of the state. 1t is not fair, 1t is not
patriotic for the whole state to be taxed to sup
port the university and its branches where law.
yers, doctors, city preachers, bankers and rail-
road magnates are manufactured, while our
rural schools are left to local taxation II We
and support part Of the states institutions from
the general or common funds and leave other in.
situations to be supported by local taxation. SO
far the little $3.50 that is so grudgingly doled
out for the education Of the child in our rural
schools is concerned we would be just about as
well Off without It; for we have become accus-
toned to depend on that altogether. II the
state is to do no more we had just abort as
well be left to our own resources. 1t is just ike
cropping n rev grains OF eeeO 10 chicken
hourly. In a short time it will accustom itself
to lie around and wait for its allowance and
starye
The chancellor may know how TO settle a rail
road strike to the entire satisfaction Of the
negro, but there seems to be many things about
the needs Of educational system in Georgia
about which he is ignorant 1 am only old
'hayseed," but the next time he appears be-
fore our solons to plead the cause Of the uni
versity, I would be delighted to have an oppor-
tunity OF pleading the cause of our rural
schools. JOHN r. SPENCE.
Carrollton, Ga.