The Forrest City times., 1909-01-15
GOVERNORS MESSAGE. Recomme ndations Are Made That Will Advance the Educational Industrial and Commercial Interests of This Great Commonwealth in Which We Live.
To the General Assembly

To the General Assembly.
 1t is with a feeling ot profound cratitud, 10 the people of Arkansas that l assume ih, duties Of their Chief Executive. Especially q,
 feel the more honorcd when l consider that
 am not lawyer. nor have I had previous service fin political life or practice. But to
 the contrary, my experience since manhood has been only that of A farmer. laborer crafts man. and business man; my fitness for Governor of the State in which | have lived sso lopg must come from rugged association with human affairs.
 However fin my past life of work, my practice has been to do the things 1 had 10 do with whatever 1 hnd to do them with. Ky personal experience, have often found the rejected stone the best materlai of my own knowledge. l know that he who eontin. aally puarrels with his tools is poor work. men. 1 have with sense and energy literally move mountains. All these things came to me In practical way; and having seen what efficiency can accomplish in indus. trial and business affairs, I am now prc. pared to believe, after all. that even so i'm. @crtant work as state-craft is only an in- fensely practical matter. Believing that hon. esty Of purpose. energy and common sense win aid me to overcome the many difficulties shall meet enter upon my task with the de termination to do something in material way Tor the advancement of Arkansas In sneak. ing, thus, 1 mean to attempt only inc work Imposed upon me by the duties of The office to which l am elected: those things promised by me and expected of me by tho ,.aone whose servant I am
 In the cooperative work of the Executive and Legislative departments required by the Constitution, win at all times endeavor to do my full duty; and in order to promote har. monious action and the best results shall take great pleasure in giving prompt con. Terence to the members of thh General As sembiy congratulate you. gentlemen. on the Tact that you are entering upon your work Tor the State at time when the pub iic conscience everywhere Is peculiarly alive to the work of public servants; at time when an aroused and awakened public con science is quick to reward the faithful and disown the unfaithful. Surely there could be no greater incentive to noble actions than to know the people who sent you here stand ready to appreciate and recognize the labors or all who are faithful In their service. AS the representatives of great people nmbi- tious to move onward and upward your uppOr- tuhities To do good are boundless.
 UNIVERSITY
 The first department of the State Govern ment which Governor Donaghey discusses is education. The University of Arkansaa fs origin. history. purpose and progress is exten- siyeiy treated and Mfr. Donaghey finds gratIn- cation in the fact that it will enroll more than 1900 students for this scholastic year The governor opposes it's proposed removal
 The message lays particular stress upon the agricultural department of the University which the Governor declares has for some unknown cause. other than lack of funds. been ser- onsly neglected. It has not so far accom- plished the purpose for which 1t was intended is lacking In efficiency to the farmers of the State. and should be greatly strengthened to oo more extension work and get into more intimate and helpful relationship with all ciasses Of our farmers. The Legislature is re- auested to make dligent inquiries into this i'm. portant department and correct such errors as may exist Continuing the message says:
 The State Democratic Convention when last Nh session declared in favor of the establish. xnent of four aditional Agricultural Schools m the state but located one of them at Fay etteviiie. The Board of Trustees and faculty m tfN hAt..
 ion that the Agricultural Educational features of the University better be conserved by putting the additional appropriation and ex- pense which would be required for a secondary schooi Of this nature at that place Into the "one now In operation there. am of the same opinion. and recommend that you put sufr eieht additional strength in the Agricultural Department of the State University to make good all the intentions of the State Demo cratic Convention when it declared fin favor 'of secondary Agricultural School at Fayette- viIle
 Other recommendations are made and con tinuing the governor suggests that at the earliest moment practicable the preparatory de pertinent of the University be abolished in lis entirety because there too many students there doing nothing by common and High School work and It's necessity decreases as the eff. eiency In work and organization of the Com mon and High Schools of the State increases New buildings are recommended as follows: Library building, Auditorium. building for Geology and Mining. larger and more substan- uai than those recently erected on the ca-. ,pus Continuing the message says.
 recommend the passage of n law fixing the tenure Of office of the University Boards mem bers and allow the Governor by proelama tiou to designate three of the present members of fhe Board to serve eight years from this date and allow him to appoint two new members 10 serve for six years and two members To serve for four years. All subsequent appoint ments to be for eight years.
 STATE NORMAL
 GoyernOr fbp brfe and lauds the purpose of the State Normal Scheo, aud declares that it should properly rank among the highest of all institutions in either State Nation. Referring Ia the rec ommendation of the last Democratic Conven- ton for agricultural department in con. nection with this Normal school the Gavernor says IL Is In accordance with what ts consid- cred the best practice ia other states He reprossnces letter from the Peabody Educa- tionsl Board with headquarters at Nashville fraan., which recognizing the importance ct such a move proposes that if Arkansas will adequately provide for the Agricultural train ing of teachers 1t will contribute the sum of SIo. W0.00 towards the erection of S5o- ooo0o building for the purpose Commenting >on the letter. the message says:
 This particular school obviously. Is different in scope and purpose to those community schools for training boys and girls how to farm and do house keeping" spoken of in an Intended to teach elementary agriculture and domestic science to boys and girls ot their spectiSe communities. while the Utgh school Agricultural Department at the Normal would equip all teachers for instruction n that science to the boys and girls wherever they taught in the whole State. l. therefore. earnestly rec ommend. tkat you make appropriation of $40, 0DO co to carry out this purpose md that we may also avail ourselves Of the great hene- fit and assistance offered by the Peabody Board which assistance. I believe. If accepted by us now, will be augmented in the future by vari- ous sums from time to time that body sees the institution continue II certainly will. 10 develop into a school giving instruction to more than thousand at time, of the present number of seven thousand white teach CTS in the State.
 SCHOOLS FOR TRACKING BOYS AND GIRLS
 HOW TO FARM AND DO HOUSE
 KEEPING.
 The Governor then compliments the present State Normal Board it's conduct of the In. stitution and soiicits of the Legislature the u.s yimum amn'int of help for this institution and the State University. He then takes up the question of schools for teaching boys and girls how to farm and do house keeping. de plaring that more attention should be paid to the training of hays and girls to dn the practical things of life. He goes on to show that there are five hundred and sixty thousand persons between six and twenty four years of age in Arkansas less than one hundred of whom are taking college degrees less than one thousand college work of any kind aud