Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1909-07-22
An Orsn Letter to the Board
OF SupervisorA

Jackson. Miss. July IL, 1873. /
Board OF Observation-Disclosures

Jack-pn. MISS, Jul Ia. 1913.
Board OF Supervisors, -Gentlemen
The time is approaching when
you will FIX the tax levy for
another year. | hope you will
pardon me, il in this connection,
| take the liberty Of making a
plea for better opportunities for
the children and for the devel-
opment Of the agricultural re-
rources of your county. The
State Department OF Education
believes that the establishment
Of an Agricultural High School
in each county will go far to-
ward solving our rural school
problem. The State gives $1,000
annually toward the support OF
one such school in each county.
The remainder must be raised by
local taxation supplemented by
the usual amount the School Dis
trict, in which the Agricultural
High School is located, receives
from the state and county. a
very small tax levy!in most OF
the counties will be sufficient t.
maintain such a school.
submit that these school.
are no longer experiments. Mas
sachusets, whose agricultural re.
sources are extremely limited
maintains twenty such schools
Rhe people Of Wisconsin. wher,
there are numbers Of such schools
have developed their agriculture
resources and are educating
their children in these schools
Numbers of western and moth.
r and western states are dottec
with agricultural high schools
Toe interests OF the people o.
Mississippi r more largely ag.
ricul ural than in any other star.
in the Union. Shall we not de
velop her resources? Shall W,
not give her children better edu.
c%ational advantages? Can yo,
afford to make this levy? Is i
not better to spend money /,
make strong earnest Influential
men and women than to sacrific,
children to save money? ID,
you want the rural schools il
your county to be stimulated anC
encouraged? Ii so, provide thi!
school in order that the boys anc
girls may have better opportu
mites to look forward to wher
they complete the course of stud,
in the rural schools.
You appropriate money 70,
bridges, good roads. court nous.
es, Jai 8, courts, etc, and this i.
right, but why not appropriat,
money to be invested in tn,
childhood of your county? Yo,
believe with all thoughtful peo.
pie that the only intelligent anC
logical system Of education il
that which carries the best schoo
advantages to all people. vii
you not help develop such a sys.
tem?Are we not educating ouI
children away from the lift,
around them? Are we not train.
ing our children to become law.
yers, doctors, preachers, school.
teachers, orators, politicians anC
statesmen only? More thar
eighty per cent of our people ar,
engaged in agriculture. WoulC
you reach tie many as well a.
the few? Do you not think the
time has come to give int lligent
direction TO the hand as well as
the mind? Do you not think We
ought to give dignity to labor:
Shall We not develop our agri-
cultural resources through these
schools as other states are doing:
Finally, shall not the children OF
Mississippi have opportunities
equal to those in any other state:
beg that you will give this
matter the serious consideration
1t merits, and if your county has
not already established such a
school. will you not use the in
fluence at your command and the
power placed in your hands T.
give to the struggling childhood
OF your county a better chance in
life?
Fifteen counties have already
take advantage of the splendid
opportunity the State offers.
Why not yours?
Very respectfully,
j. n. POWERS,
State SUPERINTENDENT Eauo.~-