The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1909-07-23

To Board of Supervisors In
Behalf Of Better Country
Schools. Reasons for Ex.
ira Tax Levy. Schools
In Other States.
Jackson, Missy

Conference.-The time is ap-
preaching when you will fix the tax
levy for another year. l hope you
will pardon me, in this connection,
I take the liberty of making a plea
for better opportunities for the child
rem and for the development Of the
agricultural resources Of your coun-
try. The State department. of Edu-
cation believes that the establish
ment of an Agricultural High School
in each county will go far toward Soiv-
ing our rural school problem. The
State gives $1,000, 90 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
district, In which the Agricultural
High School is located, receives from
the state and county. A very small
tax levy in more OF the counties will be
sufficient to maintain such school.
1 submit that these schools are no
longer experiments. Massachusetts,
whose agricultural resources are ex-
tremely limited, maintains twenty
such schools. The people Of Wiscon-
son. where there are a number Of
such schools, have developed their ag
ricultural recOurceS and are educating
their children in these schools. Num-
bers OF western and northern states
are dotted with agricultural high
schools. The interests Of the people
of Mississippi are more largely agri-
cultural than In any other state in
the Union. Shall we not develop her
resources? Shall we not give her
children better educational advan-
tages? Can you afford to make this
levy: Is is not better to spend
money to make strong earnest
influential men and women than to
sacrifice children to save money? Do
you want the rural schools in your
county to be stimulated and encour-
aged? Ifso, provide this school in
order that the boys and girls may
have better opportunities to look for
ward to when they complete the
course of study in the rural schools.
You will appropriate money for
good bridges. good roads, courthouSes,
iails, courts etc., and this is right, but
why not appropriate money to be in
vested IN the childhood Of your cOun-
ty? You believe with all thoughtful
people that the only intelligent and
logical system Of education is that
which carries the best school advant-
ages TO all people Will you not help
develop such system? Are we not
training our children to become law
yers, doctors, preachers, School-teach
ers, orators, politicians and statesmen
only? Mere than eighty percent OF
our people are engaged in agriculture.
Would you reach the many as we'll as
the few? Do you not think the time has
come to give intelligent direction to
the hand as we'll as the mind? Do you
not develop our agricultural 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?
l beg that you will give this matter
the serious consideration it merits.
and if your county has not already es-
tablished such a school. will you not
use the influence at your command
and the power placed in your hands
to give to the struggling childhood of
your county a better chance in life:
Fifteen counties have already taken
advantage of the splendid opportu,
nifty the state offers. Why not you:
Very respectfully,
J. n. Powers,