The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1909-08-05
Agricultural High Schools.

autO1StS becomes too acute.
Agricultural High Schools.
Hon. j. N. Powers, State Superin-
tendent of public education has re-
Gently issued strong address to the
Boards of Supervisors Of the various
counties in Mississippi urging them
to consider the proposition to e5tab-
fish agricultural high schools which
were authorizeds by the last session
of the legislature. This address is
worthy of attention and considera-
ton for every citizen of Mississippi.
1t is as follows:
''The time is approaching when
you will fix the tax levy for another
year. l hope you will pardon me, il
in the opportunities for the children
and for the development of the agrl-
cultural resources of your county.
The state department of education
believes that the establishment of an
Agricultural High School in each
county will go far toward solving
our rural school problem. The state
gives 100000 annually toward the
support of one such school in each
county. The remainder must pc
raised by local taxation supplement-
ed 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 most Of the countie'
be sufficient to maintain such u
school,
Il submit that these schools are
no longer experiments. Massachu-
sets, whose agricultural resources
are extremely limited, maintains
twenty such schools. The people OF
Wisconsin, where there are numbers
of such schools, have developed their
agricultural resources and are edu-
eating their children in these
schools. Numbers of western and
northern states are dotted with ag-
ricultura1 high schools. The inter
ests Of the people of Mississippi are
more largely agricultural than in
any other state in the Union. Shall
we not develop her resources? Shall
we not give her children better edu-
cational advantages? Can you af-
ford to make this levy? Is it 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 stimu-
lated and encouraged? If SO, pro-
vide this school in order that the
boys and girls may have better op-
portunities to look forward to when
they complete the course of study in
the rural schools.
You will appropriate money fol
bridges, good roads, courthouses
jails, courts, ETC., and this is right
but why not appropriate money to
be invested In the childhood of your
country? You believe with all
thoughtful people that the only in
tel1igent and logical system of edu-
cation is that which carries the best
school advantages to all people. Will
you not help develop such system
Are we not educating our people
away from the life around them
Are we not training our children to
become lawyers, doctors, preachers
school-teachers, orators, politicians
and statesmen only? More than
eighty per cent Of our people are en-
gagged in agriculture. Would you
reach the many as well as the few?
Do you not think the tiruc has come
to give intelligent direction to the
hand as well as the mind? Do you
not think we ought to give dignity
to labor? Shall we not develop ou1
agricultural resources through these
schools as other states are doing!
Finally, shall not the children OF
Mississippi have opportunities eqdal
to those In nay other statef
..I beg that you will give this mat
ter tie serious consideration it MGR
it's, and If your county has not al
ready established such school, viii
you not use the influence al 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 op-
portunity the state offers. Why not
yours?"