The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1909-07-23
Hon J. N. Powers Appeal.

1 I1Uff- j. ~. Powers appeal
Some time ago the Weekly called
the attention OF the people OF Mon
roe county To the matter Of Agricul-
tural High Schools The State fur
nishes $1,000 per year to the support
Of each of such schools. Already
| fifteen counties have established
them, and Monroe pays her quota
in taxesIof the $4,000 that goes each
year TO their maintenance. She
gets no return i'm the education of
her own boys and girls nor can she
unless she establishes an agricuhur-
al high school of her own. The
proposition is up to the people of
our county, and the responsibility
is upon our Board of Supervisors.
The Weekly, in this comment, of
fers no argument, to convince that
such schools are the crying need of
the times and peculiarly suited to
the population of our own State.
The following appeal to our Board
of Supervisors from State Superin-
tendent Of Education J. n. Powers
covers that broad field and is re-
plete with convincing proof. The
heart is Of stone and the comprehen-
sion of that man is clouded who
turns indifferently from the argu-
ment and denies the boys and girls
of the county vital benefits the State
importunes their natural protectors
to accept for them.
Gentlemen Of Monroe county.
how will you stress the appeal of Mr..
Powers to influence your Supervi-
sor to hearken and provide your
children a better chance in life?''
Gentlemen of the board, you have
the responsibility. Following isl
Mr.. Powers, communication;
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUcATIoN,
STATE OF M 1SSlSSIPPI.
Jackson, Miss, July. 16, 1909
Board Supervisors, Monroe county.
Gentlemen:
The time is approachins when
you will fix the tax levy for another
year. | hope you will pardon me,
If in this connection, | take the lib
erty of making a plea for better op-
portunities for the children and for
the development of the agricultural
resources of your county, The State
Department of Education believes
that the establishment of an Agri
cultural High C lool in each unity
will go far toward solving our rural
school problem. The State gives
81 10000 annually toward the sup
perls one such school in each
county The remainder must be
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 coun-
ties will be sufficient to maintain
sue a school
| submit that these schools are no
longer experiments. Massachusetts,.
whose agricultural resources are eX-
tremely limited, maintains twenty
such schools. The people of Wis
consin, where there are~numbers Of
such schools, have developed their
agricultural resources and are edu-
eating their children in these schools.
Mum bers of western and northern
states are dotted with agricultural
| high schools. The interests of the
people of Mississippi are more large
| ly agricultural than in any other
state in the Union. Shall we not
develop her resources Shall we
not give her children better educa-
tional advantages? Can you afford
to make this levy2 Is it not better
to spend money to make strong in
fiuential men and women than to
sacrifice children to save money!
| Do you want the rural schools in
your county To be stimulated and
encouraged? If so, provide this
school in order that the boys and
girls may have better opportunities
to look forward to when they COM
plete the cousre of study in the rur
al schools.
You will appropriate money for
bridges. good roads, courthouses.
iails, 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