Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-12-29
MORE APPROPRIA-
TONS FOR indian
Than negro
President Thirkield Gives Fig
ures in Howard Uniyer-
sity Report.
THE NEGROES GREAT NEED
EDUCATOR SAYS coLoRED MEN
SHOULD BE TAUGHT scIEN-
TlFic FARMiNa-ss PER CENT.
OF RACE FOLLOW AGRicuL-
TuRE.

I Washington, D. C.-Criticism OF al
legged discrimination toward Indians
at the expense OF colored citizens Is
made part of the annual report or
Howard university, forwarded to the
secretary Of the interior by President
Thirkield. He pointed out that for
the 100000 Indians in the United
States the government last year spent
$1,43O,OOO, while for the 100000
colored persons only 100000 was APP
propriated.
'Yet colored teachers in the COM
mon and high schools" the report
continues, "are expected to meet the
requirements Of the state authorities.
To practice medicine the colored man
is required to pass the same exam
ination before state boards as the
white physicians. So also in other
professions and pursuits provision
must be made for these 100000 of
our colored citizens, else it will mean
the blind leading the blind and both
falling into the ditch at great cost
to society and the state"
In order to further emphasize the
greater need Of aid from the govern
ment, Doctor Thirkield, in his report
says:
while the Rockefeller fund Of q
million dollars is available for the
eradication OF the hookworm disease,
yet there is the negro race with tuber-
culosis, typhoid Infection and other
diseases wiping out tens Of thousands
and lowering the vitality and physical
efficiency of race.
"At the same time" he continues,
their condition Is positive menace
to the white race, with which 1t is so
closely bound up. It is question OF
national interest Here is race, null
titudes OF whom are still the prey Of
the voodoo doctors and conjure men
and given to patent nostrums. The
pressing need Is for the training Of
men for the instruction Of the ignor-
ant and superstitious, men with scien-
tific knowledge and broad views Of
medicine, men who can put medical
knowledge in simple form before the
masses and through preventive medi-
cine raise the Vitality Of q race that
is being decimat4d by disease"
Doctor ThirkieM adds that the great
need Of the colored men today Is
more practical study In matters Of
agriculture. Nearly IS per cent Of
the population Of 100000, he says,
are engaged in agricultural pursuits.
Yet there Is not single school for
colored persons IN tie United States
where agriculture is speciality,
The report shows that 1872 stu
dents attended the Howard university
during last year. coming from 81
states and II foreign countries.
In describing the need for more
dormitories he says:
There has been no increase in dor
mitory accommodations since the orig
inal buildings were erected, over forty
years ago OF the nearly 1900 stu
dents in attendance, four-fifths Of
whom are men, only one in five can
be accommodated in present dormi-
tories.
"One Of the pressing needs Of the
institution is an assembly hall large
enough to. at least seat the student
body. The only assembly hall Of the
university, with 1900 students, Is the
Rankin Memorial chapel, which was
built especially for religious services,
and seats only 800" 4