The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-02-08
TOPICS
FOR COUNTY
SG.H.0gLSNlN
Suggested by The Federal
Government to Keep Up
Farm Lis.
TEACHERS HOLD OUT
City Life as Ideal and ause
Boys and Girls Is Flock
to the City


WAAHlNGToN. %. &, Eeb
Running directly counter Is tie
"back-to-the-soilf movement rural
school teachers are "A actnai force
in the depopulation 81 Ire country
districts. They sst We faces 81
cuntry boys and girls toward tho
city, and by idealiztng city Iifs they
induce a movement toward the csns
ters of population that often de-
prives the country village 81 It's best
citizens. This declaration Is made
by Dr. Fred Mutchelr ana W.
Craig, two members Of the faculty
Of the Western kentucky state Nor
NAL School, in a monograph which
the United States Bureau Of Edpca
ton has Just published for free ais
tribution,
The tendency OF the rural school
to encourage emigration to the city
says the government publication. q
in consequence Of the fact that the
course Of study in most rural schools
is merely copy Of that given Is
city school children, without refer
enee to the different environment
and local needs Of the country child
AS the result 81 giving the country
child an education modelled 81 CITY
lines, the authors declare chat
.tea6hers everywhere, rare ex.
Iceptiuns5 have idealized city "a
unwittingly have been potent Factors
in inducing young men and Women
to leave the farm ana move into the
city. The movement often carries
some Of the best blood ana brain 81
the community into the city often
to be lost, wasted or destroyed:
certainly to be lost from the rural
community. 1t is possible and right
indeed a duty, to dignity rural life
and to save it and It's interests the
best blood Of the country
"The rural school has not the m
huence that it should have one
of the chief reasons lies IN the fact
that the course Of study 10 ili-
adapted to rural life in all Its reia
lions.
1--WE are united IN believing that
a, school train tspupiIs for life and
its work while these pupils are liyr
ing and working The course o.
study taught In the rural school to-
day is entirely too much like the
course that is taught in the city
school; in fact It hassibsen nodeisd
to fit the needs Of the letter without
consulting enough the ends that.ar
to be attained in the former Z
AS an indication Of the cash value
Of course of study, speclalized 70
the needs OF the rural community
and taught by trained normal grad
yates, the monograph says;
''Canada's rural schools increased
the average wheat yield there I'VE
bushels to the acre IN few years
time. Suppose that our rural school
teachers should set for themselves
the problem Of increasing the corn
crop five bushels per acre, what
would be the result? Let US see.
In 1910 the farmers of Kentucky
planted and cultivated s,s00,000
acres of corn, which yielded 105
10000 bushels. AN increase of
i've bushels per acre would have
made the yield 1850, 600 bushels
more. These 1sss0O,O0O bushels 81
corn would have brought, At the
average farm price December
1910, approximately, 81 {, 1000. 1000
This money would have gone diy
rectly to the rural communities.
where 1t is much needed, and would
have been Of vast Importance d
solving the problems that confront
our rural people It could have
been used to build 1000 miles 81
first class pike roads. or 1t would
have paid the expenses Of our pu6
lie schools for two ana a half years
1t would have gone Tar toward pay
ing the farmers taxes, OF It would
have built and furnished many
rural home. Can any one agure
the comfort and happiness that 70
bushels more Of corn per acre would
buy for the rural people q any
state?
what the rural schools can do