El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-30
FARM life is
BEING MADE
ATTRACTIVE
Conferences on Education in
South Promote Agricul-
tural Interest in South.
UNITING COUNTRY
CHURCHES is A HELP
ny Frederic J. Hnskinh

BlerDOuT Morgan 20 me GeOEEe LCa-
body college for teachers at nashville
is another evidence Of the growing al
lance IN educational matters between
IN enOrth and the south The interest
in education IS becoming national in
stead Of sectional, ana pnllanrhrOplstss
instead Of combining their benefits TO
their own locality, are now giving gem
erOusly where the need seems greatest
and the result VIII tend TO the general
uplift OF the whole marion.
1t is safe 10 say that the chief in
fluence In bringing about this educa-
tiOnal unity has been that Of the an
nual conferences for education in the
south, the 18th Of which viii be held
in Nashville this week. This session
is 10 be the largest yet held It viii
be attended BIZ hundreds of people from
different parts Of the country and viii
include not only educators but mcnl
and women who are prominent In many
Of the broadcast acLiviaies OF the nation.
The president OF the conference IS
Robert C. Ogden OF New York, who
will make the opening address. Mr..
ogden has been closely identified with
the conference for education in the
south since its inception and has been
influential IN bringing many other
prominent men to its support.
Is For Betterment of People.
The object Of the conference is much
broader than IS generally cOnnoted by
the word education" 1t is for the
general betterment OF all the cOndi-
lions of the people. II touches upon
tural development, religion in its
broadest sense. sanitation and various
other matters in addition TO the peda-
gogicaI issues which usually fill up
the program Of a gathering held under
the name Of education The confer
ences are semiformal in character.
There are discussions Of live subjects, q
presented IN practical manner by
persons who are qualified by actual
experience, rather than formal ad-
dresses whose chief value Is their rhet-
Orical excel lenCe.
agriculture Prominent Feature.
As agriculture is the home industry
OF a large percentage Of the population
OF the south, It is TO be brought prom
inesntly forward n this conference.
The Farmers Cooperation. is .he
subject of one meeting, since this alone
can give the rural schools the support
they should have In return, the schools
can give 20 the farmers children The
education which VIII be most helpful
10 the work OF tia home fJne Of the
recent efforts OF the conference has
been TO secure definite information as
10 why the young people leave the farm
IN order that measures may be cOnsid-
cred that VIII make the farm life more
attractive It is believed that properly
directed education VIII help in this
matter
Five years ago a QUESTIONABLE was is
sued TO 81 schools in different LOCALE
ties asking the teachers TO put TO the
boys and girls e Dove the fourth grade
the following three questions: DO you
expect 10 live on the farm when you
are grown DO you like the farm.
and why2" What do you expect TO
do when you are OF ageF The 81
schools enrOled 564- boys, only seven
Of which admitted that they were
willing TO take up farming. Six ont or
these seven had attended some agricul-
tural lectures and had read agricul-
tural papers, Out Of IA girls, l63 an
sWere that they would have nothing
TO do with farmers or the farm home.
rFaA
rural home industries. These schools
were just the typical elementary
schools, although some OF them were
under the direction Of teachers Of ex-
ceptional intellectual attainment.
Increase in Farming Sentiment.
Elementary agriculture and home
economies has since been put into the
course Of instruction Of each of these
schools. Corn clubs and other inter
ests have been added and last year
another questionable was sent out TO
the same schools The result was Fast-
" different Out Of ia boys. l62 an
sWered that they would be farmers,
several qualifying this statement hy
saying that they would be scientific, !
modern or uptOdate farmers Twelve
Of them announced their intention Of
being editors, teachers. preachers, pol
itiCians and presidents of the United
States. Out Of rs girls. 161 pre-
4erred to remain on the farm, only II
insisting upon a preference for city
life
The need Of a redirected education,
as illustrated BY this test has been
greatly fostered by the conferences Of
education in the south and much pro-
gress made in this direction IS due to
the influence which the informal dis
cusslOns have given 10 thinking peO-
pie in all parts Of the country There /
never has been movement in cOnnec-
ton with public school work that has
within so short time. sprung SO
strongly into popular FAVOR with both
parents and teachers as the Corn club
which IS now found well organized in /
all parts Of the country. II was first
brought forward under the auspices OF
q conference on education This year
there are 600 boys enrolled IN Corn
club" contests, all of which viii be
held under the direction of the county
superintendents Of schools.
another matter which this years
conference viii take up is the broad
ening OF the influence Of the country
church and SO concentrating its forces 4
that the greatest possible amount OF
benefit to the community may be Sc
cured from the expenditure Of money
and time on the part Of the attend
ants There must be change In
served the pioneer farmer viii not sat
isfv the scientific farmer Of the pres {
ent The development Of the rural
church into an institution which viii I
acceDtably serve the needs of the
modern farmer and his family is a I
matter of sufficient educational i'm /
DOrtauCe 10 be worthy OF LAe CONSIDER
alton Of all who are interested IN the !
intellectual development Of the nation
Uniting the Churches.
In Tennessee, for instance there are I
four churches of different denomina-
tions In one small town They were 1
erected on straight line at an even
distance apart. on the road side LII I
tie by little the people Of the commu- 4
nifty have become sufficiently united I
so that they now all worship in the /
same church though the preachers still /
belong TO the four denominations. For /
g whole year they use one building, !
closing I'D the other three. In the /
winter. the heating problem is solved /
by buying one set Of stoves which /
are SET up in one church only The 1
next year the same stoves are set up (
in the next church. so that IN four i
years each Of the buildings Is used Z
equally. The last act of unity was the 4
erection of one fence by the cOmmuni- I
y around all Of the churches so that /
there are four buildings each repre-
CONTINUED on last page. this section.) |