The farmer and mechanic., 1912-07-30
Rev. George w Lay, Rector or 1t. Mary

tionai Progress Of the State. others
will treat of the Fundamental phases
of rducatiOn and of the wonderful
progress in the building Of school
houses. in the Increase of the length
Of school terms and the improvement
in the curriculum, Of school farms
and farm life schools, and Of the
many ways in which the education
Of the state has been adopted to
making better and more efficient
citizens of the rising generation ID
North Carolina Leaving all these
important improvements for others
who are better able to treat Of them,
| believe there are readers who will
be more interested to have from ms
some deSultory remarks on some
things that | have observed
The most impressive meeting Of
any kind | have ever attended was
the meeting of the superintendent
Of all the counties in the state, held
at Chapel Hill in September, 1910, to
which l was privileged to go by an
invitation from Dr. J. Y. JOyner, su-
perint endent of public instruction for
North Carolina, and, by virtue Of his
ability and enthusiasm, the leader in
all the educational work Of the state.
At that meeting, Dr.. JOyner confer
ed with the hundred county super
intendentS. and outlined the work to
be taken up especially during the en-
suing year. The discussions were
sympathetic and helpful, and served
TO unity the work to be done, and to
bring in close touch these hundred
men engaged in different counties in
the same sort Of work, so that they
would return home with inspiration
and encouragement, and orOtherly
feeling. 1t was impressive to me to
see our state superintendent issue in
structiOnS to these hundred Superin
tendents. and to think that in a few
days our county superintendent
would in like manner carry on his
word TO the principal teachers, when
they would pass it on to their suhOr-
dinates. and all the teachers in like
manner TO the scholars, so that in a
few weeks the ideas brought out at
the meeting would go to every child
attending school through the length
and breadth Of North Carolina. N 9TH
ing is impossible that is undertaken
by our educational forces, provided
1T meets with sympathetic resp )nse
from the people.
The main subject Of this meeting
OF the superintendents was Health,
and in this matter the gooG work Of
our educational system has been
most influential during the past
years. The preservation Of The lives
Of our citizens is essential t. the we'll
being of the state. Temporal use
fulncss is ended when we cease to
live. Health in youth and the estab-
lishtnent Of good habits is essential
tn fnt of nf
vidual. knowledge on these i'm.
portant subjects is a valuatle asset
for life, and the discovery, cure and
prevention of physical weaknesses
and disease is part Of the educa.
tional work that demands to be pu
first. Furthermore, this is also {
purely selfish matter Of economy. The
healthy and robust child in good ply
sical condition costs the state les.
money than the weaklng Of feebl,
body, defective intellect, attendin,
school 1rregularly, who is clog OF
the progress Of II other Students ii
his class, and perhaps eventually re
Quires one or two years more to &C
comPiish a given amount CT educa
ton than would have been the cas-
had he possessed physical and men
tai powers Of at least average eff
cheney.
Another most important matter fo
the state in which the educationa
forces have done much good worl
and in which they are destined to b
still more helpful, and are Of funda
mental Importance to the effectiv
and economical use Of our schoo
funds. Is that cf good roads. Tn
possession of GOOD roads saves tn
people much expense and increas
the size of the community availab]
for trade, religious, educational an
social purposes. The best results
education for the rural districts ca
only be obtained when the very bes
roads are provided SO that large
number of pupils from larger are;
under a larger and more effecti1
staff of teachers can be gathered tt
gether to one central spot in a co,
solidated school. The work alreao
done has been excellent but st
more remains to be done. On
when good roads are provid, for tt
whole state will it be possible to e
the full value for the money eXpen
ed by the State on education