Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-07-02
3P[VDAoE| OIElRN'
RURAL IOWA ADviSED 70 KEEP
THEIR FUNDS CIRCULATING
IN COUNTRY.
STATE WOULD Dc PARADISE
uNpER rHosE CONDITIONS
Rural Life Conference at aimee Hears
Inspiring Addrsssss-visw Point Of
Life Must es chanssd-seheols and
Churches orsatIy Deficient
'pecial to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Ames, July IF the farmers OF
Iowa would spend in the country the
money they make in the country, rural
Iowa would be q paradise" declared
Mrs. Virginia c. Meredith, of Indiana
at one of the sessions of the rural
life conference at Iowa state Just
closed.
With that declaration she expressed
what was the central thought Of the
whole weeks discussion Of Iowa's rural
life problem. 1t is up to the farmer
himself to make conditions better. To
make country life more agreeable and
more money on their churches on their
social activities.
New View Point Needed.
Iowa farmers have the money. be-
cause they are wonderfully prosperous
Is the way one speaker put it. "but
the. must get new view point so that
they will spend well the money they
make AS Mrs. Meredith, who is a
successful woman farmer. expressed
the way Iowa farmers spend their
money will determine their destiny.
From the facts presented to the con-
ference by men who have surveyed
the field in part, this is not an easy
task to change the view point. Iowa's
rural population. is mostly transient
Statistics show that tenancy is more
marked in Iowa than in other corn belt
states and even owners Of land live on
lit comparatively short time. In eff
feet. said one lecturer, 1t is the pur-
pose Of every farmer. landowner or
tenant. to move on to another place in
a very few years. so he isn't much
interested in the permanent upbuilding
Of the country around him.
Schools and Churches.
Every speaker put stress upon the
need Of better support of rural in
situations. "The country church Is dy-
ing out largely because the rural peo-
rle have no adequate conception Of
what they owe the church financially"
said Rev. M. B. McNutt, of the Pres
byterian department of church and
country life. "The church must pay
country pastors decent salaries and
they must have business management"
Speaking Of the schools, Fred L. Ma
hanna OF the state department of ed
ucation, declared that the trouble with
the schools is lack Of financial support.
Speaking of the home, Mrs. Meredith
and w. L. Nelson Of the Missouri state
board of agriculture, agreed that its
defects needed money and in addition
a purpose to make~countTY homes per-
manent homes.
Not Al Diseourassmsnt
The conference was not filled with
encouragement, however. While there
was agreement that something must be
done in rural Iowa for better churches.
schools and homes. or Iowa will lose
its efficiency and high place In agri-
culture, there was agreement also that
some things are being done. There
is progress" said Dean C.. F. Curtiss
at the close of the session. These
men who have been here brought news
of that. There is an awakening, tho
it needs to be more general. This
years conference will give us addition
al leaders as did last years. We have
had two times last years attendance;
if we get two times last years re-
suits, we'll.
The Rural Schools.
How tenancy, moving to town and.
like factors have affected the schools,
was strikingly told by Fred L. Ma
hanna, state inspector of schools. He
has just concluded a tabulation Of
some thousands Of cards received from:
rural school teachers giving facts as
to their work They do. not cover the;
whole state. bbut they are typical, and
they come from the more progressive.
rural teachers probably and thus. do
not exaggerate defects. The answers
indicate that 43 per cent Of the rural
teachers In Iowa are only 20 years old
or less while only 10 per cent are &c
years old or over, and 80 per cent are
under that age Rarely does teacher
teach thruout the school year in one
school. In the past spring term. at
least % per centssof the teachers an
swering were new teachers in their
particular schools. Less than Is per
cent Of the teachers answering had
first grade certificate. Nearly half OF
them had no high school diplomas. CT
the 81 per cent of high school grad
yates. who are teaching, only about 10
to IL per cent had any normal or col
lege training for teaching. Most teach
ers are trying to hold at least thirty
recjtations per day, and some as high
as forty.six. Some schools, have. as
few as one pupil. while the average is
only eleven for the state. The average
nav for rural teachers IL under $40
month for eight months, or S27 for
twelve months, while some get as !cw
as $40 month for eight months, or w
for the twelve months.
srANpPATs LOSE IN FIRST.
proarsssivss Now Control District Me-
ohinsry-Thrss Counties Solid.
Washington. July 2.-As result OF
the county conventions held over the