The Colorado statesman., 1912-01-20
WORTHY SCHOOL HAS
PLAN To RAISE MONEY
VIRGINIA NORMAL AND INDUS
TRIAL INSTITUTE ASKS $40, 900
APPROPRIATION FROM THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

wish godspeed to the members of the
board of visitors of the Virginia Nor
NAL and Industrial institute In their
| efforts to induce the general assem-
Oily to grant an extra appropriation
| OF 100000 for additional buildings
at the institution. The money which
will be asked for is urgently needed.
and it is difficult to see how such a
sum could be appropriated to a pur-
pose more entirely worthy.
The citizens of Petersburg and
Chesterfield and Dinwiddie and Prince
George, who may be termed the neigh
bors Of this school, can testify to the
excellent manner in which It Is con-
Quoted so far as the conduct of the
pupils is concerned, and the official
reports of representatives of the state
government attest the fine manner in
which 1t is run from a business point
of view, and the high character Of
work being done for the pupils. The
joint auditing committee of the gen.
eral assembly which visited the insti-
tutions, reported after careful
examination of the methods of keep
Ing accounts and an inspection of the
buildings and grounds, that the ac-
counts were in perfectly satisfac-
tory condition, and that there was a
remarkable absence of wilful deface-
ment of property such as was appar-
ent at all other state institutions. The
committee said on this subject:
"At this institution there is an en-
! tire absence of any wilful DETACHMENT
| n,. Int, S,f
from top to bottom and from one end
to the other Of the great educational
institutions. AS this institution is
offlcered by negroes and used by ne
gro students, this particular fact
might we'll be studied by those in
charge of other places. The wilful
abuse of the property of the state at
other great educational institutions,
1t seems, might he stopped"
Thus the committee reported that
the negro institution Of education set
an example to the white schools of
the state.
The work being done for the negro
boys and girls of the state by the
Virginia Normal and Industrial In
stitute Is of character to commend
itself without reserve. The girls are
taught plain English, needlework,
cooking, canning, preserving. house
cleaning, washing, ironing, gardening,
etc, while the boys are taught farm
ing, dairying, poultry raising, and the
use of tools. Girls are also given
training in farming. The students
last year produced an income of S2,-
1920 from the farm.
The school is the only state edu-
cational institution in which students
pay sum larger than the amount ap-
propriated by the state. The sum re-
ceived from the state last year was
S21, 900, including the regular appro-
priation of $4,000 and the fund for
| the support of summer school for
teachers, amounting to $1,000, while
the students paid for board and tut
ton a sum amounting to $28, ,450.3S.
The board of visitors, composed of
T. o. Sandy, rector; DIR. R. E. Black
well, president of the Randolph Macon
college; Judge Asa D. Watkins OF
Farmville and John D. Watkins. Esq,
of this city, is planr ing to make
strong effort this winter to induce the
legislature to grant an extra appro-
priation of 10000 to be used to erect
homes for the teachers in the school
and an additional dormitory for stu
dents. Last year 203 applicants had
| to be refused admission because OF
lack of facilities and this year 314 had
to be denied entrance for the same
reason. The parents of these negro
| youths are unable to gain for their
children the training which they de-
sire and which the white people of
the state want them to have. although
| full payment of the charges therefor
| is offered
The school is doing a work. in
training negro boys and girls to earn
their living with their hands, that
white man of Virginia, whether or
not he be specially friendly to the
race. Everything which makes the
negro better and more useful citi-
zen deserves the encouragement OF
the whites who have to live by his
side. The whites of Virginia have act
ed with rare generosity in the matter
of educating the negro in the public
schools, and In so doing they have
done we'll The legislature will dis
play both generosity and wisdom II
1t heed this pressing plea for help for
the negroes in a work in which they
are helping themselves in manner
that compels admiration.-The Daily
Index-Appeal