Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-07-16

quence the offer but has developed spirit OF
self help it never before. The board aims to 90
all its the of education in such a way
whenever the it is doing ceases. the conf
munity will carry it forward
Three general lines activity pursued by tie
general board of which is the pro
motion Of practical farming in the southern states
educational conditions in tnat secuon II Iouhu enAt
the training child getting in the elementary
schools had little reference to any DEVELOPMENT OF It's
future efficiency as thler OF the SOIL A. 1ouho
every children Of the south lives
in the rural districts, and that but very little OF the
practical knowledge of successful farming, gather7a
the cost of millions of dollars by state and federal
agricultural departments had filtered down to these
people, and that the farmers bulletins they coca
sionaly received were all but meaningless to them,
The conclusion that the courses of study must
be changed that city school in country
school never made successful farmer
The problem to which the board addressed itself
Of training the farmer Nthat after awhile
could achieve his economic independence and train
the children that after him decided TO write
information the SOIL to invite the farmers
it there written in terms Of better crops
greater profits. and better lvingterns which could
be easily understood and terms full OF human appeal
At this juncture the board sent a number Of
perts to Texas where the late Seaman A Knapp, or
the United States Department of Agriculture, was
showing the people how to turn the boil Weev from
into blessing, and how to grow better cot.
ton than before in spite Of its presence The result
of the report OF the experts was decision 10 ask
the department of agriculture to accept its co-opea
ton in establishing demonstration farms throughout
the SOUTH where the people could see with tnen own
eyes and help with their own hands in growing bet
crops farmer might be invited to let the dem
onstrator take MS rar Tor season anu Operate II
for him, in order to show him and his neighbors lust
what that particular farm could do. Then series
or Fields on dirferent farms might De cropped TOT
year two show just what results are possible.
But everywhere the principle is the same-showing
the farmer on his own soil what are the possloiuss
of good farming. AS rapidly competent men can
be found to take charge of this demonstration WORK
1T is being extended and the ultimate hope Is tnat
will be outside Of the OF influence of
this remarkable propaganda It is the belief of the
board that the result viii be an era OF increases
wealth in the rural districts OF the south and the
eventual ability of the southern rural community TO
give its children without outside help the kind of
education they need
! The second line Of endeavor to which the General
Education Board addressed itself is the estab-
nshment Of system of county high schools through
out the south This work is being carried on IN con-
nection with the state universities, and the aim is TO
complete tn educational chain in each state; provid-
ing adequate high schools which graduate their stu
dents the universities To this end the board
made appropriations for the salaries and travel
ing expenses of corps Of travelling professors or
secondary education, whose duty it is to travel over
their respective states in search Of localities where
high schools ought to be established and there to
lead in campaign for the establishment of such
schools 1t is estimated result of this move
ment that more than thousand high schools IN
the south been established and that the people
construction and equipment President Eliot after
travelling through the south has pronounced 1t the
valuable piece OF constructive educational work
now going on in the United States
The third line endeavor which the board IS
engaging is that OF assisting institutions OF higher
education-coleges and universities-to extend and
make eITlc1ent the Work they are DONG II does
this almost wholly through endowments. A school
DESTROYS of extending it's influence first de-
how much money it will need to carry out its
purposes and then makes application to the board
for help. The board thereupon investigates the edu
financial strength of the institution. de-
termines Importance part of the educational
system state in which it is located and If the
school measures up required standard help IS
forthcoming with the understanding that it is not
available until the school itself has raised the re-
rnainder When the board gives money to a school,
it is given absolutely to the trustees, and not
single string is retained to the gift The board as
sumes no supervision control whatever the
educational work in the institutions which The
recipients Of its bounty
The funds of the General Education Board
more than a kings ransom. The first contribution
was made by Mr.. Rockefeller in 1902. and amounted
a million dollars. In 1905 he increased it by
million dollars. added to IT gift OF more
thirty million dollars.