The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-12-27
RUL CARA PREPARES
D TO START WAR AGAIN
WITH SUPPLIES READY
And Higher Salaries for Them
and Asks for Several
other THINGS.

the recommendations OF the state
board Of regents, relative to agricuI-
turaI conditions in West Virginia,
are causing considerable interest
among school men, especially so
since the publication recently OF
some alarming figures showing agri-
cultural conditions in this state.
In. its report the board Of regents
lay emphasis on four points, calling
the legislatures attention to them as
a means of improving the conditions.
+ Under one of these subjects, tO-wits
Better trained and better paid rural
school teachers the regents say:
About 100000 children who live
in the rural districts or West Vir-
GINA must look to the elementary
teachers for their preparation for
making a living and for their life
ideals. At present not more than
five to ten per cent of these teachers
have any special training, and they
receive on an average for their ser
vices the meager sum of $50 to $40
per month for six months in the
year.
provision should be made for
offering in our normal schools spec
iar short cources for rural tcachers,
with emphasis on agriculture and
kindred subjects.
The minimum salary for teachers
holding No. 1 certificates should be
not less than $50 per month
An advanced step sought by the
board OF regents is provisions for
making district superintendent OF
rural schools agricultural advisors
during rhe summer months On this
subject the regents recommend
About thirty per cent of the rural
school teachers and children are now
under the direct charge of district
s.perintendeuts. If power were given
to the board of education or the coun-
~ authorities to retain the services
Of such of these men as have special
training in agriculture, experts to adj
wise the farmers throughout the sum
mer season could thl,s be secured
with small additional expense. These
superintendents could also supervise
the school children in their flower and
vegetable gardens, and club work.
and thus make the school work con
tfnuous throughout vacation months
The regents also ask that power
be given to county courts to give
some encoura cement to private effort
in securing county farm demon
strators. Under this subject they
say:
@The United states government.
special organizations, chambers OF
commerce and private citizens are
giving help to this work, and limited
power should be given to the county
courts to put small amount of this
expense upon the taxpayers who are
directly benefited.
such demonstra tors are at work ,
in Kanawha and Wood, and one is
provided for in the Northern Pan
handle. This work has been carried
on for many years with great profit
in the South where 500 county dem
onstrators give personal supervision
to tests and scientific demonstrations
and ordinary farm operations OF
90. 900 farmers. The practical re-
sults have been wonderful The
weld secured by the farmers who
cooperate with the demonstrators is
generally nearly double the average
for the county or state Using corn
as an example. we find that while
the South produced one-ffth of the
corn of the United States in 1900 1t
produced one-third in 1910 Eleven
southern states increased the corn
yield in one year I5S,oOo.ooo bushels
In the same time the state of Missi-
ssippi increased its corn crop 60 per
cent. One mercantile company IN
that state says that it formerly col
lected 100000. 90 annually from the
planters to send to other states for
corn. but since the scientific methods
have been taught not one dollar is
sent out of the county for corn. West
virginia farmers need the same kind
of nearby expert help"
The State Agricultural College
and Experiment Station, the regents
contend in their report, should have
more liberal support. The college
and station is doing good work say
Continued on page 10.)