The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-12-06
CONVENTION OF
SCHOOL MEN
SUPERINTENDENT RILEY, fN AID
DRESS ON "A. COUNTRY LIFE
PROBLEM" POINTS OUT I'M
PoRTANcEo OF MORE THOROUGH
TRAINING FOR COUNTRY LIFE,

A very successful session OF the Cass
County School Officers association was
held in the gymnasium of the new
school building In Casselton yesterday.
About $50 school officers were present.
Music was furnished by the Cassel-
ton high school, by tho Girls Cilee club,
the Boys Glee club and a mixed Choir
us. The programme was carried out
as planned with tho exception OF the
address by Inspector N. G. Mcdonald
of Valley City, who vas unable to be
present.
The officers of tho association were
re- elected, Or. II. j, Rowe as president,
and VIM, Michigan as secretary treas
urer.
The address of welcome was given
by Superintendent SauVain of the CAS-
| selton city schools. The speakers were
DR.. H. j. Rowe, who gave the presi-
dents address, Hon, Wesley Mcdowell
Of Marion, D. c. II. Keene of Minne-
apolls, who spoke on The Promotion
of Health oE School Children; State
Supt. e. J. Taylor and j. +. Callahan,
OF Casselton, who discussed Environ
ment as a Factor in Child Life.
Superintendent Riley spoke on the
subject, A Country Life Problem. The
problem Of the education of the coun-
try boy is one of the most vital of all
problems, said MI. Riley. He point
ed out the need of training for the
profession OF agriculture in our pub
lie schools and stated that a large per-
centage Of the farm children are not
even getting training in the funda-
mentals. as is shown by statistics Of
attendance.
While the population of the farming
districts is decreasing, that Of the al
ready overcrowded cities is steadily in
! creasing, and many Of those who go
there to a life of struggle and poverty
are from the farms. It is time we con-
served our farm boys.
The reasons for this lack of train
ing are many. Much ofthe blame lies
with the parents, the farmers who
keep their boys out Of school TO do a
mans work for which the boy often
gets no pay beyond his living. In
some cases, where poverty necessi-
tates this, it is. justified, and in some
coses where the boy would idle away
his time in school it is perhaps also
justified. But these cases are not the
rule. Many boys are being ground in
to mere dollars who could be a big
asset to the future of the state if they
were allowed to develop.
The state is partly. responsible.
There should be legislation amending
the law governing the county and
state tuition fund to apportion the
funds in proportion to the pupils
actually in school, and not to the num-
Der of children of school age in the
district. No pupil should draw public
money unless he has attended school
at least 100 days. For the school year
of 1909 and 1910 the sum Of $225,737
was paid out for children in North
Dakota enrolled but absent from
school.
North Dakota must spend more
money on her country schools. The
present tax for the support Of the
high schools and universities is several
times greater than that for the coun-
try schools. Agriculture is not the
unskilled work which it was once
taught to be, and it demands as much
consideration as other professions,
Our grain production is not nearly SO
high per acre as the grain production
of various of the foreign countries
where more attention is given to in
tensive farming.
And this, the bread basket of the
world will be expected to furnish 6
large share of the food for the worlds
increasing population. 1t is a mission
which we cannot shrink, and 1t de.
mands that we give the country boy
the attention and the training that he
deserves and must have, n which
will make him contented and happy tt
follow the profession of agriculture
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