The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-16
THE ORGANIZATION
tContinue d from First go

community The latter lives In a
house supplied with running water
the purity Of which is protected by
ample means walks on sidewalks free
from dust and mud, drives NinnG adj
eouate roads: has access O many oS
the things that minister to the legltl~
mate pleasures OF living; has al hand
the best trained physicians and sur
geons: publicly maintained hospitals,
well planned schools OF every grade,
from the kindergarten 10 the prafeS-
s!onai school or college. = nd most
of these things he secures st n mimi
mum expense through relatively low
rate OF taxation. The other picture
is easily drawn. II we may confine
our thought for the moment 10 the
schools alone we find that outside q
New England. which has solved the
rural school problem largely by elm
mating the rural population, All that
the average country boy has access
to liz an ungraded school, usually
taught In ono room by "a girl with less
training than high school graduate,
receiving $40 or $50 "A month for sew
en- or eight months In the year. teach
ing all ages in thirty or more classes
day. II by any chance boy survives
this and desires to go further 1t Is
necessary for his father To pat him on
a train. buy his transportation. send
him TO a town. pay his board. his
tuition, and lose his services during
the session. and probably lose him
permanently from tbs country. have
said 1t before and l am not afraid te
repeat il that | do not quite see how
a father and mother who IRE ambi-
tious for their children can gain their
own consent to continue to live in re-
mote rural districts under existing con-
ditions,
The greatest undevcloped resource
OF any community. as our great ann
bassador to Great Britain has 20 EN-
phatically said. is the people. And If
We devote more enlightened attention
to the conservation and development
of the people we shall be relieved Of
much OF the concern about the con-
servation and development of our nat
urai resources.
Some Colleges Not Doing Their Duty
Now this problem OF the develop
ment of agriculture and of rural life
liz one which requires the most serious
thought of the best agencies in the
nation. 1t Is one primarily for the
farmers themselves and clearly rec
ognize that they have done most and
will continue to do most to solve 1t
But they need, deserve, and demand
assistance and will have 1t. TIE ma
ton has created certain responsible
instruments for their assistance
Among these are the State depart
msnts OF agriculture, and the State
colleges of agriculture. That oil 81
them have done good work no one can
question: that some Of then, hive done
superb work many will gladly recoG-
nize: that some of them have not
lived up to their opportunities admits
Of no manner of doubt.
Thosa colleges that are not doing
their duty to their States are not
wholly to blame but In nay judgment
they are largely to blame The trou-
he in too ma, y of our States has arts
ell from a dispersion OF agencies nn-
dertaking TO aid In the advancement
of agriculture and to consequent ieaf-
uusy and antaConisU.
Just as there is individual selfish
ness 50 there Is institutional selfish
ress, and some institutions ike seine
individuals get to thinking SO much
about themselves that they forget the
psupiA whom they serve and who
make them possible, | codid point
Ia State after State where the state
department OF agriculture is Jealous
u. the State college OF agriculture and
"a buster watching the advances of the
State college than II Is with its job of
helping the people. | could point To
s,a.e SITTER State where the state col
.Nxe OF agriculture and the State UNI
ve.s..y, created by tho same people
aad maintained for the service Of the
sa,nc people. are buster preventing
EXTENSIONS OF one anothers activities
!.rStne service OF the people. Neither
Is .,c1tonr to find out the job II can Go
baJ. and TO DO 1t. II Is trying 70 pre- \
ivc.t the other frori doin- the job
that II might do.
Where 80 much Is to BIO done, waste