El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-19
State Seeks Common Plane
All Interests of South Carolina VIII
Hold n Conference For the
Common Good"

BY Frederic J. Haski1-

Nf More than mere local interest
! attaches to the South Saro-
lima state conference for the common
! good. to be held in Columbia on
! August and z, for this is an expert
| ment already being watched by the
| progressive citizens of neighboring
| states, and one that is sufficiently
/ charged with ambition to spread to all
4 parts OF the union 1t is no novel
thing for teachers TO meet in concen-
! ton and discuss the needs of their
! state with respect to school-room edu-
! cation, no novel thing for preachers to
| meet in UNCONVENTIONAL and even in
I 1nterdenomlnationa1 conferences. Bank
| ers have their conventions, farmers
! their meetings, physicians their sOcie-
I ties. But 1t Is new to have all of these
professional and business men meeting
together in one conference dedica ted
TO the common good This is the
South Carolina experiment
Rural District Problems.
The conference for education in the
south, embracing all the southern
states several years ago confessed the
discovery that education was too broad
word TO be pent up in a school house,
and so Widened its range Of activities
as to inquire into all the elements at
fectlng the southern people. As most
southern people live in the country, the
rural aspect OF the problem naturally
assumed large proportions At the last
annual conference, held in Richmond
In April, especial emphasis was laid
well as OF growing them, particular
attention was devoted to the VeXing
problem Of rural credits, and, better
than anything else, business men and
educators and farmers were brought
together. But one annual conference
embracing a dozen states never can
hope to reach the farmer in the furrow
or the Storekeeper behind the counter.
half dozen socially sensitive South
CarOlinians, soon after the Richmond
meeting had demonstrated the fine
nope OF cooperation. wrote a circular
letter to 100 others of like minds and
purpose and called a preliminary meet
ing IN Columbia for June 10. This
gathering issued the general call for
good.
Work to Follow Preaching.
II is the purpose at the meeting in
August not only TO discuss tee prob
state but to begin active work at
lacking them Permanent executive
offices are to De esta blished and the
state conference will be held annually
hereafter. Then as soon as possible
county conferences Will be held, anO
while the state executive headquarters
will assist these local meetings the
intention is not to instruct or 20
preach, but to give the people of each
community a forum Whsre they may
discuss their own affairs in their own
way and take advantage of that Wis
dom that president Wilson is so fond
OF saying is to be sOun1 IN common
counsel This, indeed, is the whole
purpose OF the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
counsel for the common good
Markets for Products.
The tentative program for the first
statewide conference-since the forum
is to be free there can be no fixed
program-indicates the SCOPE and pur-
pose of the movement The first thing
IS to be a statement concerning the CO.
operative problem in the south by
Clarence L. Zoe, editor of the Pro-
greSslVe Farmer, OF Raleigh, North
Carolina This will be followed by
statements showing the loss to farm
Representatives OF the Housewives
league and one or two progressive gro
GERS and merchants next will discuss
plans for creating a home market for
home prOducts-plans to end the waste
OF throwing away sweet corn in South
Carolina IT the summer and buying in
a can shipped from Iowa in the win
ter. Actual experiences in cOOpera-
tive marketing, and a general discus
sion OF the various methods of mar
keting the cotton and corn crops will
close the first session.
Problems of the Home.
As the first session is devoted to
marketing, the second is dedicated 10
the home, the social following natural
" upon the economic problem. The
discussion will follow four heads
Home ownership and good farming,
home ownership and health, home own
ership and the school home ownership
=
to consideration of actual plans for
aiding the tenant farmer to buy land
and for assisting the mill worker to
buy a home
Another session viii take up the
general topic OF education with special
reference to improving school condi-
uonS IN the state by providing more
FUNDS. by considering compulsory
attendance law, ana planning to use
the schools as an instrument Tor abOli-
ton of child labor and Improvement
OF sanitary conditions.
Other special subjects will be the
public health, WOnien's club work. and
further conferences between business
men and farmers on practical prob
lens demanding immediate solution.
At the end these related economic,
social, educational, agricultural and
business discussions will be brought
TO focus in a more general considera-
ton of the problems of citizenship.
The building of a community feeling
IS the whole purpose of the movement, /
and the best thoughts OF the workers /
VIII be addressed on this subject
Educators Aid Work.
p. ?. ClaXton, United States commits
snoner of education, has given his |
conference and will address it at the !
closing session on Education and Cit !
lzenShlp- DR.. A. p. BOurland, Secre-
tary OF the Conference for Education in 1
the South, where the new movement |
had its inspiration, will be present at |
all the meetings W. K. Tate, state |
supervisor of elementary rural schools /
and professor Of pedagogy in the Uni |
Vers1ty of South Carolina, is the pro- /
V1slonal president of the conference. |
as he Is also the guiding spirit in its /
organization. Capt ". E. Gonzales, of 4,
the Columbia states, is another of the /
leading men interested in the confer !
ence.
Develop Common Plane
The plan and purpose of the move
ment for the common good is to build /
up and to utilize the natural resources !
CT the state, its boys and girls as well !
as It's waterfalls To Go this it is be- /
lleVed that this state conference with {
the county conferences following will /
be OF great help in getting before the 1
people certain economic questions in /
q manner not confused with partisan !
or tactional politics, and not obscured I
by the personalities of political leaders. !
It is the hope that these. meetings.
VIII lead the farmer and the business (
nan to see that thcir interests lie in
a common plane and that each helps E!
hlmSelf by helping the other
Many Tenant Farmers.
In South Carolina, as in many other Z
states, especially in the south, far /
seeing men are deeply distressed by the |
WaSleIul methods of using the soil In 4
South Carolina the problem is made 1
more difficult by the tenant farmer. 10 I
help this class of farmers to become {
land owners is one of the chief MR. &
of he