The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1913-09-04
Rural Life Confer
ence VerIniIIion Pro
fessor Speaks.
In the Centralized School
Which VIII Revolutions
lie Rural Conditions.

we are facing a great emergenc,
in this country said Dean Enwooe
G. Perisho OF the state university las
evening in his address before the
Rural Life Conference. Seventy PEI
cent Of the school children of the
United States live in the country dis.
tricts, yet they receive only one-halt
the amount of education which is
given the children of the cities"
Speaking on THE REHABILITATION
OF the Rural School TO The Needs of
the Rural Community,' Dean Perisho
thns summed up the situation in a
sentence Something must be DONE
he sad. "fhe farms of South Dakota
possess 80 per cent of the bank de
posits, they pay IS per cent of the
taxes, and yet their children are get
ting only half of an education. This
state is at the top in wealth per cap
ita and in health per capita, but edu.
cationally she is only twenty-sixth
in rank among her sister states. Po-
something must be done il the rural
llluiiilli'6 Ol liIS SlilP.
The dean thereupon launched into
a eulogy of the centralized school.
This, he stated, is the remedy for pre-
sent conditions in the country dis
tricts of the state. In speech magnetic
and eloquent he told his audience OF
the benefits OF the centralized
school. The centralized school" he
stated, will save money to the farm
ers of South Dakota. 1t will also give
them better schools, and better
schools will develop social centers
which viii prove the solution of many
OF the problems OF the rural com
munities OF this commonwealth
Address OF DIR. Hume. ~
The address by DR.. A. N. Hume
was also one of the features of the
program last night. His subject was
The Advancement of the South Da-
kota Farmer Through the Applica-
ton of Scientific Agriculture DR..
Hume is agronQmist atgthe state col
lege Of agriculture and he presented
a learned discussion. The chief IN
phasis of his words was placed upon
the value of state experimental sta
tons. Every state" he said. lis un-
W. oDIiSitlOlIS w llldII!luIll dl eSpfT-
iment station to help in solving the
problems of the farm. 1t is the bust
ness of the state to educate the citi-
zen of the state. TIL state will not
advance very far beyond the farmer
nor will the farmer advance very far
beyond the state" He asked for The
cooperation of the farmers with the
state station in It's efforts to promote
the study of scientific agriculture.
Yesterday Afternoon.
The program Monday afternoon
IA marked by addresses full of en-
Prof. Hilton l. Jones, chair
man of the conference. spoke of the
purposes and objects of the confer
ence. He pointed ont that South Da-
kota is behind her sister states
North Dakota and Minnesota-in the
movement for the betterment of farm
ing and social features of the rural
communities. He showed how the
movement in this state originated
with the farmers themselves and
dwelt upon the necessity OF a per-
manent parent organization that
would federate all the other farmers
organizations in the state and upon
tIiC importance Vi lOTIilllS SlltH an
organization in Mitchell simultaneous
with the Corn Growers Association
and other organizations that meet in
This city next January.
Mayor Hitchcock Speaks.
Mayor A. IL. Hitchcock brought to
he conference the greetings of the
,ity and spoke of the idea of a Rural
Conference as one of statewide
Importance. He referred to such
'armers in this community as Charles
5orreson. w. S. Hill, P. A. Zollman
r. c. Hoffman, and others as the
ype of the modern successful farmer
With investments of from $50, 600 to
400, 600 in his business. He spoke
# the Importance of improving the
ural school and social life of the
ural community. He dwelt at length
n the real democracy of life. Eve
hall not have the real democracy of
ife until the intelligent and refined
'eople-college graduates-go to the
and with their own hands help
C make farm life better" He con
luded his address in speaking of the
eeds of a county expert for Dawson
ounty.
y. j.. fleTrltk, president OF. the
commercial club brought the greet
lss of that organization and stated
nat the aim of the Commercial club
as not a selfish one, but that it
the spirit OF cooperation :
nd helpfulness; that the aim Of the /,
Iub is to turn its attention to the !
1untry and their willingness to give :
Immediate help. and that the farmer
ill find the Mitchell Commercial /,
ub a good friend. both working to-
ether for the community and the y
ate. ',
DR.. William Grant Seaman. presi- =
ent, brought to the conference the -
'eetings of Dakota Wesleyan uni n
.rsity and stated that the specific \
ork of Wesleyan was not animal Y
.isbandry, but boy and girl husband r
:. He stated that the big thing of q
Fe was not to increase material
aalth, though thai is necessary, but;
is to increase efficiency in human
e in the country. He extended to
e Rural Life Conference a hearty w
to Wesleyan's halls and thelir
'spitality of the university. lie,
Thomas Cooper. director of the III
~ Aa4 EN HH aLE LEL