Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-08-12
TUESDAY, AUGUST II, 1913.

ana the laDOrlnB man naQ 10 De taught
by constant repetition that his chill
dren were just as much entitled to g.
fair start in life as the children of the
more prosperous classes. Having learn
ed the lesson he Is now so far as pos
sible making up for lost opportunities.
He is fully awake to the fact that good
schools cost money and better still he
is willing to pay the price. The eight
months term In the rural school Is al
most an accomplished fact.
The problem of the future so far as
the country schools are concerned Is
not SO much question Of money, but
rather q question OF attendance and ef-
ficiency-a judicious expenditure Of
the funds entrusted to our care. The
burden of responsibility has been shift
ed from the taxpayer to the school Of
ficial and the law making power. The
time has come to break away from the
city school as model and strike out
boldly on new lines more adapted to
the requirements Of the boy or girl
whose training will end with the COM
mon or high school course.
h In my county alone since the first of
January, twenty-five districts have
either voted a special tax or increased
"a previous extra levy. We shall begin
the new term with at least forty five.
out of possible fifty-three districts,
carrying special levy and In practi-
cally every one of them the session
will run from seven to nine months
But you are no doubt ready to ask
what has all this to do with home ow-
nership. I will answer by saying that
this movement for better schools with
us had its origin and has reached its
greatest development in those districts
which have the greatest per centage Of
resident home-owners.
TIL non-owner in either country,
town or mill village has no easily ap-
parent incentive to engage in work for
the permanent upbuilding Of the COM
munity. There are exceptions but as
a rule he can see no reason why he
should exert himself or spend his mon
ey to build school house, dig q well.
or plant shade trees on the lot when
the beginning Of new year may find
him dozen miles away. But this same
tenant in a home Of his own, looks at
the world from q different standpoint
and almost Immediately feels new
sense of responsibility to his neigh
Dor, his school, his church and his gov
ernment. In no other way probably.
can we better show the effect Of home
ownership on the school than by an
actual comparison of two districts
which have recently come under my
observation. For present purposes we
shall call them district A and district
B. They contain the same number of
square miles. Neither one has any ap-
parent advantage In healthfulness, nat
ural fertility Of the soil or convenience
to railroads and markets. Both are
strictly rural communities
In district A. the annual term Is only
four months with a cheap teacher. The
building is one Of the old fashioned
box-car type with three windows on
each side and door in the end next
the road. No attention has been given
to proper heating or lighting; no spe-
cial levy; no equipment; a low average
attendance and everybody glad when
the term Is over. .gt ~
In district B-note the difference
we find a comfortable, well-arranged,
we'll kept two-room building with the
necessary cloak room space; two COM
petent experienced teachers; rooms
properly lighted and heated; ample
equipment and roomy Fairgrounds; an
enrolment Of eighty pupils and very.
creditable average attendance. The ex-
ira levy last year was three mills
which has recently been increased.
Plans for the current year include the
erection Of q modern three room build
ing, the addition of third teacher and
the extension Of the term from thirty
| to thirty-two weeks. A school play, a
box supper, or an exhibit by the classes
In manual training makes a pleasant
diversion for the surrounding farmers
and their families and tends toward
making the school building the social
centre Of the community.
Now why this remarkable difference
in districts A and B? In my humble
opinion the answer is found to large
extent in the topic under discussion
! here this evening-home ownership. In
| district A there are only two resident
| landowners in the nine square miles OF
area. In district B there are thirty-six
and the average size Of the farm is
eighty seven and one-fourth acres.
In another district where the aver
age size of the farm is ITO acres the
conditions are almost as bad as In dis
trict A.
Possibly the instances cited may be
considered extreme cases. but 1t lie
none the less true that the same prin-
ciple applies to a greater or less extent
| in all the rural districts
A reduction In the size of the aver
age farm in any given community
leads to a corresponding increase In
the efficiency Of the school.
Generally speaking the best schools
are found in those communities where
the per centage Of home owners Is
greatest. And since the per centage OF
home owners is determined largely by
the size of the farms 1t Is evident that
any satisfactory solution Of the prob
| lem must be found in some plan which
will enable the tenant to become q
permanent resident of his community
In conclusion will state that have
endeavored to describe briefly condi-
tions as we find them; not as we would
have them to be. I leave the remedy
for existing evils to abler minds than
mine.
It is both a privilege and pleasure
Mr.. Chairman, to be present here and
take part in the deliberations of this
conference for the Common Good. II
is my earnest hope that forces may be
set in motion at this meeting which
will lead to q lasting Improvement In
the moral, social and financial afairs
| Of South Carolina.
|