Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-01-09
rARalER,s UAIoN RECOlL1ENDs

: ~
sThe Recommendation made to the
State Farmers Union by the commit
tee on education at its recent meeting
at Raleigh were the subject OF much
enthusiastic comment at the state
meeting and have been, beyond doubt,
fruitful themes of conversation in eV-
cry part of North Carolina suggests
the Charlotte News "The reading of
that part of the report recommending
a six months school terms per year
as a minimum for the entire state
and making attendance upon that COM
pulsory was greeted with a storm
of applause, it is stated by those who
attended the meeting.
National President G. 5. Barrett OF
the Farmers Educational and Coop
erative Union, who was present at the
meeting, asked that he be allowed to
see the documents and read the auto
graph signature of the men who COM
posed. the committee making the re-
port, since it was the first time in
the history of the Southern states that
such recommendation had been
made. The report of the committee
was adopted with only four voices
raised against it out of 800 delegates
and a total attendance of about 800
people. These delegates came from SO
out of the 100 counties of the state and
the fact that only four voices were
raised against the measure from a
body representative of the whole
length and breath of the state is con-
sidered most significant.
An amendment to the report was
adopted recommending that, if any
one. complains that he is not able to
buy books, clothes and other necessi-
ties, the district committee shall take
up the matter and if the representa-
tions are found true, the state shall
make provision for him.
The minimum length of the school
term at present is four months and
Prof. w. G. Crosby of this county,
state educational agent of the Farm
ers Union, estimated to the convention
from carefully compiled facts that the
cost OF increasing the state school
year to six months would be approx
imately half million dollars. This
cannot be done, however, the commit
tee believed, until some way is found
Of wiping out the annual denc1t in
the state treasury, which was learned
to be $500, 900 this year. state of
affairs which the committee attributed
TO the unequal tax assessment of prop
lerty throughout the state"
The Report.
The report Of the committee on edu-
cation, made to the assembled con-
vention and warmly greeted by it, fol-
lows:
Report of Educational Committee Of
The North Carolina Farmers Union.
Your Educational Committee desires
10 make the following report:
1. We believe that no great, far
REACHING economic reform can achieve
enduring success in this country with
out resorting to a strenuous and thor
ough education of it's adherents and
] those who are to become such. There
comes to the Farmers Union no great
err opportunity to inculcate its princi-
pies, to perpetuate its existence, to
achieve its great purpose than that
| offered through the medium of the
country public schools. We therefore
commend our state president and state
executive committee for the promin-
ence they have given to the cause of
public education as it affects the far
mer, and recommend that this work be
continued
2. AS the operation of system of
travelling Libraries in North Carolina
districts to obtain free books; and as
such systems are in active operation
in Twenty-Five states of the Union and
are of great benefit to the farmers of
these states; therefore. we endorse the
efforts made by the North Carolina
Library Commission to establish such
system, and we recommend that the
Farmers Union urge the legislature
at it's approaching session to increase
the appropriation of the library COM
mission to a, sum sufficient to establish
and operate in North Carolina a sys-.
tenn of travelling hbaries, and we fur
Their recommed that the legislative
committee be instructed to do all in its
power to secure the necessary legisla-
Ition.
81 Realizing that the present rural
school term in our state is wholly mad
equate to provide even an elementary
education for country boys and girls,
| we favor the enactment, by the ap-
preaching legislature, of a law that
will provide a minimum term of six
months public school in every district
| i'll the state, and recommend that FIVE
cents on the $4,000 of the state tax
levy be set aside for this purpose
4. We favor better salaries, increas-
ed efficiency, and uniform examina-
ton and certification Of teachers, both
urban and rural.
5. We recommend the amendment of
our present compulsory attendance law
in such a way as TO provide for COM
pulsory attendance of all children be-
tween the ages Of eight and Is years
during the minimum trem of the
public school; that this amendment al
SO provide for q truancy officer and for
the attendance of the incorrigibles in
the jackson Training School.
g.. We recommend also the amend
ment of our present school law rela-
tive to qualification of county super
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