The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-17
PREACHERS TALK
RURAL PROBLEMS
Conditions i'll Mountain Districts
Strikingly Shown III
Pictures.
THE CHURCH AND MORALITY
State Board of Health Will Co.
Operate i'll Teaching Sanitation
in the Country.
THE CHURCH AND MORALITY

The relation OF tho country church
TO health. community morals. recrca-
ton. education and many other prob
lens OF rural lifc were considered by
the preachers OF Virginia in confer
ence assembled at tho T. NJ G A
building yesterday morning and after
noon.
The problem OF virginia's great neg
lected population in tho mountain dis
tiicts was graphically set before tn.
audience in All illustrated lecture bv
T. s. Settle of Richmond. In oolored
slides he showed the squalid homee Of
tile 'nountaineers In settings Of natural
beauty the most striking In America
lie urged that the great forests and
valleys OF the Virginia mountains vera
meant TO be n splendid home for men:
ana that tie remedy for mountain
conditions is not to bring the people
10 the cities. but to take education and
religion to the mountains
He also showed some striking MIC
lures of mountain types OF men, show
ing that they are fine intellige ont race,
who have been stultined by neglect
and an enforced primitive way Of life.
One OF his pictures showed a noun
tain cabin OF two rooms. In which
thirteen people and four dogs lived,
while another was OF ths school house.
a mere clapboard shack
In Rockhridge County n mission has
been established among these people
| which inoludes a church. a school and
a hospital. The people have shown
| tho greatest eagerness to learn oven
those OF advanced age who have been
F'liiterate nil OF their lives. Mt Set
! Ties pictures showed tho spelling bees
/ Acid meets debates and many other
activities. into which these people
readily enter when given an oppor-
| ;unity.
Grcnt Moral Problem.
| Tho question Of the responsibility o.
the church for community morals in
| the country were discussed by Rev.
| W. & Hoyes. OF Louisa. He mentioned
! tho problem Of drink as one of the most
serious In tho rural districts, even in
| dry" territory. where TIE blind tiger
| and the moonshine stu are az much
problem as the saloon is in tho
city.
Tho mingnng OF the races. he as.
serted, is great moral problem in tho
| rural districts OF tho South, where 1,
results In the spread OF vice and dis
/ ease, which often falls upon the limo
! cent
Tho church IS especially res ponsible
for tho morality OF tho country com
| munitics. ne said, because it is the
only moral agent IN them. People go
| TO church In the country he pointed
out. because Il is their most important
| place OF social gathering: and more
over. they take thei. religion vcry'
| seriously.
DR. Ennion C. williams, State
Board or Health Commissioner, spoke
! OF "The Country Church and Health"
urging that 81 the church is 10 preach
! cleanliness or living 1t should itself
| be a. model OF sanitation and ventla-
ton. lie pointed out that preventive
/ measures arc OF vastly more value than
! cures. and that the greatest proven
tive measure OF all Is the education OF
/ che people In questions of sanitation
| and health.
Typhoid Rnte Reduced.
In the last five years. he said. the
| number OF deaths In this State from
/ typhoid fever has been reduced from
| 1880 annually to 5000 annually. and
this has been accomplished almost en-
| trciy by good sanitation. In the great
| citics. scientific methods have almost
| eliminated typhoid. so that vaccination
| against II Is no longer necessary. II
| the church would take tho lead In the
| matter OF education tho same results
| might he obtained. he said. IN the rural
| districts.
| DR. Willfams said that the health
department is ready to cooperate with
| The country pastor by sending him
| variety OF bulletins on health and
| sanitation: and the department now
! has many pastors upon Its mailing list
| It will also distribute diphtheria anti
| toxin at a very low cost whenever II
is asked for. and will give free treat
ment for rabies whenever the patient
| cannot afford the Pasteur treatment
| The Rev. r. NJ. Dryden. OF King
/ George County, spoke on THE Coun-
! try Church and Recreation" pointing
| out that the lack of pleasure In rural
! communities is one of tho most potent
| causes in forcing the rural population
to the cities. lie urged that the coun-
! try pastor should be a leadcr-in pro-
noting the simple amusements which
are possible in rural sections
For Mountain People
a plea for the mountain people was
made at the morning session by Rev.
j. r. Ellis. OF Yancey. Rockingham
| County. superintendent of the West
| Blue Ridge Mountain Mission. He as
| serted that the mountain people OF Vir-
| GINA are race we'll worth saving,
| and are simply the victims of neglect
| They have never been fairly repre-
| scnted In the press, he said because 1t
is only their crimes that get into
| print.
The question of the leadership of
| the church in rural education was
discussed by Rev. B. W. Beckham, OF
| Danyille He stated that IL rural
| schools are to be brought to a high
state OF efficiency, they must be taken
| out OF the hands Of the politician and
| managed by experts. The churches are
| the only progressive element In the
! rural community, he said, because the
people have so few opportunities for
| education.
| (-borJoffe Wauta Conference.