Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-26
TELLS OF EFFORTS TO AID
EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH
Sixth installment Of Report OF Cen
eral Education Board Is
Made Public.
CONFINES WITH GOVERNMENT
Conditions Not Primarily Due to Lack
of Interest, but Mainly Result OF,
Rural Poverty-Appropria
Constantly Increase.

NEW YORK. December 25.-Efforts
to aid education in the South are sum
married. In the sixth instnllment to-
night Of the report of the General Edu-
cation Board founded by John d.
! Rockefeller. ut soon became clear"
the report says. that adequate de-
veiopment could not take place until
TN. peoples resources were enlarged
These conditions were not primarily
due TO lack of interest in popular cdu-
cation the report continues. '.They
were mainly the result of rural pow
erty While the average annual earn
ings of individuals engaged in agri-
culture In Iowa were upward Of $1,000.
the average earnings of those similar
~ engaged in some Southern States
was AZ low $3.50 The great bulk
or the people of the Southern States
are simply not earning enough to pro-
vide proper homes and TO support good
! education
The Southern farmers suffered pri-
marily from lack of money. the report
says. He also lacked scientific knowl-
edge of farming. and the board. pro-
ceeding on the theory that If he could
be helped In this direction, he would
gladly support better schools. The
board says that this program could not
be carried out by the Federal govern
rnent. because. while 1t was taking
measures TO kill the bollweevil. it could
not appropriate money for strictly edu-
TO work In conjunction with the gov
eminent.
The cooperation of the General
Education Board" the report continued,
brought about an immediate and
rapid expansion of the demonstration
movement in every direction dealing
with a rapidly increasing number IT
activities. and touched more people
In 1906. 545 farms were reached; a
year later, 2.s3+: In 1905. something
more than $4,000; in 1910. 1882; in
1912. l06.621. Twenty-Five thousand
adults were at the last named date
receiving instruction In Texas. more
than $4,000 in Oklahoma, more than
10000 in Arkansas. 10000 In Alabama,
$50 in mississippi
The initial appropriation Of tho
board in 1905 was $1,000 At that time
the government was devotins $4,000
10 demonstrations against the boil
weevil. The board appropriated $4,000
tne next year, $4,000 two years later
$4,000 in 1911 and s252.00O in 1913
These sums were unevcnly dis
tributcd: in l9OS-09 $4,000 was spent
In Florida and 1000 in Virginia.: the
next year $4,000 in Virginia and $4,000
IN Georgia; In 1Sl1-l2 $4,000 in South
Carolina and s25. 900 in North Carolina. -
summarizing the total cost of the
southern work up-to-date, the reports
says the government appropriated ST.
$4,000 and the General Education
Board $925.75o. while sl.069,4o5 was OBJ
tanned from other sources. The board
says its policy has been indicated by
the fact that the Southern people them
selves in less than Il decade were pay
ing almost SO per cent OF the total an
nuhi expenditure, approaching $780,
600
Fortunately" the report concludes.
the value OF demonstration has been
SO clear that the Federal government
Will now take over and extend purcIy
educational farm demonstrations: sue
cess has dissipated the constitutional
scruple that for the past ten years has
restricted governmental activities in
this direction TO plague -infest ed
States"