Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-12-31
negro Minister
CHIDES TEACHERS
Townsend Sstartles Conven-
ton by His Attitude on
Teachers Policies.
SCHOOLS NEGLECTED
Little Rock School PRINCIPAL Makes
Point That Negro Schools Suffer
for Lack Of Proper
Supervision.
SCHOOLS NEGLECTED
(By J. G. Robinson. D. ~

The COlored Teachers association
which is in session at the Branch
Normal college, did busy days worE
yesterday. The first half Of the day
was given over to sectional meetin gs
In the main auditorium, the Jeanes
fund teachers and the tel cheers O.
the Slater educational fund held {
meeting. A program was carried out
looking to the better training Of ne
gro youths along agricultural ant
industrial lines. This meeting was
presided over by Prof. Leo M. Favrot
the travelling agent Of the Jeanes edu-
catiOnal fund. Mr.. Favrot made sew
eral helpful talks which were much
appreciated by the negro teachers OF
the state.
Among the subjects that were
brought before the teachers, was the
effort that is being put forward to
give the people of the state an OPP
portunity to vote on a constitutional
amendment, granting school districts
the right to- levy II mills tax for
school purposes. AS the constitution
now stands, no more than mills can
be imposed, and it was shown that
in many districts in the state that less
than mills on the taxable property
will run the schools, and in many
more districts, the property valua-
tions are SO low, that when 7 mills
are voted, there is "a, lack of mnoey
to run the schools. State Superin-
tendent George B. Cook and Mr.. Fav-
rot, as we'll as many ether prominent
ID, VIII t0
are appealing to the citizens of the
state to sign the petition, SO that the
amendment can be submitted to the
people.
Negro Should Think.
Prof. B. C. Caldwell, the general
travelling agent for both the Slater
and the Jeanes funds throughout the
Southern states, was introduced to-
the convention, and addressed the
meeting. Prof. Caldwell is one Of the
best known educators in the United
States. He was for many years the
president of the University of Louisi-
ana. His address showed that he was
deeply interested in the uplift of the
negro. He urged upon the negro to
think, and become man and good
citizen He held that the same kind
of education that fits one man for in
telligent living is good for any other
man. He held that the spirit of the
Christ, "Do unto others as you would
that they do unto you," is the only
true gospel that is fitted for the good
of mankind.
Rev. V. M. Townsend, D. D., the pre-
siding elder of the Little Rock district
Of the African Methodist church, Gre
ated a mild sensation, by stating that
the State Teachers association had
been void of thought, and helpful up
lift until MIR. Caldwell had spoken.
He said:
"The negro is wanting nothing in
the South but chance to shcW that
he appreciates and values help. and
is worthy of the enjoyment OF citizen
ship. To take the teachers associa-
ton, and say nothing about the prac-
tical methods of teaching, and talk
about farming all the time is nothing
but waste of time and energy. II
the Jeanes fund is not to help the
negro along all lines and help to
make of him the kind of man descrlb-
ed by Mr.. Caldwell, it would be best
that Mr.. Jeanes, or Miss Jeanes, come
down here and get the fund, end let
us alone"
Prof. Sloan of Stamps took oppo-
site views to those taken by the Rev.
Townsend. He held that agricultural
as we'll as that OF purely
training, was good for the
negro.
Schools Lack Supervision.
The section of the principals was
presided over by Prof. w. w. Jones,
of Fort Smith. There were more than
fifty principals present. The main
talk was made by Prof. Caldwell. The
subject before the principals was,
"The Need Of County Superintend-
ents"
Prof. WEIGH of the Gibbs High
school at Little Rock also addressed
the principals. He devoted himself TO
a discussion of superintendents' duties
and aims, what constitutes an eff
cient school system and other mat
tiers related to school work in man
ner that stamped him as leader
amcng negro educators. Prof. WEIGH
made the same criticism that Prof.
Favrot has voiced on one or two oc-
casions, and that is that in many
parts of the country the negro schools
do not receive the proper supervi-
sion; that the teachers are doing iso-
lated work, and that the efficiency
of the school could be increased i'm
measureably if the teachers chad crit
ical, sympathetic and inspiring super
vision"
A banquet was rendered the teach
ers at the Merrill High school last
night by the local colored teachers.