The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-06
THE EDUCATION FOR
RURAL VIRGINlANS

Continued from Second Page.)
OF only Sl2 for the girls and So for
the boys. The school became work
shop and home. and pupils never
failed in their prompt attendance. They
studied the distribution OF food stufrs.
the source Or textiles. the measure
ments of material. the relation OF
things to life, and through those &C
0uire geography, arithmetic, writing.
reading and language. instead of learn
Ing these things as subjects related to
nh artificial life.
The new education aims to make men
and women: 1t trains to purposeful
work: and 1t makes for efficient citi
zenship. and out OF all this school
work. club work. shop work, are gotten
the best lessons In language. reading,
writing, spelling. arithmetic. botany.
geometry. as well as lessons in In
dustry, In keen observation. in judg-
nent. in patience In willpower. and
mould into efficient citizenship the
boy-power and the girl-power now
going to waste In nearly nil country
communities. Why is this frowned
upon by many OF our educators?
Denmark laughs at us and at our
hoastfulness. it has long since gone
over from the sale Of raw materials
TO tho sale OF finished products. Thirty
( four years ago the Danes exported
/ horses. cattle, but er. eggs and meat to
\
II Is $4,000. 900: and they are content
TO buy corn from us on which 10 feed
their cattle. All tais has been done
/ through the Danish system Of life
| education begun in the rural schools
Virginia is thrice large as Den
( mark. and yet We are content with u
/ system Of education chat is bookish
+ that takes it's course of study from
medieval traditions. and that weans
our young people away from the soil.
Tg,.l, 81, to, 10
the cooperation of the Virginia Farm
crs Institute and kindred organiza
/ tiors is determined to make Virginia a
great corn state. a great hay State, a
great dairy state, a great hog state,
a great poultry State. great fruit
/ State. God never made a land that
| could prosper permanently without
! live stock.
| TOOK SIDE swIPE
AT LAND QUESTION
President Eggleston handled the land
! question In a snasterful manner In his
references to the opportunities of the
country superintendent. This officer
should not only do the routine work.
but take an active interest In rural
telephones, good roads. cooperative
clubs for boys. girls. men and women.
| community work greater crops. better
methods of farming. and. In fact. be a
leader in all things tending to advance
the comfort health. and happiness OF
the entire body of people In his coun-
try. The State Superintendent should
be man of broad Ideas. as we'll as an
organizer. he will understand and
without fear for favor, will explain
to his constituency that the train
ing of the children and parents to dou-
BILE or quadruple productions will be
of no benelt to them II they are to be
the victims for just that much more
| exploitation by the land speculator r,
the commission merchant. the middle
man, the corporation. or those whose
purpose Is to make more money out OF
the increased efficiency OF the chill
dren and their parents. II Johnny and
Mary and their parents do not own the
land there ie not State In the Union
that protects them from exploitation
by land owners. who are not land users.
and there Is not a State in the Union
that does not tax the industry OF these
parents and their children for the sake
Of the man who owns the land. but
does not himself use II. The State SUI
perintendent Will understand that the
man who owns the land owns the
man the land. and he will in his
campaigns of education ask the citi-
zens what II profits the State or John
ny or Mary TO train them to get more
corn to the acre IL the owner of that
land or of similar land raises the rem,
60 TO get fat interest on Johnny's
or Marys greater efficiency