The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-07-24
GREATEST RURAL
LIFE conference
IT'S TO BE HELD IN NORTHERN
LOUISIANA SOMETIME DURING
THE COMING FALL.
GOVERNOR HALL ENDORSESlT
Preliminary Work Indicates That It
viii Be Biggest Thing OF Its
Kind in the South.
Western Newspapa. Union News Service

Western Newspapa, Union News Service
Baton ROuge.-Approved and sup
ported by educational, financial and
farming activities, gigantic plan is
to be put in operation at once to hoid
the greatest rural life conference COW
ering the whole state, ever seen IN
any state in the Union.
The movement is backed by G. }.
Brown. rural school inspector; }. W.
Eateman, of the rural teachers train
ing department of the State Normal:
Il. s. Richardson, director of the extern
sion work at l.. S. T.; J. II. Ross, SUI
perintendent of schools in West Baton
Rouge parish, and C. H. Hughes, SUI
perintendent of schools in East Baton
Rouge parish.
This committee was named after SUI
perintendent Hughes had appeared be-
fore the State Teachers convention IN
Shreveport to explain the proposition
and composed of men with wide expe-
rience in educational work and inter
ested in rural development, is acting
as the motive force behind the big
scheme.
The plan has the endorsement Of the
state bankers and Governor Hall. ana
is soon to be unanimously approved by
the state farmers conference. Cover
nor Hall has said that he will call the
conference and lend his support IN
, every way to what he considers a great
, movement for the improvement OF
rural conditions.
g The preliminary work Is probably
I the biggest undertaking OF its kind
Q ever seen in the South. Briefly, 1t Will
L he necessary to make a careful survey
It of conditions in ten parishes. taken as
II tvpical ones of the state, and comp'
IT lation of the findings, together with
suggestions as to remedies. When this
t, Is done the conference viii be called.
IT, and it is expected that the get-together
70 will some some time next fall.
70 The survey will be taken along six
~ different lines covering all the condi.
tons, which could possibly exist. They
IA are: sanitation, social conditions. reli.
III eious conditions, health economic and
no educational.
Into the ten parishes selected, ex.
'st pert field workers will 20 and make
g! an exhaustive study of the conditions
JIG from these standpoints, tabulating and
Is compiling the results and submitting
10 them to the committee, which will ap-
- ply them to the whole state. since the
20 parishes selected represent every pos
o9 sible interest. The parishes which will
ne be worked by the field agents are:
'an East Baton Rouge st. James, Lincoln
o." Vernon, Lafayette, Ripides, Calcasieu
Arabia, Avoyelles and Tangipahoa.
Wv One big question which has con
fronted the committee is where &c
Wv find the experts who are to go out into
w the parishes and make the practica
-, observations. 1t is necessary that thej
w. he well.yersed in the different condi
-s lions upon which the investigation
" are to be made and il possible hav'
had some experience in the work be
o.. fore.
wv DR.. Oscar Bowling, president OF tn
at. State Board of Health, will make tn
M health and sanitary investigation
\. through his Office, and 1t Is probabl
Ton that the schools Of the parishes an
ako state will give their cooperation i
tart. the work
YEN After the preliminary work is con
ono pleted Governor Hall will issue ca
with for a statewide rural life cOnferenc
out. and every interest in the common
wealth will be asked to have repr
him sentation. The bankers, for instanc
Idle. interested in the rural economic co
mr. a ditions including the predication
crops upon banking and vice vers
rro. will send their men. The physician
and railroads. and in fact all the actiViti
of Louisiana are going to be at Tn
,rod conference to discuss rural condition
vou and their improvement, with gener
,ucb working out of the mutual problem
in which all industry is Interested.