The farmer and mechanic., 1914-09-08
(E. r.. WitherspoOn, STAFF of The News
and Obscryer.)

attendance SCnOOl SySteHl 4SS,
mean that-a compulsory law that
will compel; we need to send men TO
the Legislature who are big enough
to to do some of the things we want
them to do" said Prof. j. II. Hlgn-
smith, of the chair of pedagogy OF
Wake Forest College, to the Wake
county educational conference at
Cary yesterday. The law nasn S 4een
enforced. There are 1880 children
in North Carolina who ought to be In
school. Over two hundred and forty
thousand less than that number at
tended the last public school term.
Over two hundred thousand ch1idren
OF North Carolina above tie age or ten |
year are illiterate. 122,1S9 OF these
thousand adults in North Carolina can
not read or write. The men of North
Carolina who can do things and won't
do them ought TO be made to DO.
1--WE speak of the 'beathen' nation
Of Japan, yet Japan has an average
public school term OF 20O days IN
each year; North Carolina has an av-
erage of about 103. Ninety-five to
ninety-nine per cent Of Japanese chill
sfren are attending school; about
sixty-six and two-thirds per cent OF
North Carolina children are attending.
Let us never be satisfied until these
conditions are remedled. we must
pend on State appropriations. Local
taxation is the only salvation for the
public schools" Prof. Highsmith de-
clared further that districts should be
consolidated and transportation fur
nished to school children. This could
be done, ne said, for two dozen eggs
a week per child. He said the great
ocean liner, Wilhelm Der Crosse, re-
Gently taken by the British cost two
million dollars more than the entire
appropriation to education per year
in this State.
lift the Negro Up.
Most Of us are Democrats and say
we are 'aRin the Niger, and that we
cannot afford to compel him to get an
education. We cannot afford to keep
him ignorant. Booker Washington
once said that there was bully that
he could throw into the gutter in his
youth, but that he never could throw
him there without going In himself.
Prof Highsmith declared that the
people Of the State never could get to
where they should be educationally so
longs as the negro was kept ignorant
in their midst. His speech was only
twenty-five minutes long and the
leading address Of the day, but he
shot home one shaft after another
about conditions in North Carolina
and some Of the things he thought
tion, in rapid succession, and mas
words were enthusiastically received.
There were many other things upon
which he touched in the course OF his
remarks and he told many experiences
encountered in going over the State on
educational missions. On one occa-
sion he said he was denied space on
a vacant lot to make a speech upon
a goods box in favor of local taxation
for better schools.
DIR. Joyner Sends Letter.
Dr. j. Y. Joyner, State Superintend-
ent OF Public instruction, was also
booked for a leading address but was
ments and sent the following letter Of
greetings
Raleigh, Sept z. 1914.
"Supt. Zebulon Judd.
Raleigh, N. G.
"Dear Mr.. Judd:
II beg to express to you, and
through you, to the other members
Of the Wake County Educational Con-
ference, may deep regret at my inabil-
ity to be present at it's meeting at
Cary next Saturday on account Of
important previous engagements made
before the invitation of the conference
was received.
II have found it impossible to
change the dates of these engage
the dedication Of a beautiful new
building at Antioch, Hoke county, in
a consolidated, special tax rural schoo
district, and the other on Saturday af
ternoon for a conference with the
county board of education and board
Of trustees at Philadelphia, RobesOI
county, to complete the arrangement
Of the opening Of a farm life schoo
there, in an ideal farming communit.
that has provided a splendid 800
brick school building, adequate dOrmi
tories, and excellent farm and al
other necessary equipment for sucl
school L mention the character o
these engagements that you may un
derstand the Importance of them, an
that you may make the announcement
to your people as q justifable ex
Cuse for my absence, and an encour
aging evidence of progress in othe
sections of the State in this grea
rural uphft and rural school improve