New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-28

sioner Claxton says that with no Appropriation
it will be possible because of the additional authority
granted him, to obtain the cooperation oil the o''
countless districts, and municipalities and OF Churches
Sunday schools womcn's clubs, and other organize
tons interested in the public welfare to such an extent
that within the next years the percentage OF IL
teracv in this country may be reduced to fraction OF
one per cent | hope the bill will become a law IN the
present session of Congress- may have plans ready
for beginning this work next fall Indeed, 1t IS not too
much to believe that with ,mpt action the result
expected by the Commissioner may be secured by the
time the national census of 1920 is taken.
Experimental work already done along this line shows
that rapid progress is possible Rowan County, Ken
lucky and Worth County, Georgia, have specialized,
with great success in teaching mixed classes OF adults
and children in the rural districts Buffalo, through the
North American Civic League for Immigrants has un-
dertakcn not only the education Of immigrants but
also classes in citizenship instruction. BY providing
requisite appropriations, this is the first city in the
country to take forward step in minimizing foreign
born ileracy by placing citizenship education on a
clearly recognized and distinct basis.
THE Old Field School of Worth County has a pic
turcsdue history. 1t is in reality, homeless
school, where Websters blucback specr IS the principal
textbook and where and age lose their perspective
as they fuse into the desire and thirst for knowledge
Higher education there is unknown quantity be-
cause where an individual Of sxty-Seven IS busy mas
terinq the intricaccs Of Abe side by side with
child of ten higher education loses its importance IN
favor of elemental education. The school term is IN
definite it huctuatcs with the crops 1t begins as soon
as the cotton laid by and the attended to, and
ends when the students must return to the fields to
harvest the crops Between roastin' and hard
corn is the way these people of the wire grass country
would describe it.
Its founder is Frank Park, member OF Congress
from Georgia In 1906, when he began the classes,
he was Judge of the Superior Court OF the State. Ac-
tuaed by the realization that most of the individuals
who came before him as jurors witnesses, compliments
and defendants were mature and aged men who could
neither read nor write he decided to provide the means
for giving them limited education Out Of his salary he
paid the expenses He has bought the books, and now
paws the two teachers although the first year he taught
school himself.
The school has no fixed home. Last year 1t held
its sessions in an Imprinted frame country church,
which was so small that fully half Of the l25 pupils
were obliged to study under the trees outside The clos
ing dav Of school as big event to the residents Of
Worth County the presentation Of diplomas accom-
panied bv addresses in Latin the students Of modern
colleges Side by side under the trees boys and girls,
mothers and fathers aunts unccs, grandparents and
other relatives stand up for od-fashoncd spelling
match.
Has it been worth while? John DENLY, veteran Of