The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-06-04

had to wire the governor for militia
tents. Many of them were boys from
the remote back country who had
worked heroically in the corn club
contests to finance their way for the
year.
The Kemper County school was actu-
ally swamped at its opening and OPP
erations had to bA postponed until an
appropriation was obtained from the
state for the erection of an additional
dormitory.
The value of the forty plants now in
operation varies from $4,000 to $780,
900, with the average about $4,000.
Demonstration farms attached range
in size from 40 to SIS acres. The COS.
pei of labor provides the inspiration
of the curriculum, and with all due re-
gard to Mississippi's achievements in
the past the gospel of labor was never
a popular creed among her white folks.
On the contrary there was more of the
gospel of languid supervision.
Jasper L. McBrien, specialist in rural
education of the National Bureau Of
| Education, says:
| 81 consider the work of State Super
intendent Powers, of Mississippi, and
the educators who assisted him in
the establishment of these schools
one of the greatest pieces of construc-
tive legislation that has been carried
through in this or any other state with
in the past twenty-five years.
Through the influence of these
schools in scientific agriculture, in do
nestle science, in manual training, in
school and home sanitation, the South
will spring upon her feet and realize
immense hidden resources. The eff
feet should be the greatest progress,
in all that word means, of any section
of the country upon the face of the
earth"
Of the five thousand young men and
women now attending these schools
seventy-five per cent come directly
from the farm.
Fifty per cent Of the entire enroll
ment are boarders, coming in from the
remote country districts. The average
cost of board to the schools is $685.
month, but those who are unable to
pay this sum are permitted to work
their way through. The boys work
the demonstration farm, which in
cludes all phases of general farming.
Practically all the food consumed is
raised on the school farm and the food
is prepared, cooked and served by the
girls in the course of their domestic
science work. Credit is allowed at the
schools for all this work done and in
this way the average cost of board to
the pupils in all the agricultural high
schools in operation is pared down to
$3,SS month.
This is teaching the practical suf
ficiency of self-help of which there
was a woeful lack in the old South
save where the colored race is con
cerned
When | saw Mr.. McBrien in Wash
ington he told me of his journey of in
spection through the state:
1.-THE first one of these schools
went to was near Poplarville, in Pear
River county.
"The domestic-science work under
Miss Rowan, graduate of the Indus
trial Institute and College, of Colum
bus, Mississippi, was going finely She
had taken an infant from an invalit
mother and had aroused great inter
est among the girls in the practica
responsibilities of motherhood.
Three years ago this agricultural
high school at Poplarville consisted O
one building, which is now used al
the boys dormitory. Now there is al
administration building, with chape
and recreation rooms, a girls dormi
tory, a heating and lighting plant ant
a finely arranged demonstration farm
From Poplarville I went to the La
mar County Agricultural High Schoo
at Purvis. There was a capacity repre-
sentation Of farm boys and girls from
all over the county. The demonstra
ton farm was in charge of graduate
of the A. & M. College who had sup
plemented his course there with spec