The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-07-25
GREATEST RURAL
LIFE CONFERENCE
iT is TO BE HELD IN NORTHERN
LOUISIANA SOMETIME DURING
THE COMING FALL.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.

"rrern Newspaper Union News Servfcr
Laton houge.-Approved and sup
ported by educational, financial and
farming activities, a gigantic plan is
70 De put in operation at once TO hold
the greatest rural life conference COW
erlng the whole state, ever seen in
any state in the Union.
The movement is backed bv c. ].
broWn, rural school inspector: ]. w.
taIeman, of the rural teachers train
ing department of the State Normal:
Il. ). Richardson, director of the exten.
sion work at L. S. L.: J. II. Ross. su-
perlhtendent of schools in West Baton
Rouge parish, and c. II. Hughes, su-
peTntendent of schools in East Baton
Rouge parish.
This committee was named after Su-
periEtendent Hughes had appeared be-
lore the State Teachers convention in
shreveport to explain the proposition
and composed of men with wide expe-
rlence in educational work and inter
ested in rural development. is acting
as the motive force behind the big
scheme
Inc plan has the endorsement of the
state bankers sEc Governor Hall and
Is soon to be unanimously approved bv
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.
Ihe preliminary work is probably
the biggest undertaking of it's kind
ever seen in the South. Briefly, il will
De necessary to make a careful survey
OF conditions in ten parishes, taken as
typical ones Of the state, and a compi-
latlon OF the findings. together with
suggestions as to remedies. When this
Is done the conference will be called
and it is expected that the get-together
VIII some some time next fall.
The survey will be taken along six
different lines covering all the condi-
tons, which could possibly exist. Thev
are: sanitation, social conditions. reli.
gious conditions. health, economic and
into the ten parishes selected. ex-
pert field workers will go and make
an exhaustive study of the conditions
from these standpoints, tabulating and
compiling the results and submitting
them to the committee, which will ap-
ply them to the whole state, since the
selected represent every DOS
'ible interest. The parishes which will
be worked by the field agents are:
East Baton Rouge, st. James. Lincoln.
Vernon, Lafayette, Ripides, Caicasieu.
Arabia, Avoyelles and Tangipahoa.
One big question which has con-
the committee is where to
ind the experts who are to go out into
he parishes and make the practical
Observations. 1t is necessa that they |
De well-versed in the different condi. |
ions upon which the investigations
ire to be made and il possible have |
lad some experience in the work be- |
ore.
DR.. Oscar Bowling, president of the
state Board of Health, will make the
lealth and sanitary Investigations
through his Office, and it is probable
hat the schools of the parishes and
tate will give their cooperation in
he work.
After the preliminary work is CON-
leted Governor Hall will issue a call
or a statewide rural life conference.
nd every interest in the common
,ealth will be asked to have repre-
entation. The bankers, for instance.
lterested in the rural economic con-
itions including the predication of
rops upon banking and vice versa.
ill send their men. The physicians.
and in fact all the activities
Louisiana are going to be at this
difference to discuss. rural conditions
nd their improvement, with a general
orking out of the mutual problems.
/ which all industry is interested.