The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-11-30
MAYOR TELLS TEACHERS
WHAT IS DONE BY CITY
Welcoming Visitors, Executive Points
to Growth of Appropriations and
larger School Interest.
TALKS ON METHODS ARE HEARD
Need for Longer Minimum School
Term, Compulsory Education and
larger state Aid TO Communities
Stressed by j. III. Binford-2,ooo
Reg istcrcd.

| principals, superintendents. trustees
and other workers In Nirginia's pub
( lie education system far in excess of
I that Of one year ago, the eleventh
| annual Virginia Educational Confer
ence yesterday afternoon got down 10
| the business of this session. Last
night there were registered nearly
assoc visiting and local educators.
Though organization and executive
sessions were held Tuesday and near
| ly dozen departmental meetings
were held earlier in the day, the ac-
tual beginning of the conference was
not until o'clock yesterday after
noon, when Mayor George Ainslie
for the city of Richmond. personally
We coined the visitors. The afternoon
session was preceded by a short con-
cert given by the after school violin
classes. under the direction of Pro-
fessor W. G. Mercer who was assist
ed by members OF kessnich's orches-
ira. Though the after-school classes
have been in existence but a few
months, their performance was most
creditable one and voluminous APP
plause was drawn. Numbers given
included several of the old favorites.
among them America" The Swanee
River Aud Lang Syne," old Black
Joe" and Home Sweet Home"
Mayor Tells of Rithmond's Work.
President Charles g. Maphis called
the gathering TO order and presented
Mayor Ainslie, who welcomed the
teachers ina Enthusiastically happy
manner Mayor Ainslie told the visi-
tors what the city Of Richmond is
doing in the interests Of public edu-
cation. bringing out, among others.
the facts that the city's appropria-
tons for schools now are 20 per cent
of the citys total revenues as COM
pared with 3 per cent four years
ago; that more schools are being
built that night schools have an at
tendance of 5000 persons, many of
them adults, and that the school
buildings have been made popular as
community centers and are frequently
used by public gatherings. Closing,
the Mayor expressed the hope that
the teachers may return to their
homes after this conference with re-
newed inspiration in the high call
ing OF their profession.
After President Maphis announced
the committees on resolutions and on
time and place, which viii make their
reports at Friday afternoons session
of the. conference. nc presented Pro-
fessor Edwin NJ. Hopkins, of the Uni
versity of Kansas. president of the
National Council of Teachers OF Eng
lish. who spoke on English teaching
in the elementary schools
Teaching Methods Discussed.
Mr.. Hopkins spoke about twenty
five minutes and called the attention
of teachers to many points often over
looked in their work and pointing
out ways in which greater results may
be secured.
~ ~
Salisbury Md addressed the gather
ling. bringing greetings from the
I Maryland Educational Association.
from which be is a fIaternal delegate
to the Virginia Conference. Mr.. Hol-
! lowaY was followed by Professor
Thomas II. Briggs, of Columbia Uni
versity whose theme was the junior
| high school
! The general session of the after
noon was closed shortly before 6
O'Clock. when delegates and officers
of local associations assembled to dis
cuss matters of local interest The
discussion. led by Secretary w. c,
| Blakey, of the state Teacher Associa-
ition, was participated In by u number
OF the visitors.
The annual address OF Superin-
tendent OF Public instruction r. G
Stearnes and the address OF the even
ing. by President George II. Denny
of Alabama University, featured last
nights general session.
For Larger Activities.
! With President y, c. Davis, of the
Trustees Association. in the chair, the
T morning session was opened. The
kheme OF j. Fl. Binford. The Next
Step In Public Education" proved OF
increasing interest to the several hun
dred attending teachers as ne UNI
folded his views of VirRinias public
Echool problems. Mr. Binford empha-
sized the need for a longer school
vcrm, for better pay for teachers and
tor larger expenditures by communi-
ties for school work extension.
, Mr.. Binford expressed the hope that
the next session Of the Legislature Will
aid communities throughout the State
in meeting these problems by provid
ing by law that the minimum school
term shall be seven months at least
instead of Ave. that compulsory school
attendance be applied throughout the
State: that larger appropriations be
made for the one and two-room
tons be made to aid the communi-
ties which make appropriations to en-
large their own schools.
| Mr.. Binford Expressed the belief
that much Of the criticism being hear d
at this time was directed at the pub
lie school system in Virginia rather
than at individuals. He said that
many OF the things new frequently
spoken OF have been discussed for the
last ten years. and he feels that the
time has come to act rather than to
talk. He held that preachings should
be praeticed. He urged a closer super
vision of schools. more frequent visits
TO the country schools. study of con-
dttions and dissemination of informa-
ton Cleaned through such study to all
counties in the State in order that all
may be benefited by the findings
1 Improve Citizenship.
4 The prime duty Of the Citizen
asserted DR.. Douglas Freeman. who
was speaker during the morning
session lis to learn how to vote"
DR.. Freeman said that the enfran-
chisement of the mind is far more
important than the Acknowledgement
OF citizenship; that the citizen should
vote !ntelligently. DIR. Freeman de-
plored such conditions that result in
the expenditure of much more for
soldiers than for teachers.
Teachers" he said. cost 90 per
cent as much as soldiers, and there
are about four times as MANY teach