The Denver star. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1913-1963, 1916-12-09
Dy N. BARNETT DODsON.

~ N. BARNETT OODSON,
When the gavel sounded, closing the
conference on education at the Nation
81 Training school, Durham, N. c., on
Friday evening, Nov. "a, after 1t was in
session for four days, It was evident
that the educators had accomplished
their purpose. Twenty states were
represented at the conference The
commission appointed at the conclusion
Of the meeting consists OF DR.. W. E.
R. Dubois, New York; W. S. Scar
borough, president of the Wherefore
CO., university; ]. W. e. Bowen, At
lanta: W. ]. Hale, president Of the
State Normal college at Nashville; ].
r. Rendallia, president Of the Lincoln
university. in Pennsylvania; ]. A. Col
ton, Henderson, and Dr.. A. NJ. Moore.
Durham, N. G.
Dr. I A. Cotton, principal Of the
Henderson Normal and Industrial
institute who presided at the opening
session, in presenting President shep-
ard, who outlined the plan and scope
Of tho conference. referring to the
growth and development of the Ma
uonal Training school, said, six years
ago when the people awoke one morn
ing and found a new school they pre-
dicted q Jonah's gourd growth for the
institution, but it has survived all the
storms that have come to It"
DR.. Shepard announced that IN the
! general scope Of the work would be In
cluded consideration Of duplication in
tho schools, whether wasteful, unwise
] and hurtful, and what plans ought to
be fostered to correct the evils; the ex-
tent e teacher training and its encour-
agement and how and where located /;
what system should be devised to meet
tAe needs Of rural teachers; what
should be the standard Of the univer-
sity, the college, the normal school.
teacher training and secondary schools
how students should be received from
one BY another; to what extent reli-
gaous training should be carried on In
the VARIOUS schools; whether there
should be q general clearing house for
Negro schools and whether the aid
given BY the various boards has been
wise helpful and economical
Out Of the many f1ne ideas that were
promulgated at this meeting 1t viii be
possible for the seven members Of the
commission to put down in definite and
understandable form just what Is the
beth method to adopt toward helping
Negro education.
Northern philanthropists are grad
ually learning that all mountaineerz
Of the south are not flliterate back
woodsmen who have never seen u
train or heard Of an automobile. much
less learned any Of the nner things OF
understand that perhaps the south I'M
derstands the Negro and il willing to
do her part. says one report Of the
conference.
Wealthy people of the north who
have wanted to help q struggling race
have been imposed on by SO many
takers that they are beginning to feel
that It Il unwise to make contribu
lions to any and every kind Of insti
tuition in the south That feeling il
gradually being replaced by the sys
tematic campaigns Of men Of DR.. James
E. Shepard's type.
The commission. which Is the result
Of the conference. will help to lay be
fore the people philanthropically In
clined tho real need Of the Negro In.
stitutions, and the Enforcement Of IN
other that will follow win b guaran.
tee Of the worth Of the institutions
and IL cause.