Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-15

by them increased 7.2 per cent between
1900 and 1910 AS farmers. renting and
owning land. they have charge of 2.223-
SSa acres; as farm iaborers they un-
| doubtedly cultivate Il much larger area
Of Virginia soil. While the United
states census indicates hopeful prog
ress in the decrease of illiteracy and
in the Improvement of health condi-
tons, Misunderstanding to the re-
port--are still 80 per cent of the per-
sons ten years of age and over. and
IL per cent Of the children ten to four
teen years of age. and the death rate
is almost twice as high as that OF the
white people 1n a statement recently
issued by State Superintendent II. c.
| Stearncs he declares that within tho
last ten years colored illiteracy be-
tween ten and twenty years of age has
been reduced from 3l.294 to l4,256-
! more than one-half)
MORE LIBERAL THAN
MANY SOUTHERN STATES
The public school teachers of Vir-
| Einia received S31SS.746 In salaries in
/ l9ll-l2. or this sum S2,767,365 was for
| the teachers of 2S6.977 white children
and s42l.3S1 was for the teachers Of
/ l53S27 colored children. On a per capita
basis this was 1864 for each white
| child OF school age. and s274 for each
| colorcd child. To state facts plainly
the school authorities. in apportioninc
and do not nOw-deem it the part Of
wisdom to allow as much for the blacks
AS for the white, nor is ii likely that
any one Will argue that the distribu-
ton should be on anything like an
cuual basis AS matter of fact. the
Old Dominion has been far more lib
cral with the negroes than many other
southern states. Here are some of the
| iEures: Kentucky-white 1913: COL
ored, SS.53; Nirginia-white. 1864; COL
"red, VII; Alabama-white, s9.41; coll
ored. Sis: South Carollna-white. $40:
colored. $l.44; North Carolina-white.
S1.2i; colored, S2.02. Among six typical
Northern and Western States the fig
ures for the children. Irrespective Of
color. range from $3.50 in California.
'5..S In Wisconsin. Marylan@
| spends Slaf9 in teachers salaries for
each white child of school age, and
$6.3S for each colored child within the
same age limits.
In Virginia, as elsewhere in the
South. the inequalities between the
| figures for white children and those
| !or colored children are greatest in
counties where the proportion of ne
| Eroes in the total population is largest.
DIR. Jones the compiler of the report.
is far from setting himself up as an
adverse critic of Southern educational
| methods He thoroughly understands
| the difficulties under which the white
people have labored and shows liberal
| sympathy for their peculiar viewpoint.
IN this connection he says Despite
All shortcomings. however, the public
"choo! systems OF the South have been
largely responsible for reducing the
colored illiteracy rate from nearly 100
per cent at the time OF emancipation
to the present rate of less than 30 per
cent. In that time. too. negroes in the
rural districts have progressed until
! now. as tenants and owners, they farm
%l.1Oo,OoO acres OF land. 5000. 600 col
"fcd men and women being engaged in
agricultural pursuits. II is these last
| figures which make DR. Jones say so
! cmphatlcally that ii is the rural dis
! 'rlctS that the negro has made most
| remarkable progress and still presents
| his most pressing needs and that
therefore, any comprehensive scheme
! of negro education must have it's ba.is
IN the welfare and development Of the
countryside.
/ With the proper expansion OF tho
public school system as the aim al
ways to he kept in view, Or. Jones'
takes up the past, the present status
and the future of the 625 private col
orcd schools In the South. Into these
| schools. Northern churches and philan-
| throDiSts are annually pouring moro
than So.50O.O0O. and the colorcd neo-
pic themselves are adding enough from
thelr Scaniy incomes to bring tho to-
tai hgure over s3.0OU.OOO each yeur
AS group. these private schools in
oiudc institutions such as Hampton and
luSkcEec. which have won intcrna
| tional fame and nave vitality changed
the whole attitude toward education
ana actual frauds which are operated
| by dishonest negroes for their own
| ehos. Between the two extremes arm
many schools which arc doing their
! "Hrk well in an inconSpicuous local
way. anc others. which are above ems
| picion in motive but inefficient in proc
/ ticc i
In Virginia The total number of pri
! Hate schools for negroes is fifty-1ve
nut II we may take DR.. Joncss word
/ lot it-and his figures are most CON
/ Vincing-only twcnty-six NAV an In,
| Portart part in the educational actiyi
! ties OF the State. These instItutiona
| nave property valuation Of S6"3I3o1
! an annual Income OF S536ls7 and nm
attendance OF 6.3GS. OF whom 1895 arc
In elementary grades. It Is sonetIne.
thought that the liberal private ,nn
trlbutions TO these schools make IN
| Tor the inequalities in the pubiic an
preparations for the education OF whits
and colored youth. In this State b,w
ever me total per capita of both pub
! Tic and private schools for colored nao
pie is less than the per capita ~
! renditure for white teachers in MI
| Tic schools alone. p"o
The inadequacy OF the elementary
sehooi system for colored children in
nc oid Dominion, says the report. is
innfcateo by the fact that the atten-
oancc on both public and private
schools are fairly well cared for. but
their number is only small part OF
me so.361 children attending school
and still smaller fraction OF tho
l53'S27 children OF elementary school
age.
STATE HAS SIN PUBLIC HIGH
! SCHOOLS FOR NEGROES
or public high schools for negroes
virginia has sIX-three with four-year
courses and three with three-year
courses. All except the Armstrong
! hiEh School in Richmond share Their
nuildings with elementary grades
nero arc probably ten or fifteen other
"choo*s that enroll few pupils above
'"e eiShth grade. or the 2.6s3 second
'E co'orea pupils in Virginia. I.222
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