The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-01-05
Nv N. BARNETT DODsoN.

~
When the gavel sounded, closing the
conference on education at tho Nation
al Training school, Durham, N. c.. on
Friday evening, Nov. "a, after 1t was III
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 Wilberforce
CO., university; ]. w. e. Bowen, At
lanta; w. J. Hale, president Of the
State Normal college at Nashville; ].
r. Rendallia, president Of the Lincoln
university, in Pennsylvania; J. A. Col
ton, Henderson, and DR.. A. NJ. Moore
Durham, N. @.
DR.. ]. A. Cotton, principal of the
Henderson Normal and Industrial
institute, who presided at the opening
session, in presenting President shep-
md, who outlined the plan and scope
Of the conference, referring to the
growth and development Of the Ma
tional Training school, said, six years
ago when the people awoke one morn
Ing and found a new school they pre-
dicted a 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
the schools, whether wasteful, unwise
and hurtful, and what plans ought to
be fostered to correct the evils; the ex-
tent Of teacher training and its encour'
agement and how and where located /;
what system should be devised to meet
the 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 Ivy another; to what extent reli-
,gious training should be carried on In
| the various schools; whether there
should be 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 fine ideas that were
promulgated at this meeting 1t will 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 mountaineers
| of the south are not illiterate back
| woodsmen who have never seen q
| train or heard Of an automobile, much
less learned any Of the finer things Of
life. And they are also beginning t.
understand that perhaps the south un
| derstands the Negro and is willing tt
do her part. says one report of the
| conference.
Wealthy people Of the north who
have wanted to help a struggling race
have been imposed on by so many
takers that they are beginning to fee
that it is unwise to make contribu
lions to any and every kind OF insti
tuition in the south. That feeling Ii
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 the real need Of the Negro In
situations, and the Endorsement Of al
institution by this commission or some
other that will follow will be guaran
tee Of the worth Of the institution
and the cause.