The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-09
NEGROES TO PREPARE
FOR CoM|%G CRISIS
school Inspector Arthur Wright To
Organize Colored People For
Preparedness Campaign.
URGED TO RAISE LARGE CROPS
County Farm Agents Have Been Call
ed Upon To Display Patriotism by
Telling People Necessity of Raising
More Food This Year.

The great body of negroes living in
rural Virginia are to he "mobilized"
in statewide preparedness campaign,
according to State School Inspector
Arthur d. Wright, who has general
oversight of the educational work
among the colored people of tho state,
for the department of public instruc-
ton.
With at least hundred people en-
gagged in non military pursuits to each
one engaged in martial work, In
speCtor Wright believes that there is
Il great burden of responsibility to lac
borne by the civil population during
the present crisis. and to arouse the
colored people to a sense of their re-
sponsibility and to point out their OPP
portunities he proposes to utilize the
existing organization of the negro
school work of the state.
There are at present something
over fifty negro workers engaged in
fifty counties of Virginia, known local
ly as supervising industrial teachers,
, and it is through them that it is pro-
posed to reach the mass of the negroes
generally.
These workers during the winter
months are engaged in introducing
into the rural schools the teaching OF
Industrial work but when the com
paratiyely short terms are out in the
spring. they turn their attention to
certain forms of club work among the
negro women and girls known az
Home Makers clubs" These clubs
enroll the women and girls in groups
TO cultivate home gardens and to pre-
serve and can the fruits and vegetables
raised in these gardens. and such other
products as may be raised on the
farms on which they live.
Many Enrolled In Clubs.
During the summer of 1916 there
were approximately $500 women and
! 500 girls enrolled in these clubs. and
they reported that they put up 300
900 cans of vegetables and fruits. be
sides using a large quantity of the pro-
ducts of their gardens during the sum-
mer With the incentive OF con-
tributing to their countrys prepared
ness. it is believed that during the
summer Of 1917 the club women and
girls should save at least 500, 600 cans
OF fruits and vegetables. especially as
the work will he conducted in fifty
counties this year. while last summer
il was only N thrty-five counties.
Justification for the above belief can
he had from the popularity of this
work among the negroes of the state,
as indicated by the fact that Henrico
county in 1908 employed Virginia
Randolph as the first supervising In
dustrial teacher in the entire South,
while now more than fifty workers
are employed in Virginia alone. This
, work receives its financial support
from a number OF sources. among
! those in addition to the local school
authorities being the extension de-
partment of the Virginia Polytechnic
institute. the general education board,
the Jeanes fund. Mrs. Charles r.
Crane and Hampton institute Lizzie
A. Jenkins, negro home demons-ra-
, ton agent for Virginia, has general
supervision of these workers.
, Call of Patriotism.
Coordinate with tho women'S work
is the work for men under the direc-
ton of John E. Pierce, district demon
stratio agent for Virginia. who has
charge of some twenty county farm
demonstration agents. These agents
have been called upon by their chief
to rally to the call of patriotism ny
urging their people 10 raise larger ana
!
and the cordial t-tt-eteFa+ Hon the
farm demonstration agents With the
Home Makers club workers is as
sured.
4 number of meetings in each coun-
! ~ are being planned at which meth
DDS of cultivation, preserving and
marketing will be discussed and the
best crops to be cultivated will be de-
I termined.
/ 1t is proposed that each farmer be
urged TO cultivate not more than he
| can cultivate we'll but all that he can
| properly cultivate and to cultivate 1t
! in the most intelligent and econ omcai
manner. diversifying his crops so as
| to eliminate Ia the utmost the habit
of raising a small money crop and
using the proceeds of that crop to
live out of tho store" the balance of
( the year.
| The women and girls Will be
/ especially urged 10 preserve and can
in larger measure the crops OF the
| farms or of their own gardens and it
I is planned to offer rewards to those
doing superior work. The slogan of
| the campaign will be larger crops and
/ less waste.
]