Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-11-09
BETTER SCHOOLS NEEDED
TO KEEP MEN ON FARMS
Many Sell Ont and Go to Town to
S Give Children Educational
Advantages.
LABOR ALSO LARGE PROBLEM
Farmers Declare They Arc Not Able
to Pay Hire Demanded, Even
Though Products Bring Much
Larger Prices Than Heretofore,
JOIN III. HUTCHINSON,
Director, Extension DIvisio on.

BLACKSBURG, VA, Nov. $50
much has been sad and written dur
ms the last few years concerning the
needs OF the farmer. and SO many con-
ftctiug theories have been put forth.
that It is rather interesting to know
Just what the farmer himself thinks
about the question.
In going over the state OF Virginia
for the las; year have asked quite
number OF farmers why SC many OF
them arc quitting the BUSINESS, and
what is mos; needed 10 remedy this
condition The thinking Virginia
farmer usually sums up his needs un-
der the folIowip E heads:
F.rst--Beiter educational opportun-
tiles for his children.
Second-A pr &c 70! his products that
will enable him to compete with other
industries in the labor markets or the
word
Third-organ ization.
Brnins Required In business.
The farmer rightly believes that his
children should have just as good edu-
cational advantages as his brothers.
children. who live in the city. and that
il takes just "a little more brains to
operate a farm successfully than il
takes 10 be a successful plumber me
chanic, coal miner or hricklaycr. For
this reason, he thinks that country
schools should be, If anything just a
little better than city schoo s. Bu,
what are the actual conditions? Most
or our city children are provided with
Splendid high schools and We'll trained
teachers. but a large percentage of
the farmers OF Virginia, in order to
give their children equal advantages.
have eithe, to send their children
away from home At an early age or sell
me farm and move TO town The
farmers. ISOLATION and the low taxing
ability OF the open country are, OF
course. responsible for this. and Dean
Davenport says, IF We are to remain
democracy and be safe. this burden
must IN some way be assumed by the
nandicap upon the profession Of farm
lnE. If i; is not assumed as a nation
al policy and as part of national
pmni even TO tch extent of heavily
suosiolzinS rural education, IL Is in
seYitable that we should ultimately
nave pleasant population OF farm
fsss ~ requires no prophet to see
mat when such time comes demo
cratic institutions will crumbl, at
their foundations.
>, Educational FaciIitie. Needed.
,.d nhe question OF adequate educational
to such people as TO formers. for the
city cannot hope for permanent mos
perltE unless the country is prosperous.
gest an pyob b1rmeT Isd elaim that theiT big
secure labor. This is especially trnc
IN Eastern virginia A trip through .h
eo opa Ss sobnnco vail show many fields Of
been completely ovcrrun with grass,
when questioned as to the cause OF
this condition the farmer will answer
lack of labor"
When questioned further as TO WHY
ne cannot hire labor he will tell Won
that he cannot afford to pay the prices
dems nie& He will admit that he ia
-receiMng about two or three times AS
much for his products as he aid prior
to the war. hEf will tell you that he
cannot afford to> pay two or three times
as much for his labor because he has
no guarantee Of what the prices q
his farm products VIII be a, harvest.
Any man familiar with farm problems
knows that the farmer is right in this
contention. AS an example, take the
pricG paid farmers for some OF our So
called staple products during the last
year. During the selling season for
consta advancing. the price pa Id
the farmer for his puts dropped from
3 to and . cents pound soon after
price OF hogs. which wers raised on
So corn. dropped from % cents TO 10
cents a pound This fall when the
grass-fed cattle of Southwest Virginia
went on the market the price dropped
5 cents pound. 1t is true tina, all OF
these products have recently made
some recovery in price. bu. fl is also
true that this recover" came after a
large number OF thcs' products had
left the farmers hand
Says II Can't u, Helped.
The farmer has long been criticized