Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-12-05
MOORE ASSERTS VIRGINIA
MUST IMPROVE SCHOOLS
Congressman From Eighth District
Comes Out Strongly for Re-
vival OF Learning.
STRESSES RURAL EDUCATION
Country Communities Are in Spc-
cial Need OF Better Facilities for
Improvement, Speaker Declares
Before Educational. Association.


( public school systems OF the country.
Congressman L. Walton Moore, OF
the Eighth Virginia District, In m
address At tho Cn-Opcrative
Z Education Association. in the John
Marshall High School here. declared
that there was Il most urgent need
for better school conditions in the
rural districts. He told the members
of the association, which for the last
sixteen years has oecn organizing
community leagues in Virginia. shat
more funds were vital 10 the extern
sion Of the work OF properly prcpar-
ing the rising generation for Citizen
ship. Ills address follows:
THE war has produced Il very
serious situation. There is confusion
everywhere, and everywhere an in
terrogation OF standards and theories
that had been accepted were sup
posed to he fixed. But some OF our
conceptions are left comparatively
unassailed. one of them is that
democratic institutions are the best.
and another is tina; they depend for
their permanence and vicor upon an
intelligent and educated democracy
This is our ideal. ad we must more
completely realize II by advancing
and improving our public school sys-
TEN.
Urges Aid I'm Country.
Particularly in the rural COM
munities Is there a mos; urgeu: need
OF better school conditions. Without
this. one great means is omitted OF
making country life moro attractive
and profitable and thus holding men
and women TO the soil aud insurinG
an adequate production of the ncccs-
sar!es of life. There is a rapid and
steady drift from the country, TO the
cities which may we'll excite app-c-
hension and which can not 70 on
indefinitely without fatal results
This growing movements is revealed
by the census figures. In 1910 less
than nc-half OF the population OF
The United States lived in cities and
towns of over 2.ToO people Blu, in
1879 more than one-haif are living
in such cities and towns
Within fraction of 10 per cen;
O. the entire population now live in
the three cities OF Ncw York, phfia-
last decade forty-:ivc OF the 100 hum
drcd counties OF Virginia have lost
population. and nfty-two have de-
creased in the number OF farm opera
lions. Seventy five counties have lost
either in the one way or the other.
But ali OF the cities have increased
their population. The right sort OF
education. good highways and the
~
every manner that Is possible. vii!
combat the Influences that are CON
tinua!iy drawing the people away
from tho country and from those oc-
equations that are basic TO our ma
tional life.
Wants Association Work Extended.
~: is highly importan, 20 enlarge
and press the plan OF the Educational
Association, whose president is on
the platform this evening and many
OF whose members are in the audi
eEce, FOR arous!ng Il greater interest
IN educational wso!k--to educate SO
70 sieak. those O: US who are OUT
sEte % ,ae schoolhouse as 20 the i'm.
s+rat!v- need ot making the schools
"hat they should hc. The duty O.
cc"recurS more definitely with the
Echcc! interests 'Sts;s Mpon each
school epmaun.:.- and 'u?oa all Of The
individuals n th4: corlnvr!ty. The
individual should no, drug himself
with the Idea tina. the community
acting as s2ct can 40 everything. and
that There j. no duty resting uoor
MIN o! eSert.nE hhns-!: !nG.y:dua!.y
Nor can any community be Inactive
with the expectation that a few in
ciT!cua!s ssn 20 everything /, IS
only by combined individual enor;
and co'n:npElty effort. carried % The
maximum. that maximum results can
be accomplished. This is the s.na Of
practice. !deaAsm that v"NI render
certain the steady and Satisfactory
building up o. our school system. We
KNOW i viii never De perfect. .ut we
cant help knowing That the perform.
ante OF the duty that rests upon all
or US individually vi! MAKE +, con.
SANITY less imperfect Tn.x is Z. aay
OF drives ana pledges +
y step forward IN the educa:Io1al
me might he taken coUId ., lca.. 4
Jew earnest men and women In each
1cnool area bc committed 70 = ul.de.
20 visit the school uow and then 1,,r.
ing the session. Very l..g of ii. no..
90 ms Thus nrst-hand information
colh be acquired - 10 the character
OF the schoolhoU5c ana is .n,,ir.
meni; the sanitary condition Of ina
scaoo!horse and is surrUuadir.s
the methods OF teaching: IS -
"hetneT hooks-sc school l!br4ries-a-4
being accumulated. and so an
Appcnis for the AiiInr.
III IS ha!d 10 believe Ina, ,.b..
the health Of the people IS conceded
70 be Of fundamental importance. IL.
heaitA ot the school children l. ,n,
going to receive hereafter more n-o-
lection Among the individuals 49,,
might agree la :, given area ~ ,,to
that interest In the schpo! winch
would manifested by getting closer
to u In the way suggested. arc 49,.
ministers OF the churchcs p.rAa,s
(. In many localities they are alr..I,.
active. Certainly there is every 20
son why the minister and Inc rnu-.,
organization should DO par,!cuya-l
interested IN public education o,..
express their interest w concc,,.
Ing themselves anout the local erh,,t
The founder o! Christianity stfasS.l
every civic problem OF that ;5,nc
There is hardly Il parable int doc
= not REFER TO some such problem Jto
glorifled the spirit of human hroth.r