The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-07-14
SP!ARTANBURG CONFERENCE.
DR.. Peu Urges Large Attendance
Upon Educational Meeting.


vertised as "Citizen's State Educa-
tional Conference" AS We under
stand it, the purpose of the conference
is to give calm consideration to South
Carolinas S situation in the matter of
education and to discuss ways and
means Of bringing about some i'm
provements in the states record
along that line. The conference will
be held under the auspices of the
Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce,
and, if We are not mistaken, will take
place at Converse college, where din
ner will be served on the grounds to
the visitors.
The chairman of the conference is
DR.. Robert P. Pell, the president of
Converse college. In letters address,
ed to the newspapers Of the state and
to various individuals most likely to
be interested in this conference, DR..
Pell has ably and forcefully discussed
the situation that is to be made the
subject of this conference. In let
ter to the Charleston News and
Courier, in response to an editorial in
that paper in reference to the educa-
tional conference, DR.. Pell says:
81 thank you most heartily for your
very interesting and helpful editorial
in The News and Courier about the
Citizens State Educational Confer
ence to be held in Spartanburg on
July Is.
"You are unquestionably right in
supposing that marked improvement
in our educational facilities in South
Carolina has been made even since
the statistics, derived partly from the
Journal of the National Educational
Association and partly from the Uni
ted States Bureau of Education for
1918, were secured. 1t is also proper
for us to rememb Der, as you have sug-
gested, that other states have also
moved forward in that time, and that
we have no reason to believe that
the situation in South Carolina as
compared with other states has
changed very much. Those. acquaint-
ed with the activities of the state de-
partment of education Of South Caro-
lima are fully aware that they are
making good progress in every line,
but they really need the hearty CO.
operation of the whole citizenship of
South Carolina in order to realize ev-
en- meager part of their ideals,
"Mr. Hearon's remark, that the edu-
cational situation in South Carolina is
probably as spotted as the road situ-
alton, properly describes the condi-
tion. In North Carolina few years
ago the largest spots were in the
western part of the state, whereas
the reverse may be true Of South
Carolina. It makes no difference,
however, where the spots are; they at
least furnish fine targets for critics
everywhere. Not only so, but while
local self government is theoretically
in line with true democracy, it may
practically result in producing large
number of small democracies very va
ried in their complexion, and where
a state is made up of large number
of these small democracies the entire
commonwealth will acquire a general
complexion determined by those that
are most heavily shaded. This is one
argument we are making in behalf of
having a rigid and thorough educa-
tional survey made. We ought to re-
veal to every county in the state its
own real educational condition as re-
later both to other counties and to
the state as a whole. Then, each can
take stock Of itself and see clearly
its own responsibility, in view of the
interests of it's own children and the
children Of the entire state.
estate educational surveys have
been conducted in several southern
states, namely: Maryland, Virginia,
North Carolina, and Alabama. 1t
seems that Arkansas and Kentucky
are also now having this done. In
order that those who attend this
Citizens Conference shall have COM
plete and up-to-date information con-
corning these surveys. DR.. George
Frederick Cook, higher education ex-
pert of the United States Bureau of
education, a recognized authority on
this subject. will deliver an address
giving the results that these surveys
how they are operated and
making suggestions with reference to
having one conducted in South Caro-
lima. It is more than probable that
such survey will indicate strong
:, orr c,ctano for rbio1, uo do