The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1921-03-26
DR.. J. \. DILLARD DISCUSSES
NEEDS OF NEGRO SCHOOLS
BEFORE NATIONAL EDUCATORS
Presents Full Report Of the Work
Done in Improving Southern Rural
Schools for Negroes. Tax Funds
Have Helped but Little.

Atlantic City March 24.-"we have
all been out of slavery only a little
more than fifty years, and fifty years
can be counted but a brief span in the
history of the long march of civiliza-
billiard, president of the Slater and
Jeanes Boards and member of the
General Education Board, in his re-
cent address on "The Negro in Rural
Education, which is now a fully or
ganized and recognized part of the
National Education Association. This
department includes in its member
snip many of the strongest super
visory officers and classroom teach
ers of the nation-men and women
who are working steadily and INTEL
iigently TO make American country
life more attractive and satisfying
20 young and old alike, irrespective
of race or class.
DR.. billiard stated frankly that in
neighborhoods where the Colored peo-
pie have been able to buy land, the
general conditions of living are much
better Gffi among Negroes who
are on large plantations. "CoIored
people, he said, now own two
millions OF acres of land and property
values amounting to billion and
quarter dollars.r
While the Negro public schools may
often be conducted in poor buildings
with short terms, and scantily prepar-
ed teachers, working on small salar-
les, the gross illiteracy Is coming
down and the country schools are
helping to bring incentive and hope
as well as knowledge" DR.. billiard
added:
Helping "BackgrOunds schools.
ut is the school that must teach
and encourage the poor folk to culti-
vate garden. to cook the stuff to
Keep the rooms clean, to trim the
kerosene lamps. and to mend windows
and clothes. The country schools
have the job, not only of teaching
the children. but of helping the pres
ent generation through night schools,
mothers clubs, and various improve
ment leagues
ut is the purpose of the Jeanes
Fund to assist the country teachers
in all work of this kind. The super
vising teacher, from Fisk or Hampton
or Tuskegee OF, some other good
school, makes the round of the one
room schools of the country to en-
courage and help the local teacher
who is working out in the back
ground. It was the express desire of
Miss A. T. Jeanes, when she made her
gift twelve years ago, to help the
small rural schools. From the first
there was the desire of the county
superintendent to welcome improve
in a county without the express re-
quest of the superintendent, but there
was no financial help. The results
have been remarkable and no less so
the financial changes.
Eight years ago only S6255 was
spent for this work out of the public
tax funds. In the present session the
counties are paying s120,S97 which
is more by $25,O00 than is corning
from the outside. The workers whose
salaries were paid in part through
the Jeanes Fund raised last year
among the Colored people for various
kinds of school Improvement tS55,462
It should be added that there are
now a number of counties which are
carrying on the work without any
contributions through the Jeanes
Fund. which is the best evidence of
the value and growth of the work.
This is the contamination to be de-
sired
Taxation For Negro schools.
Eight years ago county superin-
tendents began to see the need of
having in their counties at least one
good graded school that would go
Continued on page S)