The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1921-07-13
COPIAH-LNCOLN A.
H. S. HEARS TIGERT
u. 5. Commissioner of Educa-
tiOn Greeted by Large
Audience.

= ~-
Audience.
After a pleasant reception at the
N Wesson station by committee of citi-
n kens from Wesson, Brookhaven, Ha-
zlehurst, Crystal Springs, and vicin-,
lity Hon. J9hn J. Tigert, United
States Commissioner of Education,
was introduced at the Copiah-Lin-
coin A. H. S. by State Superintendent
Bond to the large audience present
lat 10:45 Monday morning in the
/ the school auditorium. Members o.
the Normal School body in session
and interested educators, citizens,
representatives Of clubs and various
Kciyic organizations gathered togeth-
Ter to do honor to the head of the
educational forces of our government
land to learn more about the admins
fration of our affairs and about. our
selves as nation struggling upward
Howard the light.
Il It was signal event in South
mississippi and in the brief history
lpf our Agricultural School-this
looming of the U. S. Commissioner of
Education to meet us face to face.
EDr. Tigert, who is more tnan "a
Eslx-footer" is possessed of a pleasing
Personality and received the people
Fin as affable and delightful a man
Ener as one would expect from the
fSoutherner born and raised" he an
II f01gnaad hfroco1f N ha
DR.. Tigert said in part he was
i just from the West where they "toot
their bazoo" on the principle that
'otherwise 1t will not be footed" and
with only a few words Introductory
"got down to business" He referr-
ed to Iowa as a leader of the nation
in many respects. Iowa has the
smallest number of illiterates-is
greatest in agriculture, has largest
banks and largest number of autos
''in fact, has more cars than bath
tubs" said the Commissioner
If the South doesn't produce so
much in cattle and agriculture it is
second to none in giving the nation
leaders of men-Jeff Davis, Lamar,
Prentiss, George and others being
mentioned.
DR.. Tigert then told something of
the administration of affairs by the
bureau Of Education with its five
hundred employees. One of it's duties
is the appointment of 1877 teachers
to the schools of Alaska. The admin
istration Of funds in the states is
not directly under governmental con-
troE the government fosters educa-
tion and promotes it with assistance
given by the states. Eleven million
dollars month is expended for edu-
cational interests or about five billion
a year in all enterprises altho our
country is laboring unde1 debt of
rs billion. The government seeks
cooperation. 1t uses specialists,
demonstrators, statisticians, expert
menters, distributors of information
to further educational interests and
can hardly do more than it Is doing.
No other nation does as much.
There are 27 million boys and
lgsrls OF school age in this country.
Only about 15 million are in school,
there being various loop-holes by
which they escape. "The average
American is only a Sixth Grader"
said Mr.. Tigert. The standard is
low; but resources are great and
strength and perpetuity depend on
education.
South America cannot rank as a
first rate nation with its ignorance
and illiteracy ranging from go to 80
per cent in It's republics patterned
after ours.
Uruguay is so per cent illiterate.
If America fails it will be because
of the failure of education. 1.-THE
vandals are from within and not
from without" The rural schools of
the U. S., numbering 276,OOO, have
one and two room buildings for the
greater part, more than two thirds
of the number being thus equipped.
Is The National Educational Asso-
citation at it's recent session develop
ed the information that only one of
every five teachers is competent. The
average teacher is only tenth or
eleventh grader. The educational
problem involves economic and poll
tieal problems. When the World
War began teachers were being paiG.
on an average Of $500 per year in the
High Schools. One state paid 1894
per annum. Increase of pay will
mean increase of difficulty to those
teachers not competent. America is
determined and her face is set to-
ward greater efficiency. Teachers
must be graduates of High Schools
with two years of Normal training
hand other laws are looking to a high
er standard.
North Carolina leads in teacher
training. We ought to have a min
imum school year Of thirty-six weeks.
In Mississippi the average is seven
months. 1t is problem how to give
country boys and girls a square deal
Eight or ten months schooling year
should be required; but how to en-
force education is question. In
Kentucky barns are better than
school-houses.
DR.. Tigert having interestingly re-
ferred to producers Of raw material
"as compared with trained men who
could take that material and increase
its value more than thousand fold,
as in the case of pig iron at $40 a
ton. wrought into matchN springs
which, sell at $4,000 a ton. There
is no coal nor iron at Detroitl Thir-
ty years ago there was no auto seen
IN the U. s. Education developed
the auto business and the tire busi-
! ness at Alror 1sharr hnd NJ r..hhn..