The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-12-20
TOWN And COUNTY NEWS
Plea for Vocational Schools.


Editor Daily Item:
We feel like thanking our good
stars for Educational Week, be-
cause in trying to cooperate with
the statewide movement our
teachers invited DR.. j. H. Hayns-
worth to be the orator Of the day
with the privilege of bringing
someone with him to help out our
program. And sure he did. He
came and brought with him Prof.
A. P. Bourland. After a short
program by the school. DR.. .Hayns-
worth gave US one of his heart
.to-heart, as friend to friend, talks
then gave way. to Prof Rourland.
Mr.. Editor, I can not help but
feel the contrast between Prof.
Bourland's talk and an article by
DIR. W. w. Long printed some
time ago. DR.. Longs article re-
minded me of the story, tHow the
wren became king of birds" He
sat comfortably perched on the old
farmers wing while he scared up
and up and up to 40c. cotton. Then
when the old farmer at last could
soar no higher. his great strength
all gone and he had begun his
helpless descent to bankruptcy, off
jumps said author in the fuliness
of his strength and shouts, look,
look at the sniftless old farmer,
unable to shift the heavy burdens
of farming from his shoulders. to
some one else Thus he who but
tiers his bread with salary col
lected out Of the old farmer holds
us up to public scorn.
But Prof. Bouriand's address was
like oil on troubled waters. In
his greatness he cut off scorn and
set aside our inferiority. He did
not even mention that our cattle
have better pedigrees than we
have. Coming at time when we
are beset by every wee and our
help. all fleeing as bird to his
mountain he did not mention our
troubles. Not even did he try to
tell as how to grow cotton in spfte
lef the boil weevil. But he was
able to show us the value of an
education as practiced by the peo-
pie of Europe. Where they live
land prosper, having never seen a
| hill of cotton growing. He led US
into different thoughts. 1t was like
"a shower after long dry spell.
Especially when just seven years
tago the whole talk was the fools
lcan't grow anything but cotton.
Now those same fellows have the
papers full of propaganda trying
iif you please to- make laws fore
ing us to plant and cultivate cot
ton according to their ideas, pro-
fit or no profit.
Now Mr.. Editor. those few re-
marks are very crude, but the
wholesale condemnation that we
farmers receive is often uncalled
for and we would appreciate it if
the good and sane thinking people
WOulQf tSildtA l. iol4 II. W. AAc]s y
lour money invested in our farms
5and if it is possible we are going 70
smake the investment pay. And
what we need to that end is a
ready market at. profitable prices
and we Will take care Of the
production without any law.
In the meantime we hope to see
! our schools prosper. Vocational
training under the supervision of
competent teachers is best for
country people. Because far the
greater per cent of country chill
dren do not, receive college edu-
/ cation and a great part do not get
a high school training. So it
seems that if it were possible to
give our childen some training in
the vocations they are likely to
! follow that they would get more
benefit. I hope to see the day,
hope that it is; not far distant
when our children will have this
training. B. T. Kolb.
Pinewood, Dec. 12.a