Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-08-31
MOVEMENT STARTED.
TO ADD SCHOOL DEPT. .
Sumter Rural Children Want
Technical Man to Serve Vari-
Gus Consolidated Schools

A movement has been started by
Sumter county school authorities 20
raise the standard of rural schools
in this county by. the addition of
technical expert who would teach
the boys chow to put together a
steam engine, run a tractor, weld
iron, shoe a horse, and build a plow-
stock" The quotation is from the
statement Of J. f. D. Ship, chair
man of the county school board, who
is an ardent advocate of the plan.
Under the tentative plan being adj
voc;.ted such expert would visit one
of the six largest consolidated
schools each day in the week, when
classes would be conducted in this
branch of industrial education.
Such a man, it is estimated, would
cost the county schools approx
mately $1,000 a year, and it IS
hoped through the operation of the
Barrett Rogers act, half of this sum
may be procured from the general
government. The matter has been
taken up with n. II. Ballard, state
school superintendent and he is eX-
pected to aid in the effort to in
stall this course here, the installa-
ton to mark a departure from past
custom in Georgia's rural schools.
In presenting the matter to Super
intendent Ballard, in letter written
Thursday, Chairman Ship, of the
county board, among other things,
said:
These schools are the jewels of
Sumter county and we are just as
proud of them as if they We're big
Kimberly diamonds; but my dear
SUPERINTENDENT there is one great
desideratum; we want a teacher to
go to the six largest consolidated
schools one day in every week to
teach the boys how to put together
steam engine, run a tractor, weld
iron, shoe a horse and build a plow-
stock.
"What we propose is that we can
employ good technical man for
Fifteen hundred dollars per annum,
and that as Sumter county already
is at the highest tension, that it
seems possible for US to pay seven
hundred fifty dollars of this salary,
and we want the Barrett-Rogers
fund to pay the other one-half of it.
Just think of the untold advantages
that would come to US if we could
take the boys in the sixth grade and
teach them mechanics one day in the
week for five years, or until they
graduate in our public schools.
81 have tried to get Mr.. Hill to
work this thing up for US and with
us. He is in the office at this time
and he advised that this letter be
written to you because he thinks
that if you want us to have it real
bad you will find way to get it for
us. But Mr.. Hill thinks that out Of
the Rogers Barrett act, because
Sumter county is already getting
about $4,000 a year, that it would
be difficult for US to get any more,
but it seems to me that if you would
start this thing up with US that it
would be of such tremendous bene-
fit that the idea would be seized in
every other county in the state and
it would make Georgia a great man
ufactring state and nothing else
would do this so well.
"The education of our boys has
been along different lines and while
Sumter county has now taken the
lead and offers to do this by paying
one-half of the teachers salary it
seems to me that you might be per-
suaded to make up the other and
meet us half way.
"You could, at any rate, accede
to any other county the same priv
lleges and you would find it diff