The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1924-02-22

PRESSING NEED
A Better Educated Farming
Class Says Mclean To
Local Audience

The better education Of Our
farm dwellers is North Caro-.
lina's most pressing need to.
day, said Hon. A. w. Mclean,
candidate for the Democratic
nomination for Governor to an
Elizabeth City audience last
Friday night. Mr.. Mclean
gave his audience a thought
full, logical talk and here are
some Of the things he said:-
ITO properly fulfill the duties Of
citizenship, every citizen should
possess the ability to enrn decent
living in some useful and congenlal
occupation. II an individual IL un.
able to earn his own living as well
as that Of those dependent upon
him, he IL of little or no value TO
his family and burden upon
society. The real need Is for
system OF vocational education that
will acquaint workers not only with
the practical but the scientific bas.
cs and bearings Of their occupations.
Above all, there should be a dis.
tinct effort TO teach the sound doe
trinc that manual labor must not
be looked upon with contempt or ns
n necessary evil. This erroneous
idea of the debasement Of labor
seems to have become too prevalent
among certain classes Of our citi.
zcnry In the past. The exaltation
of honest manual labor should be Il
prime effort In every well Orgnniz.
cd school, where vocational cluca-
tion Is n part Of the curriculum.
Agricultural Education.
Because II is our basic industry,
agriculture should receive prefer
ential consideration In every sys.
tenn Of vocational trimming. Agri.
cultural prosperity In one Of the
most important factors In the life
of our Stnte. and the development
of our agricultural Industry, In such
u way as to produce balanced pros
perlty .nmoilg our farmers. iss our
greatest problem In North Carolina.
Farming IL becoming such high.
~ organized and competitive occu.
patton that II Is more and more
necessary TINT the fnrmcr should
not only be- u good producer but u
good business man. The old idca
that u farmer did not need nn cd'i.
cation hns been exploded. and 1t Is
now conceded by every intelligent
person that he needs II very com
prchensivc education, II he Is to br
successful In his vocation. lie
should bc trained not only In hca-
demic branches hut ulsO In plant
biology. soil fertility, chemistry,
drainage. crop rotation. nianlIiac.
turing processes, marketing trhni'
que, merchandising and the various
other technical problems intimately
related to the very difficult blisi-
ness of farming In successful way.
One of the greatest needs on the
furm IL the application Of business
methods. such as keeping accounts
and recognizing the infalliblc laws
Of sound economies, particularly IN
they relate TO production and dis
tributiOn.
For Il long time after North Caro-.
linn assumed u more generous and
progressive attitude towards cduca.
tion generally, she continued to pay
little attention to the teaching OF
agriculture In the public schools.
During the past few years, how
ever, we have been making rapid
progress in providing for agricul.
turul education, both scientific ana
practical. In our Fnrm Life and
Consolidated High Schools. so that
in 1923 we had 10 rural high
schools In which this important
phasc Of our educational work was
emphasized.
Most Pressing Need Of To-day
If I should he asked to state
what Is my opinion as to the most
pressing need of our commonwealth
to-day, I would unhestitatingly
reply: the better education OF our
farm dwcllcrs, not only along
academic lines, but also In sclenti-
fic and practical agriculture, az
we'll as In home economics. / say
This because I believe education In
It's broader scope Is the only remedy
which will greatly alleviate or cure
the present Ills, and at the same
time, provide the means whereby
our rural population may be made
more cOntented and prosperous.
I hope the day Is near ut hand
when the High Schools and Farm
Life Schools will bc the centre OF
education and rural bctterment In
every county.
All this, however, IL only II part
of the great program for the more
general and thorough education OF
the states citizens upon which
our State has definitely embarked.
hnvn tried to stress better