The bulletin of Atlanta University, 1904 no. 144

              NUMBER  144                                     ATLANTA, GEORGIA                                     MARCH,  1904 For statement of the work of Atlanta University see last page. "THE NEW SLAVERY IN THE SOUTH" Such is the title of a striking article in the N. Y. Independent for Feb. 25. It is an "autobiography" by "a Georgia Negro Peon," put into form suitable for publication by the representative of that paper. The article describes vividly the conditions prevailing in the convict camps of Georgia, which the writer well understood because the convicts and the so-called "free laborers" worked mostly side by side. And not much better than the condition of the convicts was that of those who were supposed to be free. They were not locked up at night, and in some other respects were not treated with as much severity. But they were compelled to trade at certain stores, their liberty was restricted, advantage was taken of their ignorance and they signed agreements whose purport had been falsely presented to them, and, much of the time, even they were treated exactly like the convicts. Bad as were the physical conditions of life in these convict and peon camps, the moral conditions were much worse. But we will not speak more fully of these at present, our especial object being to call the attention of our readers to this article, which speaks so plainly of the degrading conditions that exist in many rural sections of the South. NEGRO CRIME IN GEORGIA This is the subject of the Ninth Atlanta Conference, which is to meet here on Tuesday, May 24th. The secretary, Dr. W. E. B. DuBois, is making a careful study of this subject. Among the inquiries are: the number of arrests in the different communities; how many of these were white and how many colored; what classes of crimes or misdemeanors prevail; whether or not crime is increasing; what are the chief causes of crime; whether there are many marked instances of miscarriage of justice in the courts. In the present state of discussion of the Negro problems, such a study as this will be of the greatest value. THE PRACTICE SCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN On the afternoon of Friday, March the fourth, special exercises were held connected with the breaking of the ground for the new building. Pupils and friends first assembled in Ware Chapel to listen to brief addresses appropriate to the occasion. President Bumstead presided and called first upon Dr. Adams, who compared in an interesting and suggestive way the two educational institutions with which he is most familiar—Dartmouth College, of which he is a graduate, and Atlanta University, where he has taught for over fourteen years. A comparison of their charters shows that the two institutions are remarkably alike in spirit and purpose. Professor Chase, who was one of the first men to come into the work, gave an account of the material development of the institution, from the time that the first building was erected in 1869 to the erection of the Model Home five years ago. Professor Webster, principal of the Normal department, described the development in educational ideas which has led up through various stages of opinion to the full appreciation of the worth of actual practice as a factor in education. If the education is for teaching, then the actual teaching of children is of prime importance in that education. And this advantage the Practice School is going to afford. Professor Towns, who is a graduate of the class of 1894, spoke briefly, expressing the appreciation and gratitude of the graduates for this new and important development of the equipment in the University. Mr. Ware gave an account of the inception and development of the idea of a Kindergarten and Practice School at Atlanta University, beginning with the visit of Mr. George Foster Peabody a year ago last April. He also told of the raising of money, in which he had been most helped by the generosity and influence of Mr. Peabody and the General Education Board. After the addresses in the chapel all adjourned to the site of the new building. It was an ideal day, comfortably warm and beautifully clear. Under the guidance of four of the college boys who had been appointed marshals the company formed a hollow square around the place where the building will stand. President Bumstead offered prayer, after which he stepped into the center of the enclosure and, with a new shovel which had been presented for the occasion, threw out the first shovelful of earth. After him the others who had taken part in the chapel exercises, each in the turn of his speaking, lustily took the shovel in hand and helped in breaking the ground. The exercises were brought to a close by singing "America," in which all heartily joined. ATLANTA MEETING OP THE DEPARTMENT OP SUPERINTENDENCE, OP THE N. E. A. February 23, 24, and 25 were red-letter days among the educational circles of Georgia, and especially of Atlanta. The three pleasant and warm days promised by Superintendent Slaton, at the Cincinnati meeting a year ago, following a season of cold and damp weather, illustrated how the elements conspired to make the meeting a success, and withal, to give our Sunny South a reason for its name. Among those who registered are found the names of 33 State Superintendents, 236 City Superintendents, and 41 County Superintendents. To these are to be added the generous number of University, Normal School and College men, and others, making a total number of over 600 in attendance. In such a company of educators, gathered from so wide an area, there were many friends of the teachers of Atlanta University, and the University shared in the inspiration which was the natural outcome of such a gathering. More than fifty of the visitors called upon us, and the students had the rare privilege of listening to some of the well known Northern educators who are friends of the school and of the work. It would be difficult to say whether the interest of the meeting was most marked in the lobbies of the Piedmont Hotel, where the members gathered informally, and renewed acquaintance and exchanged ideas, or in the more formal assemblies at the Grand Opera House, where representative speakers uttered their thoughts upon current educational (Continued on fourth page.)