The  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
833 
The  School  Bill  and  Its  Discussion 
Pabt  III. 
ONTINUING  our  analysis  of  the  proposed 
school  law,  when  contracts  are  made  for  trans¬ 
ferring  pupils  from  one  school  to  another,  such  con¬ 
tracts  for  payment  must  he  in  a  form  prescribed  by 
the  Commissioner  of  Education.  The  object  of  this 
evidently  is  to  hold  some  central  eontrol  over  the 
distribution  of  such  money,  and  make  a  uniform 
method  of  doing  business.  We  find  that  many  farm¬ 
ers  a  re  quite  concerned  over  the  financial  details  of 
this  bill,  so  we  shall  copy  most  of  the  paragraphs 
referring  to  money  matters.  Like  the  following: 
When  contracts  are  made  for  the  instruction  of 
pupils  transferred  as  herein  provided,  the  moneys  ap¬ 
portioned  by  the  Commissioner  of  Education  out  of 
moneys  appropriated  by  the  Legislature  on  account  of 
the  instruction  of  such  pupils  shall  be  paid  to  the  credit 
of  the  board  of  education  of  the  community  district 
from  which  such  pupils  were  transferred. 
The  cost  of  the  instruction  of  the  pupils  so  trans¬ 
ferred,  in  accordance  with  the  terms  of  such  contracts 
shall  be  a  charge  against  the  community  district  where¬ 
in  such  pupils  reside,  and  the  board  of  education  of 
such  community  district  shall  cause  the  amount  re¬ 
quired  to  pay  such  cost'  to  be  levied,  collected  and  paid 
in  the  same  manner  as  other  charges  against  the  dis¬ 
trict. 
Another  thing  which  has  caused  some  misappre¬ 
hension  among  farmers  is  that  part  of  the  law  re¬ 
ferring  to  the  power  to  close  schools.  .Some’  of  our 
people  fear  that  consolidation  may  be  forced  upon 
them  thi’ough  the  power  of  some  superior  official  to 
close  the  local  school  and  thus  compel  the  children  to 
go  elsewhere.  We  therefore  give  at  length  that  part 
of  the  law  which  covers  this  matter : 
1288.  When  Schools  May  Be  Closed. — The  board  of 
education  of  a  community  district  may  close  the  school 
in  the  cases  and  under  the  conditions  herein  prescribed : 
1.  When  a  district  meeting  held  within  a  school  dis¬ 
trict  shall,  by  a  majority  vote  of  the  electors  present 
and  voting  at  such  meeting,  adopt  a  resolution  that  on 
and  after  a  date  therein  specified  the  school  or  schools 
in  such  district  shall  be  closed.  The  chairman  of  the 
meeting  at  which  such  resolution  is  adopted  shall  imme¬ 
diately  cause  a  certified  copy  of  such  resolution  to  be 
filed  with  the  secretary  of  the  community  board.  If, 
in  the  judgment  of  such  board,  the  pupils  in  such  school 
district  may  be  transferred  conveniently  to  other  schools 
in  the  community  district  or  to  the  schools  of  another 
community  district  or  of  a  union,  free  or  city  school 
district,  such  resolution  shall  be  approved  and  the 
school  in  such  district  be  directed  to  be  closed. 
2.  When  the  average  daily  attendance  of  pupils  at  a 
school  in  a  school  district  is  eight  or  less,  except  in  a 
case  where  the  failure  of  attendance  is  caused  by  ex¬ 
treme  weather  conditions,  epidemic  or  other  unavoid¬ 
able  cause,  the  community  board  may  on  petition  of  a 
majority  of  the  qualified  electors  of  such  district  by  res¬ 
olution  adopted  by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  its  members, 
dose  such  school  for  a  period  not  exceeding  one  year. 
At  least  five  days’  notice  that  such  resolution  is  to  be 
submitted  at  a  meeting  shall  be  given  to  each  member  of 
the  boai-d. 
3.  .Wheuever  the  district  superintendent  shall  cer¬ 
tify  to  a  community  board  that  the  school  building  in 
a  district  within  the  community  district  is  unfit  for  use, 
or  that  its  continued  use  will  endanger  the  life,  health 
and  physical  welfare  of  the  pupils  in  attendance  at  such 
school,  or  whenever  a  school  building  shall  have  been  de¬ 
stroyed  by  fire  or  by  other  means,  such  board  may  in 
like  manner  direct  that  such  school  be  closed  for  a 
period  to  be  specified  in  its  resolution,  or  until  such 
building  is  rebuilt  or  rendered  fit  for  use. 
In  ease  it  shall  appear  that  a  school  district  shall 
have  contracted  for  the  instruction  of  its  pupils  in  an¬ 
other  district  or  city,  as  provided  in  Article  21  of  this 
chapter,  for  two  years  immediately  preceding  the  taking 
effect  of  this  article,  the  board  of  education  may  in  like 
manner  direct  that  the  school  in  such  district  be  closed 
for  a  period  not  exceeding  one  year. 
A  certain  procedure  is  marked  out  for  closing  the 
schools.  The  community  board  “may  in  its  dis¬ 
cretion”  appoint  a  time  and  place  for  a  hearing  at 
which  i>  a  rents  of  children  may  be  heard,  before  a 
committee  of  the  board.  We  do  not  see  from  this 
that  such  a  hearing  is  compulsory.  The  community 
board  might  decide  not  to  hold  it  at  all.  The  action 
of  a  community  boax*d  “shall  be  subject  to  review  by 
the  intermediate  board.”  Any  qualified  voter  may 
petition  for  such  a  review  within  10  days  after  post¬ 
ing  the  notice  of  closing  the  school.  There  seems  to 
be  no  appeal  from  the  decision  of  this  intermediate 
board.  Where  all  these  various  boards  and  superin¬ 
tendents  were  pei’fectly  fair  it  is  probable  that  a 
small,  weak  district  would  be  fairly  treated.  We 
think,  however,  that  under  this  system  it  would  be 
quite  possible  for  those  who  favored  such  a  course 
to  close  these  small  schools  and  practically  force  con¬ 
solidation.  It  is  our  understanding  that  Gov.  Smith 
at  a  hearing  last  Winter  expressed  the  same  opinion. 
Next  week  we  will  discuss  “transportation”  and  the 
“school  budget”  as  given  in  this  bill. 
Milk  Prices  and  Prospects 
ILK  prices  for  the  month  of  June  were  agreed 
upon  last  week  by  the  committees  of  the  va¬ 
rious  groups  and  the  New  York  Milk  Conference 
Board.  Two  committees  represent  the  conference 
boa lbl ;  No.  1  confers  with  a  committee  of  the  League 
pool ;  and  No.  2  sits  with  a  committee  of  the  Non¬ 
poolers’  Association.  The  committee  of  the  Sheffield 
Farms  producers  confers  monthly  with  the  officials 
of  the  company.  The  group  of  producers  comprising 
the  Eastern  States  Milk  Producers,  Inc.,  have  no 
committee,  but  the  manager  of  this  gi’oup  confers 
infoi’mally  with  members  of  the  other  groups.  Sev¬ 
eral  isolated  groups  have  no  voice  in  the  making  of 
prices.  They  usually  take  what  the  buyers  offer. 
In  many  cases  they  ai’e  below  the  general  level,  and 
tend  to  reduce  the  price  as  a  whole.  At  the  same 
time  some  of  these  isolated  co-opei*ative  plants, 
owned,  managed  and  products  marketed  by  their  local 
management,  make  the  best  returns  of  all  to  pro¬ 
ducers.  It  is  plainly  evident,  however,  that  so  many 
selling  agents  acting  disconnectedly  in  selling  to 
well-organized  buyers  cannot  and  do  not  get  the  best 
i-esults.  The  genei’al  condition  in  the  ti’ade  at  this 
time  would  easily  justify  $2.50  per  100  lbs.  for  3  per 
cent  milk.  This  is  admitted  by  the  members  of  the 
producers’  committees.  The  committees,  however, 
are  gravitating  towards  each  other,  and  will  ulti¬ 
mately  get  together. 
•  The  June  price  is  substantially  the  same  as  for 
May,  with  some  minor  differentials  in  favor  of  June 
prices.  The  League  pool  Class  1  for  June  is  $2.33. 
Class  2  is  $2.05.  This  class  is  for  milk  made  into 
cream,  but  15  cents  are  added  for  skim-milk,  making 
the  Class  2  price  actually  $2.20,  and  for  some  milk 
it  goes  up  to  $2.30,  or  within  3  cents  of  the  Class  1 
price.  The  differential  on  Class  3  has  been  increased 
from  50  cents  to  65  cents  above  the  value  as 
determined  by  average  quotations  -on  butter. 
The  tendency  recently  in  making  prices  has  evi¬ 
dently  been  to  narrow  the  margin  between 
the  first  three  classes.  This  is  partly  due  to 
the  practice  of  some  dealers  in  buying  at  the 
fiat,  pxfice  and  selling  to  retailers  for  liquid  delivery. 
For  example,  in  April  the  Class  1  price  was  $2.80. 
The  flat  price  was  $2.50  or  less.  A  dealer  buying  at 
$2.50  could  sell  under  $2.80  and  make  a  good  profit. 
The  policy  of  developing  a  condensed  milk  consump¬ 
tion  would  also  tend  to  reduce  the  Class  1  price  and 
liquid  consumption. 
The  Sheffield  Farms  price  remains  at  $2.11  flat,  as 
for  May. 
The  non-pool  flat  price  is  $2.11  for  June.  When 
sold  in  classes  the  prices  are:  Class  1,  $2.30;  Class  2, 
$2;  Class  3,  55  cents  above  the  value  as  determined 
by  butter  quotations,  with  a  freight  differential  of 
1  cent  up  and  down  for  each  50  miles. 
Each  individual  plant  in  the  Eastern  States  group 
sells  its  own  milk.  Some  sell  through  agents,  but 
those  plants  that  market  through  their  own  manage¬ 
ment  report  best  returns  to  patrons. 
Dairymen  will  realize  better  now  than  they  may 
have  understood  six  years  ago  why  we  opposed  the 
organization  of  subsidiaries  and  other  policies  which 
were  sure  to  divide  the  members  of  the  old  League. 
The  only  profit  in  i-efei*ring  to  the  record  ixow  is  in 
the  lesson  it  gives  as  a  guide  to  the  future.  The  first 
need  is  for  all  to  get  back  into,  one  unit.  This  one 
move  would  be  woi’th  a  million  dollars  a  month  at 
least  to  the  dairymen  who  furnish  the  New  York 
City  supply  of  milk. 
The  Migration  of  Southern  Negroes 
North 
HE  question  of  restricted  immigi’ation  from 
Europe  does  not  affect  American  farming  as 
does  the  migx-ation  of  colored  labor  from  the  South 
to  the  North.  This  stai’ted  during  the  war.  Nearly 
half  a  million  colored  men  wei*e  drafted  into  the 
army,  and  a  number  of  them  went  overseas  and 
engaged  in  actual  seiwice.  The  1‘eports  they  sent 
back,  and  what  they  said  on  returning,  have  greatly 
influenced  the  more  adventui*ous  negroes  in  the 
South.  Thousands  of  them  have  gone  to  the  North¬ 
ern  States,  and  thousands  more  will  go.  The  restric¬ 
tion  on  foreign  immigration  has  stimulated  the  move¬ 
ment,  for  Northern  contractors  need  common  labor 
and  feel  that  they  must  look  to  the  South  for  it. 
There  is  apparently  now  no  way  of  stopping  it. 
When  it  started  the  Southern  people  felt  that  the 
negro  would  not  remain  at  the  North.  It  was  said 
that  he  could  not  endure  the  climate,  and  that 
Northern  men  could  not  handle  him  effectively. 
Neither  statement  has  proved  true.  In  our  talks 
with  some  of  these  migrating  negi’oes  we  find  that 
they  are  determined  to  remain.  The  spirit  they 
show  is  not  unlike  that  of  the  white  people  who  left 
the  East  for  the  Westei*n  plains  after  the  Civil  War. 
They  were,  for  some  yeai’s,  uncomfoi’table  and 
troubled  on  their  new  location,  but  they  could  not 
be  induced  to  x*eturn. 
The  truth  is  that  a  spirit  of  unrest,  a  sort  of 
psychological  disturbance,  has  come  to  the  colored 
races  all  over  the  woiid.  It  was  started  by  the 
Gi’eat  War.  It  is  to  be  found  even  among  the 
Afi-ican  tribes.  The  French  recruited  many  Africans 
fx*om  their  colonial  possessions,  and  some  of  them 
fought  a-t  the  front.  These  soldier’s  have  gone  back 
to  their  native  land  with  strange  tales  of  adventui'e. 
These,  repeated  over  and  over  from  village  to  vil¬ 
lage,  have  greatly  changed  the  view  of  life  held  by 
these  simple  men.  There  is  a  strong  novel  in  which 
the  author  pictures  the  return  of  such  a  black  hero, 
and  the  social  effect  of  his  extravagant  stories. 
Then,  of  late,  several  black  men  have  gained  world¬ 
wide  fame  by  beating  white  men  in  the  prize  l’ing. 
This  has  actually  had  a  mental  reaction  upon  the 
mind  of  the  negro.  The  more  adventurous  among 
them  want  to  wort,  to  see  the  world,  to  eanx  the 
money  with  which  to  lead  a  life  which  holds  more 
of  what  they  call  luxuries.  This  type  of  negro  Is 
leaving  the  South  and,  we  think,  will  coixtinue  to  go. 
There  seem  to  be  two  forms  of  migration.  Many- of 
the  workers  in  mines  or  lumber  camps  or  factories 
have  gene  North,  and  fann  hands  have  left  the 
country  to  take  their  places.  This  means  a  distinct 
loss  to  Southern  farming.  Uptown  in  New  Yoi’k  one 
sees  colored  families  riding  in  the  highest-priced 
closed  cars  behind  liveried  colored  coachmen.  Many 
are  seen  driving  good-looking  cars  of  medium  to 
high-class  make.  This  must  help  encourage  immi¬ 
gi’ation  North,  as  it  shows  possibilities  of  wealth 
and  position  for  members  of  the  race. 
Thei’e  can  be  no  use  attempting  to  deny  the  fact 
of  this  migration.  Almost  anyone  can,  with  a  little 
investigation,  find  some  of  these  Southern  negi’oes 
and  talk  with  them.  They  give  their  x’easons  for 
changing  freely,  and  it  is  evident  that  they  are  not 
likely  to  i*eturn.  There  are  now  a  number  of  black 
men  well  qualified  to  put  the  desii’es  of  their  race 
into  books.  Several  of  these  have  been  printed,  and 
they  are  having  some  effect  in  redistributing  the  race. 
The  movement  is  sure  to  have  a  profound  effect  upon 
Southern  agriculture.  Deprived  of  her  cheap  hand 
labor,  the  South  will  be  obliged  to  use  moi*e  machin- 
ery  and  change  much  of  her  present  system  of  small 
share  farming.  She  will  be  forced  to  adopt  some  of 
the  extensive  methods  now  followed  by  grain  growers 
in  the  Middle  West,  and  largely  inci’ease  her  live 
stock  industry.  Some  form  of  machine  cotton  picking 
will  be  developed  in  time;  in  fact,  through  the  loss 
of  her  negro  hand  labor  we  think  the  South  will  in 
time  find  greater  prosperity  thi’ough  the  develop¬ 
ment  of  machine  farming.  We  think  both  sections 
and  both  l’aces  will  in  the  end  be  benefited  by  this 
stirring  and  shuffling  of  population. 
The  Outlook  for  Poultry 
HAT  is  to  be  the  future  of  the  chicken  busi¬ 
ness?  That  question  is  being  asked  every 
day.  Will  it  pay  to  enlarge  the  plant?  Will  it  pay 
the  amateur  to  start?  Will  prices  for  eggs  keep  up? 
All  along  the  Atlantic  Coast  thei’e  has  been  a  “boom” 
in  poultx-y.  The  commercial  plants  have  increased, 
and  the  trade  in  day-old  chicks  is  beyond  anything 
dreamed  of  a  dozen  yeai’s  ago.  Is  it  a  mere  “boom” 
that  will  collapse  before  long,  like  a  Avindbag,  or  is 
it  a  solid  growth  and  a  substantial  business?  We 
find  all  sorts  of  answers  to  the  question.  There  are 
some  well-known  poultrymen  who  are  fi-ightened  at 
the  outlook.  They  think  the  business  will  be  over¬ 
done  until  eggs  fall  to  a  price  beloxv  the  cost  of  pro¬ 
duction.  That  Avill  mean  ruin  to  many  plants  that 
are  being  operated  Avithout  sufficient  capital.  Others, 
and  a  much  lai’ger  number  of  breeders  and  feeders, 
take  a  moi’e  hopeful  view.  They  see  inci’eased  de¬ 
mand  for  both  eggs  and  meat  and  better  organiza¬ 
tion  for  selling.  There  Avill  always  be  a  flood  of 
amateurs  and  enthusiastic  people  who  will  rush  into 
the  business  and  fade  away  when  the  pinch  comes. 
In  the  future  it  will  be  no  business  for  the  inex¬ 
perienced  man.  The  “plungers”  Avill  embarrass  the 
business  at  times,  bxxt  in  the  long  ran  poxxltry  keep¬ 
ing  Avill  pay  as  Avell  as  any  other  branch  of  fanning. 
That  is  the  Avay  the  gi’eat  majority  of  conservative 
men  talk.  They  expect  good  yeai’s  and  bad  years, 
and  the  surplus  of  the  good  years  must  be  used  to 
help  over  the  bad  ones.  The  business  has  never 
been  one  for  the  “plunger”  or  the  man  who  expects 
to  make  a  lot  of  money  AArithout  work  or  experience. 
The  man  who  knows  how  Avill  hai'e  a  good  chance. 
It  looks  as  if  there  will  be  a  fair  demand  in  the 
future  for  eggs  and  meat,  but  good  salesmanship  Avill 
be  neede  to  put  the  market  ovei\  The  ordinary  farm 
flock,  Avhei’e  hens  of  alxnost  any  bi’eed  run  at  large 
and  eggs  are  gathered  every  tAvo  or  three  days,  xvill 
not  cut  so  much  of  a  figure  in  the  future.  Egg  pro¬ 
duction  in  the  fixture  will  be  largely  in  the  hands  of 
people  who  make  a  business  of  it.  Formerly,  as  we 
know,  a  good  share  of  the  apples  in  our  markets 
came  from  small  orchards  not  vei’y  well  cax*ed  fox*. 
Now  these  fai-m  orchards  are  mostly  out  of  date 
and  contribute  but  little  to  the  apple  supply.  Mar¬ 
kets  are  supplied  from  the  weii-kekpt  oi’chards. 
