A A JCS <= 1 =^^^ :jj 1 6 o 1 ALLII 6 3RAF 5 ^^^ 1 ACI =i 3 ^ B,ural g>ur^ep of Culare County California MADE BY COUNTRY CHURCH WORK OF THE BOARD of HOME MISSIONS of the PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH in the U. S. A. WARREN H. WILSON. Saperintendent HERMANN N. MORSE. Investigator 156 Fifth Avenue. New York City 1915 ^ iltiral g)url)e^ of Culare County Caltfonita MADE BY COUNTRY CHURCH WORK OF THE BOARD of HOME MISSIONS of tfie PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH in "' * M H"' "'■''''■ i3^wT ■ , ..>• , ' ■ 'j' % ■ 1 **' , * ,* ' ' ^■■% . ft- ■ GRAIN OF THE GOLDEN WEST with valuable timber. The timber line is not reached short of an alti- tude of about 12,000 feet, but the bulk of the timber is in the lower altitudes. At the higher altitudes are found California red fir, lodge l)ole pine and various subalpine species. In the main timber belt are found chiefly three kinds of timber, the sequoia or yellow pine, which is the j)rincii)al source of supi)lv, the sugar pine, mostly at a somewhat higher altitude, which is more prized but considerably less abundant, and spruce and tamarac. Below this timber belt on the higher foot- hills is an open forest of short, branchy species, mountain oak and bull i^ine predominating. This is not valuable for lumber, but many thousand cords of firewood are cut every year for shipment to various valley points. ( )n the floor of the valley in some sections a consider- able amount of eucalyptus is grown. Of building stones, granite is the most important, and hills near Porterville are the source of supply. Some of the best quality granite found in the west is c[uarried here. Near Porterville is also what is probaldy the most extensive and valuable deposit of commercial mag- nesite in the United States, a product of unusual value just now that importations from Europe are shut oft". Near Springville are exten- sive lime deposits. 1,000 acres of lime rock lands were recently pur- chased by the Riverside and Portland Cement Co., and a cement plant is to be established there. A great deal of gold has in times past been taken out of the mountains within the County borders. White River was once a very famous — or perhaps one should say, notorious — 10 mining town. Just recently work has been renewed in a number of long abandoned mines. These various resources have an enormous aggregate value. As far as the bulk of the County's population is concerned they are, however, of relatively little importance compared with the agricultural resources, which are the great determining factors in the County's life. This is as true of the towns as of the open country, for here there is hardly a trace of that divorce of the country and the larger towns which is a feature of so many eastern sections. With the exceptions just men- tioned there is no manufacturing or other business in the County of any importance which is not more or less connected with the agri- cultural industry. The majority of the people are dependent for their living, directly or indirectly, upon the success of that industry. It fol- lows naturally that agriculture is the biggest factor in the formation of public opinion and in the determination of public policies. A HERD OF FINE JERSEYS 11 PART II. THE BUSINESS OF FARMING Chapter 1 — General Characteristics of the Agricultural Industry. There is great diversity in the County's agricultural resources and quite a wide dilierence between various sections of the County in their prevailing types of farming. In this regard there has been rapid evolu- tion during the last few decades. People still living here can remember the day — not so long distant — when the whole valley w^as one vast grazing ground for cattle. Later grain raising was introduced and practised on an enormous scale, the cattle being gradually driven back toward the poorer and rougher land of the foothills. Within 20 years there has been a great decrease in the grain average except in certain sections. At present time the County may be roughly divided into five divisions according to type of farming. The higher slopes and hill pastures of the foothills are largely given over to beef cattle. Following the curv- ing line of the foothills and extending back into the various coves is a belt some 10 or 12 miles wide wdiich is best adapted to the culture of citrus fruits and olives. This belt extending from Richgrove on the southern border to Orange Cove in the north, includes Ducor, Terra Bella, Porterville, Strathmore, Lindsay, Exeter, Lemon Cove, Wood- lake, X^enire Hill and Orosi. Practically all the development here has come within ten years. The northwest corner of the County is given over to an extensive deciduous fruit and raisin industry, with Dinuba as the center, though there is a considerable acreage about Viisalia, as far south as Tulare and as far east as the citrus belt. Tulare is the center of an extensive and rapidly growing dairy and alfalfa industry. This industry disputes supremacy wnth the deciduous fruits as far north as the Yisalia district and east to the citrus belt. In the territory west and south of Tulare it is the chief source of income ; so also in the Woodville and Poplar districts. The largest portion of the present acreage of small grains is in the southern part of the County in the territory lying within 15 or 20 miles of the Kern County line. The soil in the citrus belt is mostly a red adobe, strongly impreg- nated with iron, with considerable stretches of black adobe and so- called "dry bog." These soils dififer somewhat in formation and pen- etrability, but, on the whole, are about equally prized for citrus cul- 12 r .\ -^ 13 ture. The rest of the valley has mostly a fairly rich alluvial soil which grows excellent alfalfa and fruit with little commercial fertilizer. In many sections the soil is slightly and in some sections strongly alkaline. This alkrdine soil has its uses, however, ])articularly if water is plenti- ful, as is heing learned with profit, though there are still some extensive arid wastes in the county. In general it may he said that specialized rather than diversified farming is characteristic of the county. Many farmers comhine two or more of the types of farming mentioned ahove, or supplement them with sugar heets, corn, potatoes, poultry, heets, etc. Others who have young orchards grow small fruits, melons, vegetables and similar prod- ucts between the trees. However, in the average instance it is upon one type of farming that the chief reliance is placed for a permanent labor income. Chapter 2 — Water Supply and Irrigation. It is to the mountains that the valley must look for its continued prosperity. Water is of prime importance here, since the annual rain- fall of 10 or 12 inches is sufficient only for the foothill grazing lands and the grain fields and not always for them. Everything else must be irrigated. For a distance of 7i miles north and south the crest of the Sierras lies within the county, including many of the highest peaks of that range. This is the great watershed, the source of a practically inex- haustible supply of surface and sub-surface water, sufficient to irri- gate the entire tillable area of the county. Irrigation is either by gravity ditches or by pumps. The gravity ditches divert the water from the streams and creeks, the pumps draw upon the underground water. The Kings, Kaweah and Tule Rivers, with their tributaries, are the chief source of supply for the gravity systems. There are several large irrigation districts — notably the Alta District and the Tulare District — and many co-operative ditch systems. In all several hundred thousand acres are irrigated wholly or in part by gravity ditches. Places are now being formulated for several new irrigation districts which will serve a very considerable area. A state law provides the methods of procedure for the organization of such districts. The cost of irrigation in the established irrigation districts averages about $1.50 per year for each acre irrigated. It is often neces- sary to supplement this in summer by pump irrigation. The cost in a new district may be illustrated by the figures presented by the con- sulting engineer for the proposed Terra Bella Irrigation District. The plan here is to draw water from Deer Creek, impounding the flow in 14 FUMIGATING ()RAi\(;E OKGilARU FOR SCALE a storage reservoir, and contemplates a gross area of 12,500 acres of land with 32% reserve storage, total cost to be approximately $824,- 800. Once the district is established, the water belongs to the land. The estimated maximum charge is $7.28 per acre in the eighth year, gradually decreasing to $3.31 per acre in the fortieth year, and there- after not to exceed $1.50 per acre, or the actual cost of maintenance and operation. Pump irrigation is a more recent development and is made possible by reason of the fact that the strata of underground water are usually found near to the earth's surface and consecjuently the water-lift is not great. The wells range in depth from 70 to 300 feet or more, but the water-lift seldom exceeds 80 feet and is often only 10 to 15 feet. Pump irrigation is more expensive than gravity irrigation, but is more reliable. So many factors enter into the cost that any figure given as a yearly average cost per acre for the county would be of little value. The cost, however, ranges from $1.50 to $4.00 per acre for each irrigation. Where electric power is available for pumping — as in most of the county — it is preferred. Elsewhere, gasoline engines are used. There are three electric power companies operating in the county, and the service is said to be both efficient and reasonable in cost. The number of irrigations necessary per year de])ends upon the nature of the soil and the kind of product grown. Mature vineyards and deciduous orchards usually recjuire but one irrigation a season. Alfalfa does best with two or three floodings. Citrus orchards require relatively frequent irrigations. 15 The fact that it is so vital in this county to obtain a sufficient sup- ply of water has been the cause of more or less litigation and hard feelings, sometimes between districts drawing their supply from the same source and sometimes within districts touching the policy of ad- ministering the water. The whole matter is, however, in a fair way to be adequately covered by legislation and court decisions. Chapter 3— General Character of the Recent Development. Tulare County has made a most remarkable growth during the last few decades, but particularly during the last 15 years. Many factors have contributed to this: the steady development of the markets for its products and the improvement of transportation facilities, the estab- lishment of the fact that the belt of land along the foothills is ideal for citrus and olive culture, the discovery of the feasibility of pump irrigation on a large scale and the development of economical power for pumping, and the widespread and incessant advertising of the county's resources and advantages are a few of the outstanding reasons. In 1900 it was the twelfth county in the state in the total valuation of all farm property, with a valuation of $20,287,801.00. In 1910. it A FARMER'S HOME IX 11 1. AKK i < )UNTY was the third county in the state, with a valuation of $76,539,642. Its increase during this 10 year period was 277.3%, by far the largest per cent of increase shown by any California county. While no figures are available for this current year, it is probable that the present valu- ation is well over $100,000,000.00, and the end is by no means yet 16 reached. The two greatest factors in this increase were and still are the development of the citrus industry and the breaking up into small tracts of many large holdings. In 1910, of the total valuation of farm property, 84.2% represented land only, 5.5% buildings, 2.4% implements and machinery, and 7.9% stock, poultry, etc. These percentages are about an average for the state, Init the per cent of value in land is very high and the per cent in buildings and equipment very low as compared, with the county as a whole. This is explained l)y the fact that much of the cheaper land is held in large tracts with practically no buildings ; many of the more recently acquired small farms are so heavily mortgaged that only the poorest buildings have been erected, while the developed orchards have a large per acre valuation and require practically no buildings but a dwelling and a pump house. The average value of all property for the 4,021 farms was, in 1910, v$19,035.CO. The number of farms nearly doubled in 10 years. The per acre value of land has increased even more rapidly than the total valuation of farm property, showing that the actual imi)rove- ment of land has not kept pace with the speculation in kind values. In 1900 the average value of land i)er acre was but $1.^.00. In 1910 it was $61.67. As a matter of fact, this figure means very little, the variations in value, or at least in asking price, are so great. There are some grazing lands which would doubtless Ijring not more than $5.00 an acre, and some stretches of land without water suitable for wheat, and possibly, if water were developed, for alfalfa, which could be jnirchased for from $40.00 to $75.00 an acre. Alfalfa and fruit lands under irrigation are held at from $100 to $350 or more per acre, the citrus lands bringing the highest price. Bearing orchards bring as high as $2,000 an acre. Then, of course, there is an abundance of lands, technically called farm lands, which at present have little or no marl7 eral social control. That the outward indications of instability are as few as they are is due to a combination of circumstances, operating to change the normally expected results. Chief among these are the advertising, "boom" spirit of the newer sections and the more or less unconscious rivalry between districts, together with the generally pre- vailing, substantial prosperity. This is particularly true of the towns, to a less extent of the country. Take for example the physical equip- ment of schools and churches. Many localities have put into school equipment much larger sums than one would expect ; in some cases more than present circumstances warrant. Likewise, many churches have been given an ecjuipment all out of proportion to their normal religious and financial strength and ecjually out of proportion to the subsequent response of the communities to their ministrations. All this on the principle that a town, to grow, must have a good school and church. In like manner, general {Hiblic improvements are usually more than adequately supported, at least in comparison with many old settled sections of the country. As regards the sub-surface indications, the condition is different. Most communities in the county have the astonishing virility of youth. They are growing rapidly in population and prosperity, and are de- termined to look the part and do. They are progressive and broad- minded. In public, as in private affairs, they operate on a large scale. They are accustomed to think in large units, and though not without local pride are or are becoming relatively free from that narrow pro- vincialism which is the besetting sin of so many rural communities. Their appreciation of the value of organization is expressed in their Boards of Trade, fraternal and social organizations, women's clubs, co-operative associations and similar movements. Local and county affairs are conducted on a non-partisan basis (in accordance with the state law). For sound business reasons they have supported many necessary social reforms, such as the suppression of the liquor problem and the regulation of gambling. An example of the flexibility and entire adequacy of the machinery which is available for getting certain kinds of things done is provided by the truly remarkable county ex- hibit at the San Diego Exposition. All this and much more is very greatly to their credit. It means that these communities are creating a very wholesome body of tradition, and are developing for themselves some very useful social machinery. At the same time there are many things to remind us that the breezi- ness of youth and the mellow culture and refinements of age do not often alike characterize the same individuals or the same communities. We will have occasion at a later point to mention certain character- 38 WOMAN'S CLUB, TULARE istics of the early settlement of this region. Suffice it to say here that most of the substantial progress is of recent occurrence, and that what remains of the pioneer spirit is reactionary in tendency. These com- munities have had to be re-created. Their earlier days have made practically no permanent contributions either in temper or policy. When we consider what their future will be we may say that in a very real sense they have no past. There is still too much of a flux in their affairs to give one any feeling of permanence. One is tempted to say that for many years to come the county will appear to be too large for its clothes. Another thoroughly Calif ornian characteristic is here no- ticeable. California, more perhaps than any other state in the Union, feels itself constantly on exhibition. Each of its component parts says constantly to the world at large, "Here I am; I am beautiful and pros- perous ; come, admire me." Everything in the State — farms, moun- tains, forests, parks and all — is on the counter, price-marked and for sale. If we may believe her agents, California is a very "great bar- gain." There is something rather irritating about this to the disin- terested spectator who longs to discover one beautiful thing in the State whose charms have not been flaunted at him from every bulletin board, and which he has not been persistently urged to inspect, rent, purchase or otherwise enjoy. He remembers that there is such a thing as being too proud of your community to over-praise her in every passing ear. On the other hand, California's residents have themselves an un- doubted appreciation of beauty, and the state is undoubtedly character- ized by a growing idealism. This is expressed, for one thing, in much 39 of her recent legislation, which shows an intelligent interest in a vast variety of social problems. Nowhere is this idealism more noticeable than in the San Joaquin valley, where, among many influences tending in this direction, one may particularly mention the Fresno Republican, the one really distinguished newspaper in the state which circulates widely through the valley. There are many problems for this spirit to cope with which will test it severely. Such problems as are presented by the unemployed and by the casual worker, by the necessity of as- similating many diverse racial elements, by the question of the social control of the individual, particularly of the unattached individuals so characteristic of the West — to mention only a few — are what test any community's inherent strength. One wishes that the Boards of Trade and similar organizations, very excellent in their way, would view their opportunities in a difTerent light and adopt some broader plan of action which would look to the upbuilding of the country in other ways than by advertising it. There is very little resembling social caste in the county. In this connection certain generalizations may safely be made. Each of the various foreign communities, such as the German Lutheran commu- nity at Deer Creek, the Mennonite community west of Dinuba, the Swedish community near Kingsburg, the Armenian community at Yettem, is, in the main, of a single economic and social level. Else- where the people very generally fraternize together, without many hard and fast lines being drawn, except on the basis of racial differ- ences. Of course, there are the usual social groupings on the basis of PORTERVILLE LIBRARY 40 DINUBA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE taste, congeniality, religious preference, business interests, and so forth. In most parts of the county there is developing quite a well-defined community consciousness. This is advanced by the spirit of advertis- ing and development. l)ut hindered by the fact that so much of the economic and social life of the county centers in the half-dozen large towns. The more important social gatherings, wherever held, are apt to draw from long distances. Yet in most localities, whether country or town, where there are enough people living sufficiently near together there is a fairly well-developed communitv social life. It may l)e re- marked, too, that in California a good deal is made of the county. This is the unit for the transaction of most of the common l)usincss, and is also the unit in a good deal of the advertising. The county, therefore, figures (|uitc largely in the indixichial's localizing of himself. It is ])robable that matters connected with the business interests of the county, particularly farming, are the largest factors in directing l)ublic oi)inion. The individuals who have a consideral)le degree of personal influence owe their leadership usually to their Imsiness con- nections. Ministers and teachers, with a few exceptions, exercise little direct control over men's o])inions and actions, ])artly, at least, because their tenure of ])osition is usually so l)rief. The different public offi- cials, of course, by virtue of their positions, exercise a varying degree of influence. The more important ones ai)pear to have the confidence of the i)eople, who seem to consider that their local and countv aff'airs are well taken care of — as they are. In the matter of housing conditions, it is diflicult to generalize for 41 Lf!i3s ALL A STRATHMORE * CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ^^ MISTAKE Pu^sThoolNOV **! House i7&|8 BOOSTING STRATHMORE any part of the county. In all the towns, and most farming sections, are to be seen many attractive homes. Equally prevalent are shacks and temporary structures of almost every sort. Made-over freight cars, one-room houses, structures ultimately destined to be pump houses, house wagons, buildings half frame, half tent-cloth — almost anything imaginable in the way of a shelter will serve as a dwelling for some family. In this respect it is a county of curious contrasts. The cost of living is, on the whole, not excessive, even for those who are not in a position to grow a part of their living. Rents are high ; fuel is expensive (and more of it needed than one might think), but foodstuffs are very reasonable in price. Chapter 3 — Organization, Recreation and Morality. Scattered throughout the county are many organizations of many sorts — commercial, civic, social, fraternal, athletic, literary, agricul- tural, educational and religious. Those coming under the last two heads will be discussed separately. To make a detailed list of the names, functions and activities of all the others would be a tedious and, for our present purpose, profitless undertaking. There is hardly a corner of the county that would not be represented in such a list. Some of these organizations are local in character; some represent whole districts, while others are practically county-wide in scope. The County Board of Trade is the most active, and in many respects the most important of all these organizations. It has its headquarters at Visalia, the County Seat. Its membership includes twenty-one local Boards of Trade or Chambers of Commerce, representing respectively, 42 Dinuba, Ducor, J'lxeter. Lindsay, (Jrosi, Porterville, Tulare, Terra Bella, Springville, "V'isalia, Strathmore, Alj)augh, Cutler, Klink, Farm- ersville, Lemon Cove, Pixley, Sultana, Three Rivers, Tipton and Woodlake. These organizations exist primarily to advertise their local resources, though their function in their communities is actually much broader than that. The Grange, and almost all of the fraternal organi- zations, are well represented in the county. Women's clubs, Civic Im- provement clubs. Women's Boards of Trade, or similar organizations, are in the more important communities. The other organizations play an important part in the social, literary and business life of the county. During the past season many of them have given plays, festivals, carni- vals, or other functions of a public or semi-public character. Except in the most isolated localities the recreation facilities are, in the main, adequate. Public functions, such as dances, plays, festivals, etc., draw from a large territory. The larger places have their moving- picture theatres, showing the usual collection of excellent, indifferent and trashy films. There is a growing tendency in some of the theatres, at least, to show a better grade of pictures. The stock theatres show the regular grade of "road shows," ranging from "Everywoman" and "Peg o' My Heart" to "Mutt and Jeff" and the "Sunshine Girls." In Visalia a new and very excellent playhouse has just been opened, and will hereafter bill most of the attractions which play Fresno, which will include some superior productions. There are few opportunities af-^ forded the county to hear good music, the better class of musical en- tertainments not receiving very good support. The High Schools, and most of the larger grammar schools, have some form of organized athletics. The movement to establish parks and play-grounds is well under way. The towns are fairly overrun with pool-rooms, which ap- parently do a thriving business. The mountains are accessible to everyone, and offer unrivalled opportunities for tramping, hunting, fishing and camping. To a far less extent than is often the case are the recreation facilities exploited for financial gain. Moral conditions are, in the main, good. There are no saloons in the county, and a conscientious eff'ort is made to curtail the illicit sell- ing of liquor. There is little gambling, though lotteries, guessing con- tests and similar devices of a mild sort abound. There is no longer any flagrant social evil, and crime in general is more iufreciuent than one might expect. Within the last half-dozen years there has been a marked improvement in moral conditions, 'ihere is generally no strict observance of the Sabbath, which, in many sections, is the big day of the week, from a recreation standpoint. Many games and entertainments of various sorts are scheduled for that day, and a 43 ■ C __,jjjjHii^ - HMHPI wi^ A GROUP OF TULARE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES 44 number of moving-picture theatres are open Sundays, both afternoon and evening. Chapter 4 — Some County Institutions. A study of the civil government of the county, and of the methods of conducting pubhc business, would be very interesting and profitable, if it were sufficiently germaine to the purpose of this survey to warrant it. It will be necessary to disregard all but two or three points. The office of the County Horticultural Commissioner is of very great im- portance in connection with the fruit industry of the county. His work is primarily that of an horticultural health officer. It is his duty to examine all shipments of fruit trees or vines coming into the county, to prevent the introduction of any infected stock; to see that proper steps are taken to protect the county against the ravages of any pest that may have found lodgement in orchard or vineyard, and, in gen- eral, to advance the horticultural interests of the county. He is given sufficient funds to employ necessary inspectors, and otherwise carry on the work of the office. There is a County Board of Forestry and a County Forester, whose general concern is the shade and ornamental trees on the highways and other public property in the county. One of the most important county institutions is the County Library, which is rapidly extending its range of influence. In 1913 this library had twenty-eight branches scattered through the coimty. One year later it had fifty-four, and last fall the number had increased to sixty- three. In addition, it co-operates with the city libraries maintained in Visalia, Porterville and Tulare. The total operating expense of the County Library for the year ending June 30th, 1914, was about $12,- 000. This year it will be about $15,000. The library owns 13,500 volumes, and has access to the State Library's 200,000 volumes. Each branch receives fifty volumes of general character every three months at county expense, as well as special volumes which may have been requested. Packages of books will also be sent by parcel post wherever needed. Last year 2,400 special requests for books were filled. Books on every line of research will be sent whenever requested, if obtain- able. The Library aims to foster interest in reading and to establish branches everywhere in the county where there are no library facilities. Books may be secured from the State Library and sent at State ex- pense direct to the borrower's home station. In addition, individual borrowers may obtain books directly from the County or State Library by parcel post without expense. The three city libraries together have about 6,000 registered readers, i. e., card holders and the sixty-three county branches have about 7,000 more, 13,000 in all, or more than 45 One-fourth of the county's population. Of the sixty- three l)ranches at present maintained, twenty-eight are in pubhc schools, eight are in separate reading rooms with salaried custo- dians, twenty-seven are in stores or private homes. Another highly impor- tant county institution which is, however, unoth- cial in character, is the County Y. M. C. A. This was organized in January, 1914, but has already more than justified its existence, having indeed in its first year captured the state record for the number of groups of boys and young men organized and the total number of members enrolled. Operating on a budget last year of a little over $3,300, the first annual report shows the following tangible results of the work; Y. M. C. A. CAMP THE Y. M. C. A. CAMP SWIMMING HOLE 46 220 boys attended camps or went on hikes under competent leaders. 22 groups, with 316 members, were organized for Bible study and recreation. The leaders included 3 ranchers, 4 business men, 1 min- ister, 3 students, 5 school principals and 5 other teachers. 282 men and boys attended various conferences and conventions. 102 boys were given physical examinations. Attendance 3 Father and Son Banquets 304 18 Stunt Nights 401 " . . Addresses at Schools 830 38 General Talks 3,061 Ninnlier proposed conversions 27 " leaders at work during year 25 " men and boys participating in work 400 " men interviewed 1,000 " leaders and committeemen 79 " pieces mail matter sent out 3,000 " miles traveled by secretary 6,500 The Association has a full-time salaried Secretary, with headquar- ters at Lindsay. For the first year of work the above constitutes a splendid record when the size and nature of the county are considered, and promises much for the future. The work so far has been in the more popvdous centers and where leaders could be obtained. As fast as leaders are found or developed elsewhere the work will be extended. 47 PART IV. EDUCATION. Chapter 1 — Organization and Finance. The elcnienlarv schools of Cahfornia are organized on a semi-county or county and district basis. The entire county is (Hvided into local school districts, varying in size and population, in each of which there is one school or more, according to need, h^ach district has a l)oard of three trustees, holding office for three years and elected in rotation. There is a County Superintendent, elected by the people of the County at large at the time of each gul)ernatorial election, and also a County Board of Education, consisting of the County Superintendent as Secre- tary and four others appointed by the County Board of Supervisors. The four so appointed hold oi^ce for two years each, and two are appointed each year. A majority of them must be experienced teachers, holding not lower than grammar school certificates in full force. If there are High Schools in the County, at least one member of the Board must hold a certificate of High School grade. The entire con- trol over the elementary schools of the county, subject to the general laws of the State, is vested in these three sources of authority. The duties of each are carefully defined by statute. Their more important functions, omitting matters pertaining only to the routine of adminis- tration, may be summarized as follows : The Superintendent is (a) to superintend the work of the schools of the county; (b) to apportion the school funds among the various districts ; ( c) on the order of any Board of School Trustees to make his requisition upon the County Auditor for all necessary expenses chargeable against the school funds of that district (the County Treasurer being custodian of all school funds) ; (d) to visit and examine each school in the County at least once each year ; (c) to arrange for and preside over an annual teach- ers' institute, and see that all teachers attend same ; (f) to pass upon and approve of or reject all plans for new school houses; (g) to fill vacancies which may occur in any Board of Trustees during term; (h) to issue temporary teachers' certificates. The County Board of Education has power to (a) examine applicants and grant teachers' certificates ; (b) adopt a list of books and apparatus from which all selections must be made for the district school libraries ; (c) issue diplomas of graduation from the elementary schools; (d) prescribe 48 the course of study to be followed in each grade of the elementary schools. The duties of the District Board of Trustees are to (a) pre- scribe and enforce rules for the government of the school or schools of their district, not inconsistent with the law or the rules prescribed by the State Board of Education; (b) manage and control all school property ; (c) purchase school furniture and apparatus, following the specifications, if any, of the County Board of Education; (d) when directed by vote of the district build school houses or purchase or sell lots; (e) employ the necessary teachers and janitors, fix and order paid their compensation ; (f) in general, control all the local affairs of the school, such as discipline, care and use of buildings and grounds, enforcement of prescribed course of study, etc. Each of them is required to visit each school in his district at least once a year. It will be observed that this method of organization preserves some of the weak points inherent in the district system, while adding many of the strong points of the county unit system of organization. Certain of these points will be referred to at a later point in the dis- cussion. Three parties are concerned in the financing of the schools — State, County and District. The bulk of the maintenance money comes from State and County funds. The District may vote to supplement these funds for maintenance, and has the entire expense of providing all necessary equipment except text books, which are furnished free by the State, and library books and apparatus, which are provided for Ijy a County fund. The State school funds are apportioned on the basis of $250 per year for every teacher to which the district is en- titled, and the balance on the basis of the average daily attendance for the preceding year. The minimum which the County is allowed to appropriate is the difference between the amount received from the State and $550 for each teacher. This must not amount to less than $13 for each pupil in average daily attendance. If more is given, it is apportioned on the basis of attendance. A District is considered to be entitled to one teacher for the first 35 pupils or less in average daily attendance, and one additional teacher for each additional 35 or fraction thereof not less than 10. Where there are less than 10 above 35 or multiple, $40 of State and County money is allowed for each pupil additional. All State money, and not less than 50% of the County money, must be spent for salaries of teachers. The County tax may not exceed 50c. on each $100 valuation. The District is allowed to vote a building tax at a rate not to exceed 70c. on the $100, or a maintenance tax not to exceed 30c. Last year the County tax was 35c. on the $100, and the apportion- 49 50 A LIVING WAGE FOR TEACHERS AVERAGE MONTHLY SALARY 155 RURAL e.nd VILLAGE TEACHERS 86- W^OMEM 106- MEN ment of State and County money was $550 per teacher and $20 per pupil, which included the library fund. This last is a special fund for the purchase of library books and apparatus. The law provides that not less than 5%, nor more than 10%, of the County school fund due each district shall constitute a library fund, provided that this amount shall not exceed $50 per year, unless there are 5 or more teachers employed in the district, when it shall be not less than $10, nor more than $15, per teacher. This means that the smallest and poorest rural school can in the course of a few years build up a fine working library of general and supplemental works. During the last year 19 districts outside the larger towns voted a special tax for maintenance, the rate varying from 5c. to 30c. on the $100; 49 levied a tax (bond issue) for building purposes, the rate here varying from 5c. to 56c. This method of financing the schools insures sufficient funds to every district for at least a reasonably efficient school. The provision regarding the proportion of the funds which must be used for salaries means salaries that at the minimum are well above the average paid rural school teachers the country over. For example, a school has, let us say, an average attendance of 25. It receives $550 and $20 per pupil or $1,050. Deducting $50 for a library fund, without voting any money to the district, the school could pay its teacher $75 a month for nine months and have $325 left for contingent expenses. A further advantage is that the financially strong communities in this way help pay at least the minimum expenses necessary for the maintenance of adequate schools in those communities which are financially weak. There were during 1913-14, 127 school districts, wholly or partly in Tulare County, maintaining elementary schools. The total mainte- nance expense for the year was $289,444.84, and the exjjense for new 51 buildings, sites and furniture was $88,318.90; a grand total of ^377,- 763.74. About 46% of this total was incurred by the districts repre- senting the six largest towns — Visalia, Porterville, Tulare, Lindsay, Dinuba and Exeter. For the remainder of the county the maintenance expense was $156,971.39, and the expense for buildings, sites, etc., $56,735.19; a total of $213,706.58. The maintenance expense may be itemized as follows : salaries, $120,857.83, or 77% ; library books and ai)paratus, $3,474.65, or 3.5%; contingent expenses, $29,637.91, or 19.5%. The total enrollment for the year was 8,105 (3,798 in the six towns; 4,307 in the country), and the average daily attendance was 6,899 (3,358 and 3,541). The total maintenance cost for the year would therefore average $35.71 per pupil on the basis of enrollment, or $41.95 on the basis of average daily attendance — ^a remarkable high average for similar conditions. This is the more remarkable, however, when it is observed that the average cost of maintaining the rural schools considerably exceeds the cost of the town schools. On the basis of enrollment, the cost in the towns was $33.98 per pupil ; in the country, $37.31 ; the difference is slightly more marked when figured on the basis of attendance, being $39.45 for the towns and $44.33 for the country. Such a difference would be expected under the California system, since the rural schools averaging smaller in size would average higher in the amount of State and County money received per capita. How unusual this is for the entire country will be seen when it is re- membered that the average annual expenditure on rural school children in the entire United States probably does not exceed $15.00. The dif- ference is very greatly to California's credit, though it brings to light one weakness inherent in the district system. At least a partial con- solidation of the smaller district schools could be eft'ected, particularly in sections having schools near together and with good roads, which would give educational results of equal or greater value at a propor- tionately lower expense. But consolidation is proverbially difficult to effect under a district system of organization. The total valuation of all elementary school property for the county is $934,490, of which amount $852,650 is in buildings, sites and fur- niture ; $44,790 in libraries, and $37,050 in apparatus. The bonded indebtedness of the various districts aggregates $449,615, a little more than half of the valuation. For the country schools, the figures are: buildings, sites and furniture, $409,650; libraries, $37,590; apparatus, $28,850; total, $476,090, with a bonded indebtedness of $283,315. These items have been somewhat increased this current year through the construction of several new buildings and the voting of building bonds in several more. 52 Chapter 2 — Buildings, Equipment and Grounds. The rest of the data pre- sented on elementary schools is for the current year, 1914-15, and is only for those schools visited during the course of this survey. Certain omissions from the entire roster of schools are to be noted. Since the interest of this survey is primarily in the rural and small village communities, the schools in the six larger towns are There are ten joint districts in this county, i. e., which include territory from two or more counties. THE NEW ^^o.uuu AND liiE ULD aciiuuL BUILDING AT TIPTON omitted, districts Six of Reedley these — the Agenda, Clay, Cutler, Harrison, Kingsburg anc Districts — have their school buildings located outside the bounds of Tulare County and are therefore omitted. Seven other schools espe- cially difficult of access during the winter months were not reached by the investigator. These are Coho, Long Valley, Drum Valley, Cottonwood, Ash Springs, Eshom Valley and Oak Flat, all situated in the mountains. They are also omitted. There remain 108 districts, a sufficiently large proportion of the whole number to give an adequate view of conditions. To these are added two church or parochial schools in the country ; one maintained by the German Lutheran Church, near Terra Bella; taught by the minister of the church; and one by the Seventh Day Adventist congregation at Venice ; taught by a hired teacher. There are also parochial schools at Visalia and Dinuba, but they are not included. These 110 schools occupied this year 111 buildings, of which 97 arc of frame construction. 11 of brick, 3 of cement or plaster; 4 of these buildings are omitted from the discussions of this chapter except re- garding grounds and equipment for recreation. Two of these are Buena Vista and Tipton, which, when visited, occupied old buildings in poor condition. l)nt which had new buildings in course of construc- tion which will be ready for occupancy before the end of this school year. The other two are Alpaugh (Avhich shares an eight-room build- ing with the High School), and Orosi, which occupies a six-room build- ing of modern construction. Several districts occupying old buildings 53 SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST SCHOOL, DINUBA have since voted bonds for new buildings, but are here included since the work of construction had not been commenced when visited. We are then in this chapter considering 107 buildings of 104 public school districts and two parochial schools. Several of these buildings are not owned by the districts using them. In these 107 buildings there are 160 rooms, not counting libraries or cloak-rooms. 137 are regularly used for school purposes. Of the remaining 23 rooms, several were built for auditoriums ; the others for class-rooms, for which there is as yet no need. 15 schools have one class-room or more beyond present needs. 74 of the buildings are one- room buildings ; 23 have two rooms each ; 5 have three rooms ; 2 have four, and 3 have five. All but nine of the buildings have at least one cloak-room each, the majority having two. 80 of the buildings have library rooms. In some of the older, poorly planned buildings, these libraries are small and inadequate for the purpose, often being mere closets. Many of the buildings, however, have well-lighted and con- veniently arranged library rooms. It is not to be expected that a group of buildings erected over a con- siderable period of time and representing the ideas of many different Boards of Trustees as to what a school-house should be like, would show uniform excellence of plan and equipment, even though the law gives the County Superintendent the right to pass upon all plans — a most commendable provision. The weak points in most rural school plans the country over, and for that matter in the majority of the older schools wherever located, concern the lighting, heating and ven- tilation — three matters vitally connected not only with the work of the 54 F-'"= I- >N O Cot l— O o //^/V A ^ \\An\ja\x\oj SM^-e^4rt» ^ 55 school but with the heahh of the pupils. A large majority of the schools under consideration offend at these three points. The first is the most important. The "rule of thumb" for lighting is that the window space in a room should equal at least one-fifth of the floor space, and that the light should come preferably from the pupils left only or from the left and rear. Under no circumstances should there be a cross-light, i. e., from both right and left, or a front light. The north light is the best since it involves the least glare and does not need to be softened to exclude the direct rays of the sun. It is, of course, well-known that these principles were not in the least considered in the construc- tion of most of the rural schools now in use in this country. With a very few exceptions the school rooms under consideration have a sufficient amount of window space. It is the arrangement of the windows that is at fault. In general we may say that in 19 rooms that lighting is highly satisfactory; in 24 or 25 others reasonably so. A re-arrangement of the seats would give a number of other rooms satisfactory lighting, and the close curtaining of certain windows would perform a like service for others. In from 65 to 70 rooms the light- ing is very poor. A considerable number of rooms which are, in fact, rather poorly lighted, were in the intent of the architect well planned, or could easily be made so. For example, a number of schools have at the front of the room a library almost, or quite the width of the room, shut off by folding-doors, or a wooden curtain, and with several large windows, in many respects a very convenient arrangement. It happens, however, in a number of cases that these doors are habitually kept open and the windows uncurtained, making in effect a strong front light. A number of other rooms had small windows at the front of the room, placed high ; presumably they are there for ventilation, although since, with one exception, they were kept closed they hardly fulfilled that function. Such front light is, of course, not very in- jurious ; at the same time it is not desirable. 19 rooms received light from the pupils' left only ; 24 others from left and rear only. 1 1 others had a predominatingly left light, with other windows at right or front, or both. 4 rooms had windows on the right only, and 5 others a pre- dominatingly right light. One had a predominatingly rear light. 43 rooms received light equally from right and left ; 12 from right, left and rear; 6 from right, left and front. To summarize: Light from one side 23 rooms Light from two sides 83 rooms Light from three sides 27 rooms Light from four sides 2 rooms 135 rooms 56 Left light predominates 44 rooms Right light predominates 9 rooms Rear light predominates 1 room Light equall}' from two or more sides 81 rooms 135 rooms Cross light (with or without front or rear light 67 Front light (whether or not contemplated in plan) 19 It is only fair to say that few counties could show as high an aver- age of well-lighted schools. In general, it may be said that almost all the well-planned buildings have been erected within the last five years. Few buildings have been erected within that time but are or could easily be made highly satisfactory in this regard. Heating and ventilation are not serious problems here for as many months of the year as in more severe climates, but they are important enough to deserve more attention than they receive. Very few of the schools have any adequate method of heating or ventilation. The three usual methods of heating are, of course, furnace, jacketed stove or un- jacketed stove. Either of the first two. with proper installation, is satisfactory, and the problem of ventilation can easily be handled at the same time. The un jacketed stove is almost never satisfactory. The item of expense eliminates the furnace from consideration in the average one-room rural school. The difference in cost, however, be- tween the jacketed and the unjacketed stove is all out of proportion to the difference in their value. A jacketed stove of correct design, properly installed, will heat an ordinarily large school-room in such a way that the variations of temperature in different parts of the room ENTERING SCHOOL AT STRATIIMORE 57 SOUTH TALE SCHOOL. NOTE MENT OF WINDOWS ARRANGE- will not exceed 4 or 5 de- grees. The iinjacketed stove, operating by direct radiation, can only heat the distant ])arts of the room to a sufficient warmth by unduly heating the parts near to it, the result being that most of the room is either too hot or too cold. The usual method of alter- nately "firing up" and cool- ing down by opening the windows is obviousl}- bad. Of the 137 rooms under consideration, 11 are fur- nace heated; 8 are heated by jacketed stoves, and the remaining 118 by unjacketed stoves. As for ventilation, few rooms have any other method than by admitting the air in direct draughts upon the children from windows or doors, and by opening up everything at recess. In a crowded room especially this is not adequate or desirable. Another point of almost equal importance concerns the facilities for seating the pupils. Most of the old-fashioned, and many of the new- fashioned, school desks are apparently not constructed with the human form in mind. It is particularly true of those desks whose height cannot be adjusted that almost invariably they induce the children to assume unnatural and injurious postures. The adjustable desks remedy the matter of height, but are often not much more desirable in shape. They are, however, almost always an improvement for rural schools, where one year may see a big proportion of large children and the next a great array of little tots. The double desk is not to be advised under any circumstances, its only advantage being economy of space. Out of 137 rooms, 8 had double desks only; 6 had both double and single desks; 123 single desks only. Only seven rooms had all ad- justable desks; 1 having both adjustable and non-adjustable. There are two prevailing methods of arranging the seats — one is to arrange them according to size from right to left, having the seats in each cross row of approximately the same size ; the other, and as many think, the better method is to arrange them by uniform size from front to rear. The latter method is growing in favor. In some few schools there is no method of arrangement. In most of the rooms the seats are placed in rows which parallel the sides of the room. In one room, 58 BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE— $20,000 SCHOOL BUILDING AT PIXLEY tlie rows are placed at an angle — a most excellent ar- rangement when, as in this case, the lighting is favor- able, the light coming over the left shoulder of the pupil at a correct angle. For general excellence of floor plan, such Ijuild- ings as the one-room build- ings of the Navalencia, Mountain Home, Oakland and Spa Districts, the two- room buildings of the Lewis Creek, Yettem, AUensworth, Paloma, Liberty, Oakdale, Bliss and Prairie Center Districts, and the larger buildings of the Vandalia, Strathmore, Tipton and Pixley Districts may be mentioned as good examples of the better schools of the County. They are not all ecjually good, but all have many very excellent points. All but about 20 of the rooms have good cjuality blackboards in sufficient amounts. Three-foot boards are usual, though some of the rooms have four-foot boards. In more than half the rooms the boards are of slate. Most of the others have hypo-plate, cloth, or some sim- ilar substance. The balance have boards of wood. All but 25 of the schools have a musical instrument of some sort ; 34 having pianos, 49 organs and 3 phonographs. All but 4 or 5 have globes and fair maps and charts. Nearly all have either good window shades or shutters. \"ery few have windows and doors fitted with fly-screens, which is rather surprising, in view of the number of flies, 1)ul a considera])le number have coarse-mesh screens to j)ro- lect the windows from breakage during the chil- dren's games. AJjout 63 schools arc c(|uipi)C(l \\itli artificial liglils, \? l»ciiig wired for clcclricily. Many of \\\r schools arc very attracti\-e, both in in- terior and exterior appear- TEMPORARY SCHOOL BUILDING aiicc, though llicrc are 59 ■*/■'■: SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS 60 ELDA SCHOOL, AT TOP OF MOUNTAIN enough which still main- tain the tradition that a rural school should be in- nocent of beauty or adorn- ment. Scattered here and there through the county one comes upon buildings of the sort that are to be found everywhere in the country — -East and West, North and South ; dull, un- attractive looking places, to which any lover of beauty would hesitate to sentence a child for eight years. Such schools are the Dennison, Rural, Chatam, Zion, White River, Goshen, Kennedy, Columbine, Elda, Hanby, Miles, Hope, Rocky Ford, Saucelito, Foun- tain Springs, Wheatland, Burton — to mention some of the worst. Many of these have made some eiTort at decoration, but the general effect is unbeautiful. These, however, are not in the majority, while some of the schools are as attractive as one could well ask. In the matter of decorations, 72 of the schools have each one or more framed pictures, while about 80 have un framed pictures. These pictures, numbering in all 380 framed and about 600 unframed, repre- sent all degrees and sorts of taste ; a good proportion of them, it must be admitted, possessing very little artistic merit. A cheap, fly-specked print of William McKinley, or of a horse dodging lightning bolts in a meadow, whatever value it may possess for instruction in patriotism or nature study has little importance as a work of art. There are a good many pictures, however, of considerable beauty, and it cannot be doubted that such have a real function to perform in a school-room. The South Tule, Lewis Creek, Taurusa, Willow, Packwood and Stone Corral schools are particularly worthy of mention in this respect. A number of schools, about 30, have used specimens of children's work — maps, drawings, and so on — with very good effect. Work of this kind, if well selected and mounted with care on a cloth or paper background, not only makes an attractive api)earance, but has considerable edu- cational value. One school made use of pennants very eft'ectively for decoration ; others had mottoes or streamers with varying results. Some 55 or 60 schools had potted plants to the number of over 300, while five had window boxes or hanging baskets. Of course, the pick 61 117 RURAL a.^d VILLAGE SCHOOLS of all the decorations in the world would not make a school-room at- tractive without proper arrangement and care. Many rather bare rooms were neat and pleasant ; others were cluttered and disordered, and one seemed to think that was their natural way. Turning now to matters of sanitation and cleanliness, all but about 10 schools have a sufficient supply of pure drinking water, either from a well or spring on the grounds or piped in. Six have "water-bubblers" either in the building or on the grounds. The common drinking cup is still more or less in evidence. Practically all the schools make pro- vision for personal cleanliness in the shape of wash-basins, towels and soap. Six have running water in the cloak-rooms ; though one so equipped has not water enough to permit its use. The common or roller-towel, that prime refuge for germs of all kinds, is not infrequently seen ; the paper towel has also made its appearance, sanitary even if uncomfortable. Seven schools have toilets in the building; the others have outdoor toilets ; in all but seven instances two to a school. These are generally places at a sufficient distance from the main building, and about a third of them are screened. The outdoor toilet, except when it can be water-flushed, is seldom entirely sanitary. The general practise here seems to be to inspect the toilets regularly, and as a re- sult most of them were found to be in a very fair condition. There 62 was quite a noticeable absence of writing and markings on the toilet walls. As regards school lots, there is every variation from no land at all owned by the district to tracts of five acres or more. Most of the schools have from one to three acres of land. With the exception of certain schools in the mountainous sections, these lots are all level. All but 25 of them are comi)letely fenced in. Only five have walks, and in wet weather considerable mud is tracked into the rooms. All but 14 have at least a few trees ; in several instances the schools are set in the midst of fine groves. Most of the schools aim to have vege- table or flower gardens, or both, where possible. The conditioning factors are water and cows, one pro and the other contra. The remedy for the latter is a good fence. As for the former, many of the schools have not now sufficient water for irrigation, and find the task of carry- ing water by hand too arduous to make gardening pleasant except on a small scale. The tendency, however, is to provide pumping plants and tanks, and many schools are already so provided. The gardens, where planted, are intended partly for decoration and partly for use in connection with nature study. In many of the schools, something more than the usual rural school provisions for recreation have been made. There is usually a fairly adecpate playground. 52 schools have no play apparatus at all, but the others are more or less well provided, as may be seen from the appended table : Number of schools having — Tennis courts 6 Captain-ball courts 2 Basket-ball courts 38 Giant strides 6 Teeters 17 Swings 29 Turning bars 11 Croquet sets 4 Traveling rings 2 With few exceptions, the teachers superintend the play. Quite a number of schools have organized baseball, basket-ball, or track teams, and compete with neighboring schools. It was not an uncommon sight to see the teacher, lady or gentleman, behind the bat or in the pitching box during the noon-hour practise. The State law provides that every school shall have a suitable United States flag, and display same outside of building while school is in session ; also a smaller flag for use in the school-room. 84 schools when visited were found complying with the law as regards the flag outside, or refrained from doing so only because of rain, fog or an 63 accident to flag or pole. 26, lacking those excuses, displayed no flag. About two-thirds of the schools have flags in the school-rooms. In concluding this chapter, we have only to say that the average of these schools as to buildings, grounds and equipment is very high. Commendable progress is being made. Definite steps have already been taken, and bonds voted to supplant some of the poorest buildings by adequate structures. Many of the newer buildings would do credit to any locality. The three modern buildings at \'andalia, Tipton and Pixley represent an aggregate outlay of more than $60,0(X). While un- limited expenditure, especially on the district system, is not ideal, all recent bond issues attest the readiness of most sections of the county to sujiport their schools in fitting fashion. Chapter 3 — The Teaching Force. Eliminating the schools in the six larger towns, as before, and also in the joint districts whose buildings are not in Tulare County, the remaining 115 public and 2 parochial schools have in all 162 teachers, this current year. A division of the schools according to the number of teachers employed in each would give results as follows: One-teacher schools 84 or 72% Two-teacher schools 25 or 21% Three-teacher schools 6 ] Four-teacher schools 1 } or 7% Six-teacher schools 1 J Total schools 117 or 100% The ])reponderance of one-teacher schools, 72% of the whole num- ber, is another weakness inherent in the district system of organization. The topography of the county, and the distribution of population, make a certain number of one-teacher schools unavoidable. It will hardly be asserted, however, that in a one-teacher school the same efticiency of work can be attained, other things equal, as in a school of two or more teachers. It is probably true that the system of "one- teacher one-grade" has serious drawbacks. The system of "one-teacher eight-grades" is certain to make uniformly good work very difficult. The schedule is too crowded, the lesson period too brief, and the gen- eral demands upon the teacher's time too great. This, of course, does not apply with equal force to a school of small enrollment. The data in the rest of the chapter are for 155 teachers in 108 public schools and 2 parochial schools, omitting the seven schools not visited during the survey. Of these 155 teachers, 18 are male, 137 are female, 5 of the men teachers are in one-teacher schools ; the others are prin- cipals in schools of two or more teachers. 64 The financial support accorded the schools is the chief reason for the high average of excellence among the rural teachers of the county. Sufficiently large salaries are paid to attract college and normal- trained men and women to the country schools. They come, indeed, from all over the country, knowing that the average salary in Cali- fornia rural schools is higher than the average salary in town schools of the East and Middle West, for the same grade of work. The train- ing of these 155 teachers for their work is set forth in the following table : Male. Female. Less than High School 2 High School only 2 14 Partial Normal or College course 1 7 Normal course only 7 103 College course only 5 7 Both College and Normal course 2 2 Post-graduate College or Normal 1 2 Totals 18 137 Eighty- four per cent of the entire number are college or normal grad- uates. The various normals of the state trained the greater number of these, with the San Jose normal leading in the number of graduates, but many eastern normals are represented. There is no difference in this respect between the village and the open country schools. Some of the most isolated schools in the county are taught by normal graduates. As regards the number of experienced teachers, the condition is also very satisfactory. Out of 152 teachers, for whom data is available, only 36 are teaching for the first time this year. 76% have had one year or more of teaching experience. The detailed figures are : 36 or or or or or or or 24 % With 1 year previous " 29 19 % " 2 years " " 12 8 % " 3 " " " 14 9 % " 4 " " " 10 6.5% " 5-9 " " " 29 19 % " 10-14 " " " 91 " 15-19 " " " 7[ 14.5% " 20 years or more " 6J 152 This shows an unusually high jjroporlion of experienced teachers. As regards continuity of service in .'i single school, the record is not so favorable, though even here it is much above the usual rural school average. Of 153 teachers, 68 are now teaching their first year in their present schools, 55 arc teaching their second, 14 their third, 7 their fourth, and 4 their fifth year; four have been in their present positions from six to ten years ; only one had occupied the same position for 65 155 RURAL AND VILLAGE TEACHERS 83t Complete Part No Normal OR COLLEGE Course TRAINED TEACHERS MAKE EFFICIENT SCHOOLS POSSIBLE eleven years or more, and it may be remarked in passing, that his school shows the good effects of the continued service of an able teacher. If this year is an average, these figures mean that 44% of the schools change teachers every year, and 80% have a new teacher at least once in two years, a constant coming and going that makes the highest grade of work impossible. Experience has clearly taught that the best teach- 66 VARIATIONS INf AVERAGE SALARIES- RliRAL and VILLAGE TEACHERS according to YEARS OF YEARS IN TEACHING EXPEDIENCE PRESENT POSITION YEAKS $78 1st. $82 $86 2nd. $91 $90 3kx>- 5th $95 $95 Gth. -10 th. $ 95 #9t IIth ^OVER # 133 ing, particularly in rural schools, can only be obtained when the teacher is permanently domiciled in the community. The moving of teachers isn't altogether, or largely, a matter of money, though it can be some- what checked by adopting a policy of an annual increase of salary to a competent teacher. Teachers change constantly without the induce- ment of an increase in salary. They are just naturally migratory, and this is truer of rural school teachers than of any other group. There is in this connection one factor that ought not to be overlooked. A pro- portion of the annual vacancies occur through the permanent retire- ment of a number of teachers each year. A large majority of the teachers are ladies. Among these are many who have seriously elected teaching as a profession. There is another large class, however, who merely "teach while they wait." As has already been intimated, the average salary is high, being more than double the average for rural schools in many sections of the coun- try. The average for all female teachers under consideration is $86 per month of twenty teaching days; for male teachers it is $106. The salaries in the open country schools are on a i)ar with those paid in the village schools, indeed are sometimes lii.olier. $50 is the lowest salary paid, and $150 the highest (for a man principal). The amount paid varies according to experience and the number of years in the same 67 position. The training of the teacher apparently has nothing to do with it, the High School graduates receiving, as it happens, on the average consideraljly more than the average for the whole number of teachers. The variations according to experience and length of service in present positions are indicated below : -Average Salary Number Years Teaching Experience According to Number years in Present Position. First year Second year Third to fifth year Sixth to tenth year.... Eleventh year or more. $82.00 91.00 95.00 95.00 133.00* * One teacher only. The practise of paying teachers according to experience may be further indicated thus : Of 5 receiving less than $75, 4 are without previous experience. Of 23 receiving less than $75, 13 are without previous experience. Of 22 receiving less than $80, 4 are without previous experience. Of 34 receiving less than $85, 10 are without previous experience. Of 27 receiving less than $90, 1 is without previous experience. Of 9 receiving less than $95, 1 is without previous experience. Of 33 receiving less than $100 or more, none are without previous experience. It is, of course, an eminently wise policy to make provision for ad- vancement. So we see that of all the experienced teachers, more than 90% are receiving salaries in excess of $75 a month, while of the in- expeiienced teachers only 23% receive more than that amount. While of those who are new this year to their present positions (irrespective of the number of years of their teaching experience) one-third are re- ceiving $75 a month or less, wdiereas, of those who have spent one or more previous years in their present positions, more than 95% are re- ceiving in excess of that amount. The question of the permanence of the teaching force suggests an- other very important question which may be mentioned at this point, that of supervision. One of the outstanding weaknesses of the school system as organized in Tulare County is in the lack of supervision accorded the individual teachers, particularly the rural teachers. The County Superintendent has a multitude of duties to perform, only one of which is to actually superintend the schools. The large number of these schools, and the great terrilorv which their combined districts cover, make the task of adequate suj^ervision physically impossible. Last year, 75 rural schools were visited but once by the Superintend- ent ; 28 were visited twice, and 6 three times, leaving a very few which received anything approaching the number of visits which would make supervision a reality. As far as the teaching methods are concerned, 68 PERIODIC MIGRATIONS 3^155 RURAL a.ixdVlLL AGE TEACHERS 68 55 32 are tes^chiag, tKis ye^r for 5056 Ihe 2T\d. TEAR 3rd. TO 11th IN THEIR PRESENT, 1914, SCHOOLS this is inspection, not supervision. To be sure, most of the teachers are well trained, and most of them are competent. But many are young and inexperienced, while others, capable enough with proper direction, lack both the initiative and the independent judgment to be really good teachers without supervision. That much was patent even 69 from the casual hearing of recitations that came with the work of the survey. The point requires no argument. Efforts are now being made in the State Legislature to remedy this defect in the elementary school system. Chapter 4— The Pupils. The material of this section is for 115 public and 2 parochial schools. The figures on enrollment and attendance, having been secured at va- rious times from October to April, will doubtless show some variation from the figures for the entire year, but not enough to affect their value. The total enrollment for these schools is 3,989, of whom 2,056, or 51.5%, are boys; 1,933 are girls. The average daily attendance is 3,539, 88.7% of the enrollment, a very creditable record when it is considered that many children have a considerable distance to travel over wretched roads, and that several schools were seriously affected by epidemics of scarlet fever during the winter. The enrollment by grades presents some interesting points : Boys. Girl s. Grade. Number. % of Whole Number. % of Whole 1 385 18.8 340 17.9 2 266 12.9 255 13.1 3 288 14.1 274 14.1 4 232 11.3 i 226 11.6 5 269 13.0 239 12.3 6 225 10.9 218 11.2 7 190 9.2 191 9.9 8 201 9.8 190 9.9 These percentages are set forth graphically in the diagram on page 71. The remarkable thing about these figures is the relative uniformity of the percentage curve for both sexes throughout the eight grades. In most statistics on rural school enrollment we notice a sharp break downward in the curve after the third or fourth grade for the boys, and another sharp break after the fifth or sixth grade for both sexes. Here the only serious decline in enrollment comes after the fifth grade, and even here the degree is not great. A large proportion of the boys, as well as of the girls, are held for the entire eight-grade course. All but four of these schools are in session for nine months. Schools having an enrollment of 25 or more have the larger propor- tion of the children, but a considerable number of the schools are main- tained with too few pupils for maximum efticiency of work. Small enrollment means small classes lacking entirely the stimulus of num- bers, many grades with but one pupil, and a limited opportunity for school activities of many sorts. This is, of course, also the reason why 70 ^0 PROPORTION of PUPILS m EACH GRADE ^/o 20 1 \ \ 1 \ 1 \ \ 1 f^O --15 GRADE I n m w -BOYS ^ W Ml GRADE gIrls thfe better equipped and more efficient town schools are maintained at a smaller per capita expense than the rural schools with fewer advan- tages. The small school is an expensive school. The number of small schools may be indicated by the following table : 10 or less 15 11-15 20 16-20 19 21-30 24 31-50 19 51 and over 20 117 Nearly a third of the schools have an average attendance of 15 or less. In the whole number of schools there are 108 instances of grades containing but a single pupil each. Combinations of grades can easily be made in teaching some subjects to avoid small classes, but this is not done nearly as much as it might be. Chapter 5 — Miscellaneous. The course of study presents little that requires comment here. The schools are carefully graded, and a well-balanced course of study is prescribed. There is little attempt to teach "special" subjects, which, under the circumstances, is just as well, the facilities being inadequate and the work heavy enough for an average teacher. "Nature study" is usually incidental to the work in language and geography. Some- thing is attempted in connection with the school gardens. Three or four schools give regular periods to elementary agriculture. A little work is done with rafia in several schools, but only one school has any definite work in manual training or domestic science. The Windsor School, in the Reedley High School District, has a special teacher in domestic science one hour a week for the sixth, seventh and eighth 71 grade girls. The boys of the same grades go to Reedley for one hour's in- struclion eacli week in manual training. Most schools where there is a musical instrument or a musical teacher, or both, devote some regular time to school singing. A num- ber have systematic note drill. Woodlake School is probably doing the best work in this respect. It is usual to devote one hour a week to drawing, and many of the schools do very good work in this subject. The regular library fund gives each school an oppor- tunity to amass a very considerable library. The 115 schools under con- sideration had in all 78,581 volumes in their libraries at the close of last year. The books are often a rather haphazard collection, though the fact that the selections must be made from an accredited list keeps them within reasonable bounds. 17 schools have libraries of over a thousand volumes each, and 47 others have more than 500 volumes. An ar- WATCIIFUL WAITING illll^^^^^^^^^^^l H 1 BiBMI m. HS"*"'""^^*'^^"^ ''^aSP^i^K ■™ ^ -'^^s^mim •' ^^iAtb GRAMMAR SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION 72 rangement has recently been authorized whereby a school can, if it desires, turn its annual library money over to the County Library and receive in return the full privileges of that institution. A number of schools have already taken advantage of that provision. A consider- able number of schools are also regular County Library Stations. In many communities considerable use is made of the school libraries by the people of the district. Every public school in California is potentially and theoretically a social and civic center. A State law approved in 1913 provides that, "There is hereby, etc." (See School Law, page 78.) From the en- actment of the law to the realization of the contemplated result is a long step which has not yet been taken. Most of the schools which have sufficient pupils do indeed aim to give several public entertain- ments during the year which are generally well attended. The move- ment is also well started to make broader use of the school buildings. 51 of the schools surveyed reported no use of the buildings for other than school purposes (except possibly for elections). Others, however, are variously used for Sunday School, church services, club meetings, dances, political rallies, and similar gatherings. Doubtless, if more of the teachers lived in the communities where they teach, and held their positions for a longer term of years, and were so minded they could greatly extend this general community use of the school plant, and thereby bring the community and the school much closer together. In- cidentally, they would help solve the vexing social problem of the aver- age rural community. At various points in this discussion we have mentioned the advisa- bility of consolidating some of the district schools. One qualification should be made. Some of the districts, as at present laid out, are al- most, or quite, as large as ordinary consolidated districts. Their size is made necessary by the sparse population. If, as they are settled up, transportation of pupils were provided (as has in one or two cases been attempted), and the district kept intact, there would be in effect a centralized school. In actual practise, the habit is to continually carve new districts out of these old ones as soon as a sufficient number of families are located near one spot to legally establish a school. It would be to the ultimate interests of all concerned to greatly curtail this practise. But there again the "boom" spirit of a new country crops out. How can one community grow properly, if its neighbor has the school? Chapter 6 — High Schools. No detailed study of the I ligh Schools of the County was made, and it is not intended to include here more than the barest outline of the 7Z DINUBA HIGH SCHOOL secondary school situation. There are nine High Schools within the borders of the County — at Alpaugh, Tulare, Dinuba, Orosi, Woodlake, Exeter, Lindsay and Porterville, and three others just over the County line — at Delano, Kingsburg and Reedley. The oldest of these was established in 1891 ; the youngest in 1914. The total enrollment in 1913-14 of pupils from this county was : 1,368 — 612 boys and 756 girls. The High Schools are supported partly by the State and partly by the district. The district may either be co-extensive with an elementary school district, as is the case with Alpaugh, Tulare, Visalia and Lind- say, or a union of several such districts. In 1913-14, their combined PORTERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL 74 income from all sources was $161,257.97, and their total disbursements, $133,230.16. They employed 31 men and 43 women teachers. Their equipment has an aggregate value of about $300,000. llie weak point in the financial system is in the small portion of the county that has to bear the expense of maintaining the High Schools that all use. Pupils from districts not belonging to a High School Union may attend any High School, and their districts are assessed at the pro rata cost of instruction only, leaving the whole burden of maintenance and equip- ment to be borne by the High School District. While several of the schools are small and relatively weak, work of high grade is done in all. The courses are well adapted to the needs of the communities. Agriculture and the usual courses in domestic science and manual training are taught in all but two. There are many special features which would merit extended treatment did our space warrant it. 75 TUL^U^JE CO. gOlnlOOLB. resifiSKio CO. 7^ PART V. RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS. Chapter 1 — Number, Kind and Distribution o£ Religious Organ- izations and Their Material Equipment. The church problem inevitably takes its form from the economic, social and allied problems of the country, a truism which must con- stantly be borne in mind for the proper understanding of our present subject. What would be weakness in one community may well be a sign of strength and of promise for the future in a community of an- other sort. The bare, unrelieved facts regarding the religious situation in Tulare County would be disheartening enough were it not that we are here dealing with a new and somewhat complex situation. The orig- inal settlers of this country were not in the main religious people, and pioneer soil is proverbially difficult for religious organizations to take root in. To a certain extent pioneer conditions still prevail. There are large tracts still very sparsely settled ; there are many communities new within a few years and others but just born. The whole county is still in the throes of its growing pains. Population is rapidly in- creasing, and is composite of many strains. There is much coming and going of settlers and might-be settlers. The great economic de- velopment of the last fifteen years is still in process. The life of the average community has not yet had time to crystallize in institutions. These and other similar conditions, whose effects are clearly seen in the general social and cultural life, and would doubtless be seen in the schools were it not for the highly efficient state system, are un- mistakably reflected in the status of the religious institutions, the most voluntary and sensitive of all social institutions. In general, the re- ligious problem is two-fold. There is the problem of evangelization, /. e., of occupying those sections of the county where there is now no definite or adequate religious work, including those sections which are not now, but may in future become sufficiently populous to support church organizations. There is also the problem of the more efficient cultivation of those fields already occupied, together with such re- adjustments as may be necessary to keep pace with the needs of a growing population. The discussion of just what form these problems take, and what their solutions may be, we will reserve until after the detailed facts of the religious situation have been reviewed. 77 Twenty-seven denominations claimino- the general name Christian and one non-Christian organization maintain rehgious work in the County. Perhaps a dozen other denominations are represented by a scattered membership, but are without local organization or regular meeting. The total number of organizations, missions, preaching points and unorganized meetings of the various "Christian" denomina- tions is 108. 92 of these are regularly organized (though not all are legally incorporated.) Of the total number, 61 are located in the six larger towns of the county, 19 in the various villages, and 28 in the country. Reference to the church map, page 105, and to the subjoined tables, pages 106 and 107, will indicate their respective locations. There are, in addition, a number of union or denominational Sunday Schools wdiere no regular church services are held, but these will be considered under another head, the names merely being appended here : Sunday Schools (without church organization or regular church service) — all in country: 1. Worth Public School District. 2. Badger (Eshom Valley District). 3. Kennedy District. 4. Lewis Creek District. 5. Spa District. 6. Stoil District. 7. Angiola District. 8. Taurusa District. 9. Hot Springs District (Summer only). 10. Allensworth District (Negro only). 11. Three Rivers District. 12. Walnut Grove District. There is also an organization of the Salvation Army at Visalia. Summary. Total number of Christian organizations 92 Unorganized meetings and preaching points 16 — Total 108 In towns 61 In villages 19 In country 28 — Total 108 Sunday Schools without Church Service 12 The term "pastor" in the taljles (pp. 106-107), is taken as referring to a regularly designated minister residing in the immediate parish, without reference to his ordination or installation, as in the usage of 78 some denominations. In like manner the term "non-resident" supply designates a minister regularly serving a church but not residing in its immediate environs. The terms "local elder" or "local preacher" refer to a man having some other primary occupation than the min- istry, who, while residing in the community, serves a church as its minister without salary. There are abandoned churches or organiza- tions not included in the above tables at Monson (near Dinuba), Farm- ersville, Piano, and Springville. Sunday Schools no longer in exist- ence have in the past been maintained at Fountain Springs, Liberty, Enterprise, Artesia and Lake View School Districts. It will be noticed that the distribution of the fields of religious work shows the usual overlapping by the different denominations that is almost invariably the feature of Protestant religious effort in this country. At least a third, and possibly more, of the existing organiza- tions are not needed, and have at best a very restricted field of work. Unnecessary duplication of organizations means impaired efficiency at a higher cost, both for equipment and maintenance. This is the con- dition especially in the towns and villages ; the newness of most of the rural communities has prevented as much duplication there, while it is often the very newness of the village communities that fosters de- nominational rivalry, various denominations seeming to take the posi- tion that it is permissible to cripple present religious work in order to establish their particular brand of religion in a locality which has promise of growth. The short-sightedness of this policy, from the point of view of Christianity as a whole, should be obvious since weak churches, with scattered energies, seldom lay firm foundations for future building. The only unrestricted fields for Protestant work in the towns are with the various foreign groups, the missions for Portu- guese, Japanese and Koreans and the self-supporting German con- gregations. Eight of the nineteen village churches have "free" fields. In the twenty-five country districts where religious work is carried on, there is overlapping of Protestant denominations in only three. A few instances may be cited here, and the point will be referred to again later. Orosi has had for many years three denominations at work in a field which would much more adecjuately support a single church. Alpaugh, which had at first a Union church, now has a Lutheran and a Methodist Episcopal church, each recjuiring Home Mission aid. There were no conditions to justify the organization of a second church in Strathmore, Woodlake, Farmersville, Waukena, Si)ringville and Ducor, and except in Springville, where the organization, first in the field, has since given the field over to the newcomer, the maintenance of a second church in each community can be justified only on de- - 79 THE PEOPLE AND THE CHURCH OF THE Non-Catholic Population Residing in tona/ns villages 17.^% 6.9% COUNTRY 162% ARE CHURCH MEMBERS nominational grounds. Such problems cannot, of course, be settled out of hand, and we have no disposition to be doctrinaire in the matter. But the future, particularly in smaller settlements, so obviously belongs to the community church, of whatever denomination, that the larger questions of comity involved deserve most careful consideration. That this problem is still urgent may be inferred from the fact that the number of organizations formed, or preaching points established within the last five years, is 47, and that 32 of these were in localities where Protestant work was already being carried on, and the new organizations were, without exception, unnecessary. This practise has not, however, been confined to the last five years, by any means, and, as previously practised, has left a legacy of many unnecessarily weak churches. There is one interesting sidelight on this situation. The most striking point aljout recent church development is the rapid in- crease of the number of churches of such dissenting denominations as the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, the Apostolic Ploliness Union, the Church of God Come-Outers, the Seventh Day Adventists, and the Church of the Millenial Dawn, which last has several scattered groups of adherents without local organization. These all primarily make their appeal to the poor, the dissatisfied and the previously un- churched, and are distinguished the country over by their ability to take root in their soil and survive where other churches languish. They 80 - ^ I IT IT II II .ir '' 1 f^ "^ M. E. CHURCH, TULARE are seldom strong churches, either financially or numerically, but their persistence in small communities is almost invariably a sign of the failure of the "regular" denominations to cope with the situation. Throughout the remainder of this discussion, except where other- wise stated, the data presented will be based on a study of 95 of the entire 109 churches and meetings. The reasons for the 14 omissions are as follows : the Buddhist temple was omitted to confine the study to Christian organizations ; since complete information could be ob- tained for only one of the four Catholic churches, these four, and also the Gregorian Armenian congregation at Yettem and the organization of the Latter Day Saints at Tulare are omitted, leaving only Protestant organizations. Information was also not secured concerning the five Christian Science and the two United Brethren groups. The 95 re- maining are divided as follows: 51 are in towns, 17 in villages, and 27 in the country. The Salvation xA.rmy is considered only in the Sunday School discussion. The 95 organizations and meetings have at the present time 74 church buildings, 34 parsonages (2 other churches are attached to circuits having parsonages located in other counties), and four sep- arate parish houses or social halls, representing a total valuation of a little under $500,000. The Methodist Episcopal Church has by far the largest amount of any denomination invested in church equipment, with the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodist Episcopal South and Con- gregationalists following in the order named. Nearly half of the church buildings — 33 to be exact — have been erected within the last five years, representing an investment during that period of between 81 one hundred and eighty and two hundred thousand dollars. The new buildings are, in general, much better planned for church purposes than the older ones, though many buildings, both old and new, show that they were conceived merely as auditoriums for preaching rather than as centers ; also for social and educational activities. The appended table will give an idea of the average value of the church edifices : All Buildings. Valued at. Buildings Erected Within Last Five Years. 17 14 19 IS 7 2 $1,000 or less 1,001-2,000 2,001-5,000 5,001-10,000 10,001-20,000 20,001 or over 4 9 11 4 4 1 74 $5,210 Total 33 Average value $5,400 In the same manner the number of rooms available for church purposes may be indicated : All Buildings. Buildings With Buildings Erected Within Last Five Years. 27 9 23 8 7 1 room 2 rooms 3- 5 rooms 6-10 rooms 11 or more rooms 14 3 8 4 4 74 306 Total number rooms 33 143 The two best buildings in the county are probably the Methodist Episcopal Church at Tulare and the Congregational Church at Porter- ville. For strictly religious activities, the former is the better ; for general social activities, the latter. This building, however, has been something of a white elephant. It was erected some eight years ago as a social center, and splendidly equipped with club rooms, gym- nasium, swimming tank, locker rooms, etc. Its maintenance has been a great financial drain, and the congregation has never been able to realize its ambitions for an institutional church. Other buildings worthy of mention, for plan antl equipment, are the Presbyterian, Methodist Episcopal and Episcopal buildings in Yisalia ; the Methodist Episcopal South building in Dinuba ; the Presbyterian and Methodist Episcopal South buildings in Exeter ; the Methodist Episcopal building in Porterville ; the Baptist and IMethodist Episcopal buildings in Lind- say ; and among the country and villages churches, the two buildings at 82 M. E. CHURCH, LINDSAY Alpaugh, the Brethren Church near Strathmore, and the Mennonite Church west of Dinuba. The parsonages range in value from $600.00 to $5,000.00, the aver- age being about $2,100. In general, they compare favorably with the average of the less pretentious homes in their communities. The fact that less than half of the ministers at w^ork in the county are provided with parsonages is somewhat of a handicap, since in most sections desirable renting properties are scarce and rents are high. In general, rather insufficient care is taken of the church buildings and grounds, and the appearance of many an otherwise passable build- ing is spoiled by neglect and by an untidy church lot. There are, of course, some very happy exceptions to this rule. The seating capacity of the various church auditoriums varies from 60 to 1,000, the majority seating from 150 to 200. The total seating capacity of the town churches is 11,650; of the village churches, 2,780, and of the country churches, 2,330, an aggregate of 16,760, which is considerably in excess of the number that they are called upon to seat at any given time. Chapter 2 — Membership and Growth. The membership of the local churches is not an altogether satis- factory index to the strength of the religious forces of the county. Here, far more than in older settled sections, there are many people who, prior to their settlement here, were church members, but who have never united with local churches. Some of them help support 83 the local churches ; many do not. Just how many people there are in the county who have church letters stored in the bottoms of their trunks, or whose names are still on the roster of some church "back east," it is impossible to say, but there are doubtless a good many. On the other hand, the membership rolls of many local churches con- tain names of former residents who have never asked for their letters. The practise of churches in regard to such names varies. Some churches carry them indefinitely, while others revise their rolls an- nually. In figuring the membership, care was taken to get only the living, resident and active, membership. Those who had moved away, or who, without moving, had completely lost interest, were not counted. This will cause some variation between the figures here presented and those appearing in the various denominational year-books. It is be- lieved, however, that the figures given here are substantially correct. In case where there was no actual organization, but a definite and recognizable group of people banded together for regular worship, their number was included. It should be remembered that not all of the 95 centers of Protestant work which we are here considering have either an organization or a definite clientele, while others have an organization in common with some larger center of work. 86 organi- zations, or definite groups, are here recognized and counted. The total membership of these 86 organizations is 7,425. Of these the town churches have 5,889, an average of 120 to a church; the vil- lage churches have 76S, an average of 45 ; the country churches have also 768, an average of 38. Many country residents are represented in the membership of town and village churches. The total member- ship, according to residence, would give town members 3,359; village members, 240; country members, 3,826. The total non-Catholic popu- lation of the county, as nearly as it can be estimated, is approximately 45,000-46,000. Just about 16% of the total non-Catholic population, therefore, is represented in the church membership, which is certainly a low proportion. The towns and the country show about the same proportion; the villages a much lower proportion. About 17.4% of the non-Catholics in the towns are Protestant Church members ; about 6.9% in the villages, and 16.2% in the country. The village is ap- parently the difficult field — a condition possibly to be attributed to the denominational over-lapping which has so undermined the strength of the village churches. There are many small churches, ineffectual because of very poverty of numbers, a condition excusable except where the church forces have been unnecessarily divided. 71% of all the churches, and all but one of the village and country churches, have less than a hundred 84 members each. Exactly half of the churches have less than fifty mem- bers each. The detailed figures are suggestive: Churches With an Active Membership of — 10 or less 11-20 21-50 51-75 76-100 101-150 151-200 201 or more Town. 2 1 1 3 3 12 6 5 4 1 3 2 9 1 4 11 49 17 Village. Country. 20 Total. 3 13 27 11 7 10 4 11 86 The following table shows the number of members attached to the churches in the various towns ; also the number of local church mem- bers actually resident in each : Name of Town. Total Active Membership All Protestant Churches. Number of Active Members Resident. Visalia 1,093 1,408 791 561 860 1,176 739 Dinuba 795 Tulare Exeter 464 327 Porterville Lindsay 497 507 Dinuba is the best church town, both in the proportion of the town people who belong to the churches and in the number of country people attached to the town churches. Five denominations have the largest part of the total Protestant membership — the Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Presbyterian, Meth- odist Episcopal South and Disciples of Christ, their numerical strength being in the order named. The Baptists are making by far the most rapid growth for the county as a whole. The United States Religious Census of 1906 may be cited here to show the total growth for the last nine years, and the relative degrees of growth of the various de- nominations. All Protestant Bodies except Church of Christ, Scientist. Membership 1906. 1915. 7,425 1,793 797 1,404 200 711 986 1,534 Net Gain, Nine Years. 4,189 987 205 991 75 179 514 1,038 % of Gain. All others Total 125 532 472 496 3,236 806 592 413 129 122 M. E M. E. S Baptist 36 240 60 Protestant Episcopal . . . Disciples of Christ Presbyterians 33 108 209 85 VARIATIONS IN CHURCH MEMBERSHIP for Churches in TOWNS so MEMBERS OR LESS VILLAGES 51 - too MEMBERS COUNTRY »01 MEMBERS OR MORE Not more than fifteen church organizations show a net loss for this period. But many show a relative loss in proportion to the population, which has almost doubled since 1906. The total membership for the county, however, has gained on the population somewhat. The figures for 1906 not being itemized, except by denominations, it is not possible to analyze the changes according to localities. The total church membership is drawn from 3,558 different families, which means that something like 35-40% of all the non-Catholic fam- ilies in the county are represented. It is noteworthy, however, that these families average only a little over two members from each fam- ily. The Methodist Episcopal Church South is the only denomination that shows an appreciably higher average than that. Their six churches show an average of a little less than three members for each family represented. The generally low average is due in part to the relatively small number of men in the church membership. The Brethren Church, near Strathmore, has an unusual record in this re- spect. In every family represented in the membership, save one, both husband and wife are members, and 25% of the total membership are under 21 years of age. For the county as a whole the feminine contingent forms practically 60% of the entire membership. The proportion varies somewhat in the different denominations and localities, but for no very apparent reason. The proportion of young people (under 21 years of age) in the membership varies from 13% to 28%, being a little less than 24% 86 for the county. It is considerably higher in the country and village churches than in the town churches. There are ten churches with practically no young people at all. Speaking generally, the churches which have large numbers of young people are the churches with well- organized, efficient Sunday Schools. Indeed, the Sunday School, prop- erly conducted, is the only really efficient method of holding young people in the church. Three classes of churches have very few young people — churches with haphazard, poorly-organized Sunday Schools ; ritualistic churches, like the Protestant Episcopal, and churches with a predominatingly emotional appeal, like the Church of God, Holiness and Nazarene — though perhaps it all comes to the one reason. The following table gives the figures in detail for denominations and localities : All churches M. E M. E. S Baptist Protestant Episcopal Disciples of Christ.. Presbyterian Other denominations Towns Villages Country Total No. Male. 2,999 726 306 579 75 274 394 634 2.377 301 321 Total No. Female. 4,426 1,067 491 825 125 437 592 900 3,512 467 447 Under 21. 1,771 454 191 344 26 155 217 384 1,345 213 213 Per Cent. Per Cent. Male. Under 21. 40.4 40.5 38.3 41.3 37.5 38.5 40.0 41.3 40.2 39.2 41.8 23.8 25.3 24.0 24.5 13.0 21.8 22.0 25.0 22.8 27.7 27.7 The total number of accessions to the membership last year was 1,825. The year's losses, chiefly by letter, were 468, leaving a net gain of 1,357, or an average of nearly 16 per organization. The Baptist denomination made the largest net gain of the year with 368 ; the Methodist Episcopal Church was second with 209. The accessions, losses and net gain by localities are shown below: Visalia . . . Dinuba ... Tulare . . . Exeter . . . Porterville Lindsay . . Villages .. Country . . Total Number Net Gain Accessions. Total Losses. for Year. 201 86 115 335 56 279 172 75 97 208 33 175 113 74 39 403 82 321 235 35 200 158 27 131 Of the total number of accessions, a rather large proportion, 778, or 42.6%, were by letter, 1,047 being received on profession of faith. Men formed a larger proportion of the year's gain than of the total membership. 821, or 45%, of the total number received, were men; 1,004 were women. The different localities show some rather interest- 87 ing variations in these pro- portions. The number of accessions by letter was considerably in excess of the number on profession in Visalia, Porterville, and the country churches. The Lindsay churches received by far the largest propor- tion on profession — 77.8%. In Lindsay, also, the men received during the year outnumbered the women. "To him that hath shall be given." It is the already large churches that make the substantial gains. Num- bers attract numbers. Very few of the small congregations made any appreciable gains during the year. More than a third of the total number of churches lost ground or merely marked time last year, 26 churches received the bulk of the accessions. The detailed figures follow : PRESBYTERIAN niURril, LINDSAY Qiurches. With a net loss With a net gain of 5 or less. With a net gain 6-10 With a net gain 11-20 With a net gain 21-50 With a net gain 51 and over. With neither gain nor loss... Town. Village. Country. 8 3 1 5 5 8 3 4 3 8 4 14 5 2 5 6 2 Chapter 3 — The Church Budget. To determine exactly how much money it takes to run a church for a year is often a very difficult task, for the simple reason that nobody knows. This is particularly true of churches which are loosely and imperfectly organized, but is not confined to them. Some churches have very excellent business methods ; some have very poor business methods, while still others have no business methods at all. There is undoubtedly a great deal of waste effort in the financing of religious movements owing to the haphazard and imsystematic methods so often employed. The financial needs of a church may roughly be classified under three heads — (a) the expense of up-keep and maintenance, including the pastor's salary, insurance, interest on indebtedness, etc., a relatively COMPOSITION OF THE CHURCH MEMBERSHIP Enlisting THE Men I MEN^O"/r ] W0MEN6O 'L I Recruiting for the Futum MmoR24%| Adult 76 /o fixed amount; (/?) the general benevolences of the church, including contributions to the various denominational boards and support of va- rious denominational officers; in part a fixed amount, but in part de- pending on circumstances ; (c) special expenses incurred on account of building, repairs, purchase of necessary furniture, payment of any special assessments for paving or similar purposes, etc., an amount varying very greatly from year to year. Certain churches, notably those of the Seventh Day Adventist denomination, raise their entire budget by a tithing system. These churches, in proportion to their general strength as compared with other churches, raise unusually large amounts, have generally a low maintenance expense, and are correspondingly larger givers for missionary and general denomina- tional purposes. This system is apparently not adapted to the average Protestant congregation. A very few churches attempt carefully to estimate their total liabilities for each year, including fixed and in- cidental charges and benevolences, and cover this entire budget minus any ascertainable income from collections or endowments, by annual pledges, payable either weekly, by a "duplex" envelope system, or upon receipt of a monthly or quarterly statement. (The "duplex" envelope system is a system of double envelopes, one-half for general and the other for benevolent contributions — the advantage over the common "single" envelope being that it systematizes the giving to benevolences and distributes it over the entire year, substituting this 89 for dependence upon special collections. The system is greatly to be recommended.) A much larger number of churches secure pledges covering simply the pastor's salary and the stated denominational as- sessments, frequently using a weekly envelope system, and rely upon collections, receipts from socials and similar sources for the balance of the budget. Any deficit which may occur, and all special or vm- usual expenses, are covered either by a special solicitation or a special offering. The disadvantage of this method is that there usually is a deficit, and the giving for missionary purposes is uncertain, unsys- tematic, and unsatisfactory. (Of course, many churches would be glad to secure pledges for their entire expense, if they could. That they cannot is usually due either to the absence of a carefully pre- pared, business-like budget, or to an inefficient canvass, or both. Where a duplex envelope system, or similar device, has been employed with- out results, the reason is usually to be found in the methods employed in establishing its use.) The remaining number of churches get what pledges and collections they can and hustle for the rest. The total amount raised on the field last year by all Protestant churches was $115,055. In addition, 21 churches received Home Mis- sion aid to the extent of $5,284. The appended table indicates the total amounts raised locally by the various denominations, and in the various localities also the amounts raised per capita of the member- ship. This last is included, with recognition of the fact that by no means all of the money raised is contributed by the members, simply as an indication of the money-raising power of the various churches: Total Amt. Amt. Raised Amt. Raised Raised M. E $27,788 M. E. S 8,791 Baptist 22,402 Protestant Episcopal 3,020 Disciples of Christ 9,482 Presbyterian 19,090 Other denominations 24,482 Visalia \7J36 Dinuba 15,159 Tulare 13,394 Exeter 9,743 Porterville 13,764 Lindsay 18,412 Villages 14,722 Country 12,125 per Member Membership $15.49 $32.65 11.03 29.90 14.53 33.48 15.10 21.12 13.33 24.90 19.55 35.33 15.96 36.27 16.23 10.77 16.93 17.36 16.00 13.53 19.17 15.79 Grand total $115,055 $15.49 $32.05 That there is economy in numbers is shown by the fact that the best church towns, generally speaking, i. c, Dinuba and Lindsay, raise the 90 smallest per capita amounts, while the weakest group of churches, those in the villages, raise the largest per capita amount. The total amount raised, $115,055, was expended as follows: For salaries of ministers, $50,022, or 43.4%, of the total (to get the whole amount received by ministers, the amount received from llome Mis- sion Boards must be added to this; a detailed discussion of salaries will be included in the chapter on ministers) ; for all maintenance and contingent expenses, $47,203, or 41.0% (this includes all amounts raised for building purposes, interest on indebtedness, etc.) ; for all benevolences, including supervision and the support of denominational agencies, $17,830, or 15.6%. The unusually large amount required for contingent expenses is, of course, due to the fact that we have here many new churches, with rather heavy indebtedness from recent building operations. This fact also doubtless explains the small propor- tion of the budget devoted to benevolences. The following tables give (1) an analysis of the expenditures by denominations; (2) the amount expended for various purposes per capita of the membership and the proportion of the total budget devoted to benevolences, by denomina- tions; and (3) the total and the per capita amounts raised for bene- volences in the different localities, with the proportion of those amounts in the total budget. Home Foreign Other Contingent Salaries Supervision Missions Missions Benevolences M. E $12,153 $1,162 $1,184 $1,121 $1,663 $10,505 M. E. S 4,700 525 249 262 439 2.616 Baptist 8,780 675 957 692 506 10,792 Prot. Epis 1.650 172 83 56 43 1,016 Presbyterian 8.378 197 464 531 526 8.994 Others 14,361 367 3,376 1,807 IIZ 13,280 Total $50,022 $3,098 $6,313 $4,469 $3,950 $47,203 Amount raised for Proportion of total Amount raised for benevolences (incl. budget used for salaries per capita supervision) benevolence (incl. of membership per capita supervision) M. E $6.77 $2.86 18.4% M. E. S 5.90 1.85 16.7% Baptist 6.25 2.01 12.7% Prot. Epis 8.25 1.77 11.7% Disc, of Ch 6.47 0.88 6.6% Presbyterian 8.70 1.74 9.0% Others 6.36 3.68 23.1% Amount raised for benevolences (including supervision) ^ ^- c ^ , Per capita of Proportion of Total membership total budget Visalia $2,328 $2.22 13.7% Dinuba*. ::::::::::::::::: 3,771 2.72 25.2% Tulare 2,225 2.81 16.6% Exeter 800 1.42 8.1% Porterville'." '. '. ". '. '. '. '. ". '. '. '. '. '. '. 2,177 2.53 15.8% Lindsay 2,318 1.88 13.9% Villages 1-77-3 3.02 12.1% Country ! l'. 1 ■.■.■.■.■.■. '.l 1 !.. . 2.318 2.32 19.1% 91 The above tables show some very interesting contrasts between de- nominations and also between localities. We will leave it for others, however, to discover their significance, except in these few particulars. The country churches as a whole give largely to missions because of the number of churches in the country with an unsalaried ministry which devote a large part of their l)Uh„i ,„ s.), Ho-. ■ Ch aMg ujed, b»r no organic jtio Dt.o.i.: ME M.th.Ep.^. nES /Aoth tp.ii South BN Bsptfsl /Vorn..rr. C.T<.<,>.r..n PE ProT.it.nt Ep,«of^l RC Roman C»thoP.c Pr Pre5i;,T.i-i».,U.S A a- Chr,»T,.r> (D.«.pl«l CX Ck^rthof Chr.sT CG Charthor&oJ PCN Pe„T„o^T.l Ck „l N„ar,„, 7 DA 711, Do. AJvent.sI GEL " E.lngel.t.l L-thor.n LDS L»tt,. D.y .So,r,U(Rforg) BX B.-ell„^n of Chri.t UB Un.t.J Brethroo C-A &r.gor,»n Armenian RUB R»d,t = l U B Br Brtlhrtn M„ Mennon.t. EA E.aT.gc-l,c,l Aiiot.ar.on AMn.jTry; . I 5,n.J churches. Many of the men on the held are advancing this end with ahle service. Men hke Dr. (ireig, pastor-evangehst of the v'^an joacjuin Presbytery, have been in the past, and are now doing splendid work to evangelize and develop this new country. It is to be regretted that the value of their efforts must be so often minimized by the influence of men wdio put the welfare of a denomination before the welfare of the Kingdom of God, or who fail to see the broader implications of their task. 105 1 Meth. Epis. 2 I 3 ; 4 I 5 ; 6 I 7 1 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 4^ 43 44 45 46 47 Presbyterian. \'isalia Tulare Dinuba Lindsay Porterville. . . Exeter Bonnie Brae. Goshen Sultana Cutler Seville Farmersville . Wood lake. . . Townsend . . . Ducor Richgrove . . . Oakdale Buena Vista.. Waukena. . . . Alpaugh Poplar Spring ville. . . Globe Tulare Bliss Earlimart.. . . Visalia Dinuba E.xeter Lindsay Orosi Orange Cove. . V'enice Hill.. . . Woodlake . . . . Lemon Cove. . Terra Bella. . . Strathmore. . . Prairie Center Yettem Baptist. Visalia . Tulare. Dinuba. Exeter. ^L E. South. Lindsay Porterville. . . . Ducor Orosi Strathmore . . . Visalia Dinuba Exeter Orosi Woodville . . . . E. Mineral King. Organization Resident Pastor Preaching Point. . . , With Exeter Membership with Exeter Organization Xon-res. Supply Resident Pastor With Sultana Preaching Point.. . 1 " " No Building. Organization ' Resident Pastor Preaching Point.. . i With Woodlake. . . Use School H'se Organization I Resident Pastor Preaching Point.. . With Ducor Use School H'se Organization , Non-res. Supply.. . " Resident Pastor. .. , " With Buena Vista i Resident Pastor Portuguese Miss. Preaching Point. . Organization . . . . Oriental Mission . Organization. . . . W'ith Springville Native Missionary With Tulare Miss.. Use School H'se With Delano Resident Pastor Worker Pastor.. . I Korean Mission in Connection. Non-res. Supply. . . Resident Pastor \\'ith Woodlake Resident Pastor. . . Prepar'g to build Use School H'se Organization . With Strathmore.. Use School H'se Resident Pastor. . . Armenian Con- gregation Resident Pastor New Building un- der construction Organization Resident Pastor E. of Visalia 106 .0 >. Denomination Location rt 3 Designation How Served Remarks S6 Chris. Science. Visalia T Organization S7 " Dinuba T S8 " Tulare T '* 50 " Lindsay T " 60 " Porterville. . . . T '* 61 Protestant Episcopal. Visalia T Organization Resident Pastor 6? " Tulare T With Visalia 6^ " Dinuba T " Witn Reedley 6^ " Porterville .... T " Resident Pastor 6S Lindsay T With Porterville. . . Bldg. under construction 66 Church of God Exeter T Organization Resident Pastor 67 " Visalia T With Exeter 68 Tulare T Un-organized Meeting. Resident Pastor 60 " Dinuba T Organization " '.' 70 Pentecostal Church of Nazarene . Visalia T Organization Vacant Practically Abandoned 71 " Waukena C Non-res. Supply 72 " Tulare T 2 Resid't Workers 73 " Lindsay T Resident Pastor 74 Seventh Day Adventist. Visalia T Organization Resident Pastor 75 Dinuba T Local Elder Have Parochial School 76 Tulare T 77 Venice C Have Parochial School 78 Rom. Catholic X^isalia T Organization Resident Pastor 79 Tulare T 8n " Porterville .... T " 8t " Lindsay T Mission With Porterville 82 Disciples of Christ. Visalia T Organization Resident Pastor 8^ " Lindsay T •' 84 " Dinuba T '• 85 Tulare T 86 German Evangelical Lutheran. X'isalia T Organization Resident Pastor. . . riave'^Parochial Sjhool 87 Dinuba T Preaching Point.. . With Visalia 88 N. E. of Terra Bella . C Organization Resident Pastor. . . Have Parochial School 8q Congregation'l Tulare T Organization Resident Pastor 90 Porterville. . . . T 91 Manzanillo . . . C Preaching Point.. . Non-res. Supply.. . N. W.'of Tulare 92 Church of Christ. Porterville. . . . T Organization Resident Pastor 93 Dinuba T Un-organized Meeting Vacant 94 Apostolic Holi- ness Union Exeter T Organization Vacant 95 Porterville. . . . T Local Preacher 06 Mennonite. . . . W. of Dinuba . C " 97 Saucelito C Un-organized Meeting. " Use School House 98 German Con- gregational. Dinuba T Organization With Sanger 99 Evangelical Association. Porterville. . . . T Resident Pastor 100 Friends Lindsav T lOI Lutheran Gen'l Synod Alpaugh C 102 Brethren W. of Strath- more . C Local Preacher 103 Brethren of Christ. Aurora C Un-organized Meeting . L^sp School House N. of Waukena 104 Union Farmersville. . V Organization Resident Pastor los United Breth'n Tipton V 106 Radical U. B.. Pixley V 107 Armenian Gregorian. Yettem c Un-organized Meeting. Vacant 108 Latter Day Saints — Re- organized . Tulare T Organization Missionary 109 Buddhist Visalia T 107 PART VI. RECOMMENDATIONS. The first conclusion which we draw from this survey is that the work in CaHfornia needs larger funds and more generous support from the church. The Board of Home Missions should be asked for ampler funds, and should grant more for the work in the Presbytery of San Joaquin. The money is needed for two main purposes: First. — To extend the gospel in the ever new communities which are formed in the country. The work laid upon the shoulders of Dr. G. B. Greig is a great work efficiently borne. It will continue for years to come to be the chief interest of not only the Presbyterian, but of other churches in this region. The section is only in part settled. The possibilities of raising fruit are only in part realized. The chief use of this survey may well be to show the greatness of the problem in California, which few people outside of California appreciate. Consider the public school organization of the state as a measure of what the church ought to do, and it becomes evident at once that we are not comprehending the greatness of the California need. The Christian leaders in California should organize to lay their needs be- fore the national bodies, and to present them to men of wealth in Cali- fornia and other states, in order that adequate provision may be made for establishing the Church in new communities. Second. — There should be at certain important centers great and generous provision for the growth of the churches. This is especially true in the agricultural towns and in the oil towns. There abundance of money is made by men who, if a great plan were presented to them, would gladly give generously. Most of these are California residents. Our recommendation is that the money for extension of the Church in new communities should come in large measure from national home mission funds, but that large plans should be made and generous funds asked for the building and ec[uipping of complete church plants at im- portant centers. In the selection of these centers the Home Board could co-operate, but the management of this forward movement should be in California. The time has come now, in leading towns, when the Protestant Church must have a large and ample equipment, in order to serve the whole community. 108 This survey is not published primarily as an advice to the Presby- tery of San Joaquin in the work it is now doing, for that work is effectively and well done. Dr. Greig, who gave patient and invaluable assistance to the investigators who have made this study, deserves the utmost confidence from the churches, and his work should have the continuing support of both the Synod and the Home Board. There are few men in the service of the churches who are doing in the coun- try work so lasting and so far-sighted. The survey is a presentation of the situation in California to the Church at large. It shows the extent of the school development, and the great scale on wdiich the school work is done in California, the foresight and generosity with which the state is laying educational foundations. We present this study of the schools as a measure of the foundations which the churches must provide for the population in California. The survey shows also the greatness of the economic problem in California, the ample wealth which the state is producing, and will produce more abundantly in the future. This part of the survey is for the purpose, again, of measuring the religious needs of California with a sufficiently large rule, and of showing the justification for work in this state, both in the needs of the people and in their ability to con- tinue what is now begun. The survey also shows, in the main outline, how well the initial work has been done toward the planting of churches in rural communities in California. Considering the great extent of this task, and its many difficulties, the financial burdens under which, in a new state, our race and our people have had to go forward, we believe that commendation and thanksgiving should be the chief and first report upon all this work. The foundations are well laid for a great religious future for Cali- fornia. The whole work is animated with the hope and optimism which has characterized that state from the beginning. The purpose of the survey is to show how far this work has been done, and what remains in the immediate future to be completed. To San Joaquin Presbytery and to Its Constituent Churches. First. — Patience is the first great need of the religious worker in California. The country sections, represented l)y Tulare County, are in a state of rapid change. Years must run before the population settles. For a long time there will be much moving in and out of each rural community. This means that many churches will sufifer losses, members who are now relied on will move away, new persons will be taking their places, and a continued i)eriod of changes will go on until 109 a permanent rural population comes to dwell in the towns, villages and open country. The churches should strive for longer pastorates. This does not mean the life pastorate; but ministers, especially in the country, should be established for a greater length of time. Only patience and con- tinuance will win for the denomination or congregation in the coming years. Spasmodic efforts or brilliant personalities will have but little eft'ect upon the moving equilibrium. Their brief successes will pass out of account in the coming and going of many families and men; but a minister who gives live or ten years to a town will accomplish something. He will be a strong force in fixing the population, in per- suading the best people to stav in the community. The time comes in the growth of towns when a more mature and abiding sense of resi- dence shows itself. At this time ministers of permanence are com- munity builders. They are to be the interpreters of country life to those who are ready for the message. Parsonages should be built by those churches which desire to hold their congregations. Less than one-half of the ministers are so fur- nished, and a residence for the minister is a big factor in the per- manence of his work. Second. — Evangelism is the alphabet of Christian service in a popu- lation rapidly increasing. This duty is the greater in the San Joacjuin \'alley, where only 16% of the non-Catholic population is in the churches. To win men to Christ and the Church is the daily breath of duty. California has not had success in the use of professional evangelists, and we do not recommend their work. It is obvious that the ministers on the ground have done the best work, for 35% to 40% of the family groups in this county are connected with churches, show- ing that old religious habits draw many. The need now is of diligent personal work in the community and in the household. Men are con- spicuously absent from the churches. To win them to the church is the task to be accomplished by diligent personal appeal, by patient and persistent community service lasting beyond three years, at the least ; and by an attitude of the church toward the community and its affairs which will command the respect of male members of the population. It would not misstate the case to say that the evangelism needed in Tulare County is a business man's and bread-winners' evangelism. The gospel must be presented in a way to win men who have to get a living, and to provide, as God provides, for a famil\'. Third. — The open fields for mission work in the towns are the im- migrant populations — Portuguese, East Indian, and others, who re- cently arrived from foreign shores. A large field of new work where 110 congregations may be established is in the open country in the de- velopment of new sections. The Sunday School opportunity in the county is the most promising opening for evangelistic work in the country. The Sunday School is the best means of reaching the evan- gelized section of the country, and this survey discloses that there are 43 school districts where live 927 children who have no church or Sunday School privilege, being five miles from the nearest Sunday School. This opportunity should not be neglected by the churches of Tulare County and by the Sunday School authorities. Fourth. — The villages in Tulare County are over-churched. This excess of churches is to be found in all the rural sections of southern California. There are too many churches in the village and too few in the open country. There are no opportunities for more village churches, as a rule, but there are openings for new religious work in the towns. The plague of over-lapping religious work has something to do with the low church membership, which, in the village, is recorded as being less than 7 per cent. The situation is deplorable. It is in vain to urge evangelistic effort, for there is something wrong with the membership of a church when, at a point where her divisions are greatest, her membership is the smallest. Probably the over-lapping of churches is not the only cause. The villages suffer from the difficulties of work in the open country, and from the swift, moving unrest of the dwellers of the farm, as well as from the difficulties which the towns have. Professor Hart says, "The village is neither hay nor grass." It is neither green growth of the open country nor the seasoned product of the city. The problem of rural California, therefore, is at its most acute stage in the village. We recommend that for a time no new churches be established in the villages. It is a relief to know that one kind of work can, for a time, be let alone. It will do the village good when it has too many churches to let it alone. Ministers and church leaders should give preference to town and open country until there is a more favorable state of religious demand in the village. The greatest problem at pres- ent is that churches are needed in the swiftly developing country field. The next greatest problem is the intensifying and strengthening of more strategic churches, the most of which will, perhaps, l)c in the towns. Fifth. — It is plain that j)ublic scntimenl in this region needs a new teaching about the church. The doctrine of comity and co-operation should be preached with force. The one religious doctrine that people in general will talk about, is the unity of Christian people. Ill The best way to teach comity and co-operation is to present the church as a community-serving organization. This means that the church is the soul of the community. God's spirit is teaching this to men everywhere. It is the spiritual message of the quarter-century. Since the days of Charles H. Parkhurst, the Puritan who cleaned New York, all ministers have dreamed of a church that shall be civic — the heart of a society. If this is done, and if people are convinced that the church should serve all in the community, not belong to a denominational few alone, then it will follow in the minds of all hearers that the people owe the church a duty. The time will never come when men will believe alike. A church of doctrines is a church of dissent and of competition; but a church of service is a church of unity and co-operation. The best way to convince the average man that churches should co-operate, is to con- vince him that the Church of Jesus Christ must everywhere serve all the people. Indeed among ignorant people denominations are formed of "come- outers," who profess, and wath sincerity, the purpose of forming a separate denomination, in order to unite all Christians. What we recommend here is, that the churches should teach and preach the duty of comity and co-operation, in order to forestall the formation of new churches in these old communities. Already there are too many. Sixth. — The deplorable number of independent churches in Cali- fornia expressing revolt and seeking an experience of ecstasy is to be ex])lained by the fact that many of the churches of the older tradi- tion do not serve the whole community ; they do not try to. They ignore the poor. Their forms of service do not appeal to the ignorant or the needy. It is of people of small mind and of strong emotions that these random denominations are formed. They have a perfect right, of course, to worship after their own manner. But the five great denominations which lead in Tulare County have no right to neglect the poor, the ignorant, the commonplace, and the emotional. They are responsible, and should satisfy the religious cravings of all classes of the population. There is no reason why Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Congregational, and Disciple Churches should not be sufficient to the task in Tulare County — except that these churches tend to interpret religion for college people and business people in terms of intellect, literature, criticism and reform. These things are of small concern to working people, who care more for sympathy, neighborly affection, and for enthusiasm in religion. At great costs to themselves they form denominations when necessary to satisfy their religious cravings. 112 ANOTHER USE l-i)R THE IRRKJATIOX DITCH The community church ought to satisfy these cravings. If it would organize — not necessarily as a gymnasium, or as the Young Men's Christian Association, with its elaborate plant — but as a cordial, de- vout, praying fellowship, meeting in the homes of the people, sym- pathizing with the young, comforting the aged, and gathering the poor and discouraged into its fellowship, it would include all the people of the community. W'e admit this cannot be done without a pastorate who are resolved to remain, at least, live years in a place. Seventh. — The greatest lack in the churches surveyed is an interest in the community. This does not mean that the church should busy itself rebuking the sins of the community. It is a mistake to suppose that the first business of the church is with the sins of the people. Churches are not moralists' societies; but just God's folks. Life is their gospel, not morality. It is pharisaical to assume that from the start the church is in a jjosition to rel)uke the people. The great busi- ness of the church is wath life first, and her relation to sin is incidental. Her message is one of eternal life, therefore the church should bring cheer and refreshment to those who arc under heavy strain, courage to the depressed, and a message of daring, of fearlessness and of abounding resources to the children of God in all their work and trouble. The settlement of a new stale imposes a heavy strain njion the j:)Opulation who make the first advances. They have to pay a hea\y cost in laying the foundations of California. Many of them lay down their lives and fortunes in the process. The church must have a ha])py, 113 affirmative, dynamic message of courage and faith. It must learn from the "Christian Scientists" their spirit, which some one had condensed into the phrase, "All's well with me." It must learn from the "Church of Ciod" their discipline of emotional joy. It must learn from the "Alillennialists" their belief in the future, even though they despair of the present. The church, with a community interest, will love and encourage the young people. It will teach them how to play, which to them is the business of life. It will convince them the Inisiness of religion through the minister and his people sharing in their spirit, through the promo- tion of play and recreation, through the provision of facilities for play, wliich is the l)usiness of youth and of childhood. The church which has community interest, which demonstrates its love of life and its belief that God lives among the people of Cali- fornia, will he the only church permitted to relnike the sins, and the only one expected to teach the virtues of the life in California. Hither- to the iDroblem of divine, Christ-like sympathy with the life peculiar to the Pacihc Coast has been unsolved. Ministers come from the other states with little knowledge of the people of the Coast. They preach a gospel too often that is appropriate to Massachusetts or Michigan, and they relnike the sins of California without adec[uate sympathy for the people in California. Jesus, our Master, said, 'T come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly." To the Rural Congregations. The critical problem in Rural California is the training of the con- verted men and women for citizenshij) in the Kingdom and in the Commonwealth. The church's part in the making of Christian citizens is spiritual, to teach men to obey. The problem of living in California, of tilling the soil, of getting an income, of spending it eilectively, of teaching the children of the peo- ple, of building social institutions, especially the church, is huge and exhausting. It can only lie accomplished by co-operation, to which the California farmer aspires. The spiritual side of co-operation is obedience, and this obedience the church must teach. The following are suggestions in training Christian peoj)le in obedience : 1. The first is a program. Each church should have plans that look five years ahead. Minister and Presbytery should co-operate in look- ing to the future. Random reform movements and unexpected ex- plosions make the people revolt against leadership. The missionary program is far more important than any other, and is nearer at hand. Every con.gregation in California should have a part in giving the 114 gospel to all California. We believe that California should organize for her own great task. We recommend a program for the rural con- gregation, published, and continuously held before the people until, step by step, it is accomplished. 2. A survey of the community made in an orderly, systematic way by a pastor, or by a co-operative act of pastors, is a first step in form- ing a program. This survey, when made, should be made public from the pulpit and in print. Graphic charts should be made to exhibit in the church. This will cultivate in the people a conception of certain work to do, and will hold them to a consistent policy of evangelism and Christian service. 3. The Protestant policy is the best of schools in which to form the citizen. A Presbyterian congregation is governed by elders, honestly elected, holding office for a short time, and while in office sharing with the minister the direction of the congregation. This governing group is subject to the Presbytery. There could not be a better school of the civic and Christian virtues. These men learn to obey, and to command which is another part of the same virtue. Each elder should be the head of one section of church work, and every member of the con- gregation should have a duty under one of the elders. They should be subject to the session over which the minister presides. Other Protestant churches have similar forms. We recommend that the con- gregation be made, rather than a new society, to help advance the school for training men in civic obedience. 4. The next best school of obedience is in giving. If the church has a purpose, and it is kept before the mind of the people, they will cheerfully give. They will invent ways to give, if the purpose is a big one. 5. The Sunday School is the place to teach religion, and an organi- zation in which men learn to obey. 6. Prayer organized is a school of obedience in which the minister, craving to lead his people, puts his hand in God's hand and works with a holy spirit, in the deepest and most holy confidence which the soul knows and the church declares. We are not commending prayer meet- ings alone. There should be large gatherings of the people, in which two or three, or more, should pray together for the various enterprises of the church, for saving of individual souls, for finding of elders and teachers that will do business of the Lord. This school of prayer is the best training in obedience we can commend. The task of training the Christian men in California, whose hearts God has touched, is a great one. It is hard, because the cost of living in California is great. The tax which nature and mankind lay upon 115 the individual, and upon the household, is a heavy tax. The church in the country should be made the heart of the struggle on California soil; for here the white race is struggling for possession of the strip of land on the last continent which God reserved for them until the end of time. UNIVERSITY OF CAUIFORNI' - 'INIVERF tECD U)Vt MOV 3 ^ iSfo OCT 3 1986 ijQT 3 0198S lS«¥ERSiTY of CALIFORNIA AT LOS M^GELES LIBRAKY UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY AA 001 161 651 3 (f'%