iority of the method he advocated.  Their earnestness caused
laughter amony the brethren.
    On taking up the second declaration.  Mr. Washington
brought out the various forms of extravagance to which the Ne-
groes of the South are addicted.  All the speakers agreed that the
greatest extravagance was in time.  "Too many Sundays in a
month."   Buying buggies was another weakness.  There were
differences of opinion as to whether buying clocks and watches
was extravagance or not.  Some of the older farmers thought it
was, while others, who had come to realize the value of being on
time, maintained that it was not.   One man said that his wife
had persuaded him to buy a clock against his will, and he had not
had it a week before nothing would have induced him to part with
it.  The sewing machine was decided to be an extravagance un-
der certain circumstances, as for instance, when $40.00 or $50 00
was paid for a $15.00 machine.  One man related his experience.
His wife wanted a machine and he mortgaged his cow for it.
When, after four months, he had not paid, as he hoped to do, the
agent came and took the machine away, charging him  $4 00 for
the use of it and keeping the mortgage.  Frequent excursions,
expensive in both money and time, were denounced, as was buy-
ing fine clothes, candy and other luxuries.
    Number three of the declarations brought up the chance of-
fered the colored man to get work.   A few pessimistic reports
were given out,  but the majority of the speakers testified that
work was given to the one who could do it best, regardless of color.
    Under number four the length of the school year  was  dis-
cussed.   It is now usually  three months, and the desire is to
lengthen it to nine months.    There was a show of hands for the
number of months which the schools lasted whose districts were
represented in the Conference.   One or two hands responded for
nine and eight  months  each,  and the hands  increased  as  the
months decreased.   A  few speakers told of their efforts to start
Sunday Schools,  Sunday  evening  reading  clubs and singing
schools, to take  up the time and thought of the young people,
when there was no school to go to.  "Children grow up and be-
come criminals and are put in the chain-gang, because they have
not spent their time in school." a man remarked.
    Under number five the special sins of whiskey drinking and
of stealing were discussed, also the failure to condemn immorality
in ministers and teachers.   With the adoption of the declarations,
general discussion ended.
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OHS Archives/Library Pamphlet Collection

Description of the Work at the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, Tuskegee Alabama, A