Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-12-22

L.. BURFOOT, Treasurer
.s.. ofhc Commonwealth Of prginia.
SECOND AUDITORS REPORT
On the 'tote Of the Literary Fund and proceedings Of
the School Commissioners, in the different counties,
fer the year ending September 80, 1881.
RICHMOND, 9Th December, 1881
Inc honorable the Speaker ofhc House Of Delegates
SIR Herewith have the honor TO lay before the Gc
neral Assembly the accounts of the Literary Fund for the
year ending the soth Sept last, together with the alb
stract OF the accounts and reports of the School Commits
Souers Of the State for the wear 1880.
Tho unuvested capital Of the fund.- appears by state
ment a, amounts Sio,22i IL much greater sum than
wa. believed at the time Of my last report would have
.hscn idle at the end Of the year. The intention of the
Resident and Directors invest the whole Of The
unemployed funds of the institution in the stocks
for the extension the Kanawha turnpike and the North
WESTERN turnpike, but the progress of those works has
no, called for funds equal 10 their anticipated or
INC stock created Tor the first named Improvement, $i5
600 have boon taken within the year. of which 900
an interest OF six per cent and the remainder of FIVE per
cent Other Stocks would been gladly purchased nv
the PRECEDENT and Directors had been practicable TO pro-
cure them at satisfactory prices, but the great
borne In the market by all those standing highest the
public estimation, induced the board TO decline purchas
ing 1t still the intention, therefore, of the President
and Directors, unless future circumstances shall render
different course expedent, to their funds for u
Vesmcn' In the stocks created for the mentioned i'm
provemcnts.
The fund has received during the year nett increase
OF S2ll $50 90, shcwn by statement b. OF this amount
$3.50 50 were derived from the regular sources provi
ded by law, and Sill $50 25 from the surplus interest
which accrued in the year. after the payment of the APP
preparations and expenses In the absence of any legal
instructions on thu subject it has be uniformly the prac
hcc to add the surplus to the permanent fund
ana To invest 1t in the The sanction of the
legislature to this application Of the surplus revenue un
I'll they shall deem it meet make further annual appro
piaions, will tend TO increase the revenue con-
sderahy and consequently afford more efficient and
earlier aid to the ehect for which the fund was instituted
The active investments, shewn by statement c,
amount TO 81 ,252555 10; the unproductve 10 $3.50 900
g. or the private loans $3.50 have been paid IN within
tho year. leaving $S0000 the original sum- only $50 700
now outstanding, which there is to believe will all
rltnht rSp1h Tho tina ,,.l
StatcmentG, containing estimate Of the probable re-
cePs and disbursements of the revenue of the
expected, should be found practicable at an early day
convert the unnves,cd funds into stocks of satisfactory
description.
1t is shewn by statements F. and H. that during the
year school quotas have been paid TO the amount of
SAL 1863 20, and that there remain in the treasury I'M
drawn quotas due in 1881 and previous wears to the
amount OF $2232l 81. II will also be seen by statement
H. that there in the hands of the of School
Commissioners on the 3oth September last balances
amounting TO S3O,O33 &c. on account of payments made
previous TO the 3Oh September 1880. The total amount
OF balances TO be accounted for by thcm is 7I sol Al
Against this amount they will be entitled to credits for the
expenditures within the last year. which are
rcturnable by the first Monday of this month
Inc result OF the operations of the School Commission
er5 oil nnetyh counties and towns will he found cn
bodied in statement L. Several very important facts will
be at once discovered a comparison of this document
with any Of those of the same nature heretofore laid bf
the Legislature The increase in the number of children
sent TO school, is among the prominent and Interest,"
ing During the year 1929 in hundred and one coun-
VIII DC seen mat 10 mnety-hve counties and towns
h,l69 children received instruction. This inprovcent
which II Is reasonable TO attribute in considerable degree
the increased exerons OF the Commissioners towards
the promotion Of the great objects of the institution holds
out cheering prospect for the future, and authorizes
confident hope, that notwithstanding all the objections
hitherto urged against the system it will in very short
time, equal the expectations Of its ardent advocates
similar comparison will exhibit the highly interesting
addiona act that Notwithstanding the increased number
Of children sent 10 school, the expense as was confidently
anticipated, has been greatly reduced In 1929 the num-
Der OF children educated was above stated IL thousand
seven hundred and ninety nine at expense of 500 220
Tor tuition and books alone averaging SO SO to each pnn
In 1880 the l4l69 children schooled, S39 9iS in
ctudinS tuition, books, and compensation officers and
~ Jdct expenses Of all kinds the average of each being
81 81 only. Here at is saving of between seven
and eight thousand dollars in schooling 799 children
he advantages TO be derived from proper attention 10 the
provisions OF the laws in force the great economy
oil paying Tor tuition according TO the actual daily attend
ance further incontestbly proven by the following ex
ample among Others The School Commissioners of the
county OF Essex have annually to school 27 children
the year 1873 to the year 1929 inclusive The pre-
else quota of the county $3.50 90 was uniformly con-
sumcd by tuition fees and compensation 10 the officers of
the board the average expense being 50 for each pu
pill In document here referred to- il shewn that the
tuition Of the number Of children in 1890 including
the compensation of the officers of the School Commis
oner amounted TO S 60 only which is the average of
81 OIL for each pupil, thus showing an actual saving of
SO 20 in schooling each Of the % children.
INC actual attendance OF each pupil at School in $780,
only about ~ days in the year This is the least
usilc'oy feature OF the returns, though the less i'm
Poran on that account 1t indication of the rreg
lar attendance at school, difficulty which has been &c
morally experienced and complained Of by the Commission
era from the rst establishment Of the system To over
come II, however, II will only he necessary that
degree OF caution Should be exercised by the School Com
msoners in the selection Of the proper objects to be en-
tered by them at school preference should always he
gwen to those whose regular attendance guaranteed nv
their parents guardians But there is another
apparent the face Of of the returns why the ave-
rage number OF days attendance is small II seems IN
be The object OF the Commissioners, in some counties o
extend the advantages Of instruction. simultaneously IN
all The poor OF both and of the proper ages which
are generally considered to be between eight and
years H Is evident that where this is the proctce the
school fund will in most cases. be found utterly made
quate to meet the expense OF such number il continued
al school regularly throughout the year. and consequent
~ their attendance must be curtaed or an encroaehment
be made on The funds OF the succeeding year Az instan
eesin tis point reference is made document X under
the head Of PiHsyluanid, in which county no cldrcn
have been schooed since 1929 the great expen.e imnr
IDENTIFY incurred for tuition in that year. having
by anticipation the quotas Of 1929 and 1880 in addition IN
the quota of 1928 10 which the expenditure ought 10 have
been limited See also GTeenb1ieT in the same document
In counties containing number Of poor children con-
sderaby exceeding the means of the School Cornn,ie
soners TO educate them all the same time great oco
nomy will be ensured by a selection from amono the old
est OF those whose regular attendance at school can bc
reasonably depended upon. firmly persuaded that
proper Efforts made TO reduce this SUGGESTION into
practice, II Will be the means Of enabling the School Com
nssoncrs TO send to school, in succession all thc moor
youths Of many counties, whose funds in the usual course
Of proceeding are not competent to provide for tan
onctrd or c-half of them. ventured ON former oc
casion 10 communicate my opinion on this topic to the
General Assembly, but ii is Of such obvious por
in t,cI "a.