New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-27
I


OF the Free school Law.
To he Editor Of The Tribune
1t is right that Schools should be Free, and to
make them SO the whole property of the State
should be taxed The law which was passed
upon this Fall is miserable abortion as whole
and in its details Living in the rural district
where | have lived from the first settlement Of
this region, | think | can speak with some degree
of confidence on the subject The system, to be
perfect, should differ from all our school laws in
many essential particulars. The law should pro-
vide certain sum for each child between the
ages of six and sixteen, in the State, to be paid
from the State Treasury The next thing should
be to provide plans for three sizes of schoolhouses
This should be done under the superintendent OF
the proper State officer. Each town in the coun-
ty should be a School District, and should be
managed by three officers, who should be so elect
ed that party could have but little to do with their
election. Their first duty should be to redisttct
their town. without reference to present Ds'fiots,
and make them of convenient size. Wnen so
done, they should report to the State Superln'
tendent map OF the town as divided INTO DIS
trcts with the proposed site for the schoolhouses,
and the number OF inhabitants In each DIstrlct.
From this decision appeal should be taken to the
SUPERINTENDENT of the State, II the inhabitants
were not satlshed.
snecification for the schoolhouse proportioned to
the number of the inhabitants. The houses should
combine all the modern improvements IN beauty,
ventilation, seating, &c and it should be one OF
the first requisites that the site should embrace at
least half an acre. SO well fenced and yard so
formed that the sexes may be separate Each
district should be organized by the election oil
one Trustee or three, as now and Collector.
The cost of building the schoolhouse, keeping It
in repair, and furnishing the fuel should be paid
by tax upon the property OF the district, but
beyond that other local tax to be collected
The price to be paid to the teacher IN each dis.
trict to be fixed by the Town Board, but the
choice OF teachers to be left to the Trustees-pro~
vided, however, that the teacher so selected be
properly qualified. The money TO pay teachers
to be drawn quarterly from the County Treasurer
upon draft signed by the teacher, and counter
signed by the Supervisor OF the Town
By this plan our Common Schools are made en-
tireiy free, while the burden of supporting them
is borne by the whole State 1t Is simple, eiiec-
tive, and easily managed, aud Will give general
satisfaction.
But, at the same time, our whole Assessment
Law must be entirely remodeled. The Lawyer,
the Physician, the Merchant and Mechanic, must
be made to pay their share OF the expense tor
educating their children. 1t must be made the
duty of the assessors to assess mens capacity or
business There are hundreds-yes thousands,
Of instances, where Iawy ers, and physicians and
merchants, whose incomes are double that OF any
farmer in town, yet they do not pay one quarter
as much tax. This is wrong and must be rene
died In some other States it is done, and any
attempt to improve the School Law without this
indispensable alteration will only lead to asita.
tion and an ultimate repeal. No schooIhouses
should be built until after this new assessment
has been in operation one year, so that all should
be made to bear their share In my own district
there is physician whose net income is double
that of any farmer of one hundred acres in town,
who sends two children to school, and yet he does
not pay three dollars year tax Make the pro.
LESSONS pay They have a large share OF the
offices, and should not grumble at paying some OF
the taxes.
At another time will give my plan for higher
schools. Sincerely yours, y
Dnriel. Dec. 70, 1850.