New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-01-16


sye OF the T. s. Deposit Fund and the Literature Fdnd
devoted to the support Of scsdemes was at the above
specified period e. 3957 % being increass from the
preceding year. Of e2s H. The balance Of the School
FUND in the treasury on the 30th Of September
1882 was S154654 "a. TIE amount received into the
treasury during the last fiscal year including the
propTiation nom the income Of the L. s. Deposit Fund
s3ll3O3 &C. The amount paid out of tn treasury during
q year, Se6O0lO This leaves 4 balance Of
the revenues Of the Common School Fund on hand
on the 3Oth Of September 1853, of s205,s71 %.
IL may be safely estimated from the estrnents Of the
capital Of the fund shown in The tables above referred
To- that It's revenues for the current fiscal wear will reach
the OF Sl4566O The appropriation from this source
for the support Of schools may therefore under the pro
visions Of section OF title chaper9 OF the first part Of
the Revised Statuee, be safely increased $40 0OJ
that Of the preceding year which would make i
The SECRETARY thinks further legislation is required
for the Improvement OF TIE Common School Fund.
The Secretary thinks that the time has arrived when
sound conservatism the school question lies in action
Existing defects, will presently be shown are deep
seated, and exering widely pernicous influences
three years ul in school legislation has afforded reason
able opportunity for examination. The final decision by
the court OF last resort that the free school law of so IS
unconstitutional has to great extent ended the heart
buniDgs which it, enactment engendered. No accumu
laon Of great and doubtful questions of State policy il
would now appear will press upon the Legislature to en-
gross s time and attention Sup rintendent comes into
Office, TO act the official alder aud adviser Of the Legs
laure, who is not called upon express opinions on
impeecty tried past. freshly broached theories OF
the future will his action be necessarily cramped by
the urasm and the jea0uses Of excited school ac )ns
On all Of these accounts the period would seem to be pro
ptious for action.
mill tax on the property of the State was recommend
ed lest year the proper ultimate substitute for the pre-
sent II recommended by previous Superinten
dent and II TO be the rate of State taxation for
school purposea generally fixed upon by the investigating
friends of popular education as the one best calculated TO
do Justice TO ell interests. The wealth Of the State has
virtually aoquesced in its propriey by asserting to the
present tax which when it imposed exceeded mill
on the dollar of the assessed value of the property Of the
State. Its adoption would probably be accepted by all
parties as a final disposition OF the subject.
Hos a
to confer equal share of their benefits localities and
individuals has been found attended with great difficulty
Prior 1872 the proceeds oil the school fund ana an
equal ras by the towns, were ultimately divided
among the towns the basis Of population, and among
the school districts the basis Of the pupils returned
residing in them his plan of distribution operated great
~ to the advantage Of populous and wealthy districts
those differently Situated in these particulars The ex-
pense OF small large school of the grade does
not greatly vary.
In the densey populated districts Of cities and villages
the schools received than sufficient for their
support from the avais of the School Fund and from
county and town taxes while IN the thlnly inhabited
country districts il necessary to resort TO additional
district which had now taken the place
of rate bills to make up deficiencies II sometimes hap
pencd that this additional district tax reached several
mills the dollar; thus making practical difference of
three hundred 0nnum 10 the tax of and
not unfIequenty adjoining property TO aein an OBJ sct
from which the benefits derived equal and the duty
of contributing to the attainment of which was conse-
quently equal
The rural regions crushed by the operation Of the law
through their representatives., repealed it,
The act Of 1881 distributes two thirds of all the public
money! on the previously established basis But guard
against the local Inequalities before produced it provides
that one third Of the public money Excepting library
money shall be divided by districts in other words that
every district in the State wholly irrespective of the
Der Of its pupils shall receive equal share from it, This
has eectuay relieved the country districts 1t is strenn
ously urged in many quarters that it has done more than
tL-that il has turned the scale in the opposite direction
and made the burden of supporting schools lighter both
to property and persons in the country than in the cities
and villages.
is recommended that provision be made by law for
the election in the way that the Secretary of State
is now elected of Superintendent Of Common Schools
that he hold lis Office for years that he have power
10 appoint deputy and necessary clerks that he possess
all the powers and discharge all the duties and trusts
possessed and discharged W the Secretary of State in his
official character of Superintendent of Common Schools
and that he be clothed with additional power TO visit and
examine the educational operations Of all incorporated
institutions of learning throughout the State and mako
such report thereon to the Legislature he shall deem
The Secretary thinks it may be well for the Legislature
to take into consideration the proprety of expressing
through statutes the will of the people of the State in
regard TO making religious exercises compulsory part OF
school discipline.
The Secretary renews there commentator made by him
last year that the fixed condition on which public moneys
shall be hereafter received by academies and colleges
shall be- that they devote the moneys thus received in
gra,uously educating such pupils the State through
tie officers appointed for that purpose shall s5nate he
again recommends that the school districts of the State
be divided into many academy districts as there
are now, or may hereafter be academies that each
academy be required to annually receive from the
common schools in its district and gratuitOusly edl
cate a pupil for every 8 received from the State :;
that colleges be required to receive pupils from such
free departments in prescribed number of academies on
the same footing The pupils from the district schools
should probably, be selected by town superinten1ents
the basis Of selection being certain grade of educational
qualification, ability manifested by rapid progress in
learning, and general merit.
The entire feasibility of carrying the above plan into
successful practice fortunately dOest not rest cOnec
ture The New York Free Academy receives its pupils,
solely tie basis above recommended from the common
schools of the CITY, and it educaes them grauitousy Its
doors are open the poor to the rich 1t has been
in operation several years and difficulties found in
carving out the arrangements made necessary by its pc
cuiarity of organization.