Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-08-25
The County Superintendent's Salary.


county superintendent is taken out of the coun
tys share of the State appropriation to tn,
schools and others again, labor under the i'm
preston that this officers salary causes an in
crease of the school or other taxes. Both o.
these views are wrong and notice these er
rors now, because an attempt has been made
to give them currency by gross perversion o.
the truth and desperate effort to falsify the
public authorities The recklessness of this en-
deavor to deceive the public mind, requires me
to be plain.
| have abundant evidence to prove, that he
who says, either by words or implication, that
the county superindendents salary is taken out
of the county's share of the State appropria.
ton to the schools, or that it takes one farthing
from that fund or says that this salary adds
one farthng to any taxpayers taxes in Brad
| ford county, asserts positive falsehood. Here
is the evidence, and | can furnish plenty more
like it,
Extract of letter written to the Conven-
tion of school directors, which met in Towanda.
on the 2Sth ult by the State Deputy Super
intendent of common schools, bright man and
a sterling officer -
DEPARTMENT OF COMMON sHooLs OF PESyAl
HARRISBURG, 25th July, 1866
The salary of the county superintendent is not paid out
of the taxes of the county nor out of the State
ton to the schools does it increase the one or
the other 1t is very important and laborious Office re-
guiring the best men to fill it. and adequate salary
N nplpp NJ lo,.
be both faithful and capable officer and has one of the
most difficult counties in the State to get over In the
what it should be.
For the past year pay the school districts nearly ten
per cent more money than hereoforsl85 900 being the
average annual distribution heretofore-whe the amount
paid out for the past year will be within small fraction
of 5000, 900.
Thirty thousand dollars was set apart for the nav of
county superintendents by ITSELF and does not effect the
county schools or county taxes.
Yours, respectfully,
H. G. HICKOK, Depty. supt.
Does any one need palmer language, or
more definite exposition than is here given
and given too, by the right authority and bear
in mind too, that this officer declares, that for
the past gear the school districts hare had more
money paid TO them than heretofore Does that
look as if the county superintendent salary
used up the school fund
But a few ignorant persons ask what right
has the superintendent of common schools, or
his deputy-who is de facto the head of the
Department-to eonstrue the school law, or
decide how the money the State appropriates
for school purposes shall be divided. People
should read the law Here are O few ex-
tracts -
Superintendent Of Common Scoolsis poacers and duties
H. That he SHALL whenever required give advice ex-
panaon construction or information to the district Off
and to citizens relative the common school law
the duties of common school officers the rights and duties
OF parents guardians pupils and all Others the manage
ment of the Schools and all other questions and matters
calculated to promote the cause of education
" He shall prepare and submit to the Legislature an
annual report containing full account of the condition
Of the schools in the State the expenditure of
the system during the year. estimates of the requi
site for the ensuing year. the whole number of pupils the
cost OF teaching each the number districts plans the
improvement of the ysem and all such matters relating
to the concerns of schools and the duties
OF his office, as he may deem it expedient to communi-
cate.
Thus it is made the duty of this officer to
give construction to the school laws, and his
decisions are as binding as those of court
In the fifth paragraph of the law, it is made
his duty to make estimates of the sums of mo-
ney that will be required to keep up the system
for the ensuing year. Now, everybody should
know, that up to 1853, $4,000 was the usu-
al amount of the appropriation to the schools
of the state. Well, during last year the coun-
ty superintendency was created, and the state
superintendent estimated it would take $50, 600
to pay the salaries of these officers So that
in deciding that $50, 600 of the State appro-
priation to the schools, was intended to pay
the salaries Of the county superintendents the
head of the school department construed that
part of the law which he caused to be created,
and told the truth. Yet poor smpletons ask,
what right he has to make such decision, as
if he was in as bad quandary as themselves,
unable to explain their own acts or tell the
truth.
The Hon. c. \. BLACK, man of ability,
good lawyer, and better than ALL warm-heart-
ed advocate of common schools, was the State
superintendent when the law creating the coun-
ty superintendeucy was enacted, and made the
estimates of the cost of this Office and the
$50 900 was put into the state appropriation
at his request, for the express purpose of paying
the county superintendents. In Mr.. BIS very
able report of last year he says -
The addition thirty thousand dollars made last year.
to the usual amount appropriated TO schools was
intended for the pay of county superintendent although
not SO expressed the act The aggregate of the salaries
is something less than this sum some the counties
already ntmated having put down the salaries at
just ii not absurdy low standard. This feature OF the
law should think, be remeded. There should be some
power given the School Department TO increase such
Salaries at least to equal to what particular
ty would be entitled to receive out OF the thirty thousand
dollars whatever sum may be appropriated rating
according the number OF taxahes other mode
by which compensation would be afforded adequate TO
! the labor and duties Of the position"
Can anything be more explicit than the three