New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-26

| reror ID Increase Of a in the City Of NewY0k and
OF 80 in the City Of Pougbkeepse, in neither Of wach
!, there anv actual territorial demaikatiou OF districts
II nrphailv still l., the whole number OF school
touse rerort to this Department being but O2s.
Tie pau6er as returned by the Marshas who took the
census Of this yeCE J. ll,lft.
Itvsuld obviate Of the objections 20 the policy
of an eczai division 81 a portion OF The pubic moneys
among TIE school iii, tTcs il the sum thus to be ds
tributed E@re limited 30 the appropriation from tire
iucome of the School Ft's ard nited states DEPOSIT
Fund. TEE sum increases Tut slowly and amounts
row To vcry rra-ly the amCrut found by taking one
third Of the pablc moneys. A. Il l. not derived from
taxation there s iess apparent injustice IN " di'tn-
button a different basI- thar that % population or
tie valuation OF property. sues change ~ ne aw
will tend 10 reconcile 10 an increase of the State tax
those who oppose the seore that It enlarges
what they deem an unjust advantage TO the feeble
rral districts.
The act Of ISL authorizing tax Of $780, 900 f,1
the support Of schools embodied two propositions:
l. That the money shcald be raised ~ the cortTbu-
tiCns of every citizen proportion TO property aud
Irrespective of his location.
Q That Il should De distributed and ex,~hded in the
various districts of the stats. in proportion 20 the resG'
10 be accomplished therein that H. 20 the number OF
children of the age deemed suitable for Urinary in
strucor. For convenience il apportonng the money,
il provided that the original apportionment shall be
amopg the several towns and etles according TO their
total population As astertainet from last preceding
State or Federal census and be divided among IN"
several districts by the Town endents IN pro-
rortion to the number of children enumerated in them
on the 3lst day Of the last precedn g December IL l.
possible that there may be trng difference IN some
instances between the ratios Of children and of total
population, by which a very few towns may receive
minute advantage. This, however, IL necessary
concession to facilitate the working of the system NOT
affecting It's principles.
The tax being founded upon recognize ed necessity,
should vary with the needs intended to supply.
These ere directly appreciate by enumeration o.
tie children to be- instructed and the ability to pay by
the assessed valuation of the property.
UurR
TWENTY-FIVE districts have been organized under
chapter 1873 of the Laws of 1883 for the establishment
of Union Free Schools. II is known to the
DEPARTMENT that measures for the organization
of several others have been abandoned, in
Consequence Of the great obScurity of the stat
ute in several vital points. Its main pur-
pose appears 10 have been to enable the inhabitants oil
any school district either singy or IN conjunction with
other districts provide for free instruction IL the
primary departments, and to defray the expense by
tax instead of depending upon rate bill for any por-
ton This purpose however, Is nowhere declared in
express terms and though it is clearly lnierabe in
gard TO such schools when established in cities and in
Co1orated Villages. and is deducihe, though with less
certainty, from the provisions regulating the Organize
ton of rural districts, 1t T. yet matter of doubt
whether such tax may be levied by the Board Of Efu
cation without any popular vote except that by winch
the nhabats adopt organization under the actl or
requires vote of a majority of the inhabitants, or
finally must be sanctioned by the vote OF two thirds.
There is no mode provided by which the inhabitants
NAV abandon the system if found announcement or i'm
pracCabe, but they are COUpclltu 10 slulnDt dlohS
through doubts and difficulties which the statute does
quite a. much to create a. to remove.
The Legislature in 1854 authorized digest and
compilation of the decisions of the State Supcrlncnd-
ents of Common Schools, under the direction OF this
Department Such progress has been made in this
work that it be ready Tor publication before the
termination of the present session. No provision has
vet been made for the expenses of it, publication and
it, distribution to the districts. Those expenses would
be diminished and the utility of the book enhanced by
including the digest of decisions in the same volume
with the revised edition of the statutes relating to
Public Instruction.
FORMATION OF NEW TOWNS.
IT il also recommended that whenever new town Is
formed, the Town Superintendent be authorized to
cause an alton of the inhabitants of said town
10 nc made. specifying the number taken from any
other town towns the expense to be ceIted 10 the
Board Of supervisors of the County, ana by them
audited paid and charged to the new town. Such
enumeration Is necessary to enable the Department to
apportion the school moneys Justly anu equtably
among the towns.
II should al,o be- made the duty of the Town super
int. ndenis OF any towns that may be divided or
altered TO report immediately 10 this Department the
number of school districts aud parts of districts in the
towns ard also the number remaining IN the town or
towns from which the one - formed.
The want of proper and accurate Information on
these points causes every year much delay and EN-
barrassment in apportioniDg the public money to the
several school districts.
STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.
Under authority OF act of the Legislature passed
March 80 ls49 and confirmed by subsequent acts OF
appropriation academies have been designated ben
uiay by the Board of Regents for the instruction OF
classes in the theory and practice of teaching. Ii is
known that by many OF these institutions the gradu-
stes of the Normal School employed to teach these
classes, and it il believed that they are generally
better qualified for the business than those who have
been educated under the system of instruction gem
erally adopted and pursu,d IN the Colleges.
This Institution has been in operation eleven years
in which time il has instructed, for longer or shorter
period 4,79j pupils OF whom a59 have completed the
ul studies and practice prescribed, anu
ceVed diplomas. There Is very pressing demand
for teachers from it, much that large number Of
the Young men who under its tuition at the com
mencement of the present term nave been induced TO
eaye for the purpose of teaching during the Winter
Some of these young men will probably return, but
others with their present acqulrements, Will hnd con-
tinuCus employment at fair compensation
The proportion OF females in the school Is m ,e
larger than that of tine males. There are lso OF the
former and "a Of the latter which - very nearly the
proportion of each teaching in the State.
The proprety of establishing and supporting ut least
two Normal Schools, in localities winch VIII ac-
commCdate pupils in parts OF the state remote from
the capital is suggested for the consideration OF the
Legislature. Ii il urged that one such institution
could have been expected to meet the demand for
teachers in State supporting more than twelve Ihou
sand Schools that il there doubts twelve years
since a. to the benefits Of instruction IN Dldactcs
those doubts do not exist that the reasons foi the
support of may be urged with equal force IN favor
of others that there are hundreds OF worthy ana COM
petent young men and women VINO would gladly par
ticpate in the privileges Of the existing school, were
they able to bear the necessary expenses ana tne par
enis Of Others IN remote parts OF the STATE oDect
their attending school far from their homes thal
the number in attendance at the Normal School now
az ge it, facilities for instruction VIII warrant IN
addition, il may be said that there are isVoraDs o
cates whose Inhabitants would bear the greater pro-
portion Of the expenditure necessary for sites ana coh-
modiOus buildings.
TEACHERS DEPARTMENT ~ ACADEMIES.
Dv an ac, of the JeOisIa1re passed March 30 1919,