The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-01-24

The amount of the school, college and
mary fund: sl,o54,7o5 0
School fund proper, being the per cent
the net proceeds of the public land within
the State Zone sixth excepted,) 54s, l25 0
surplus revenue, 335 J?o 3
College fund, being one-six.h Of the 8 per
cent. fund, Ios,sos Q
OF seminary lands, 59sas 9
Total. .I,c,s ss5 0
Amount Of interest distributed in 1856, of
which one fourth Of per cent is paid
for the support Of deaf and dumb asylum
counties en7a5 3
Amount distributed among the Counties IS 2G1 =
Amount to deaf and diiub asylum. e5T9 3
Total interest paid by the State on the above
principal, which is loaned to the state, eo,7o5 !,
The amount Of township fund is in 81 coun-
ties, so,o59 9
T-e amour. of State tax among the counties
for 1888 !. e1s,soO /,
Amount .! interest paid the township
fund, sss,0oS 0
Amount of principal Of the school fund, in
Gliding tie township fund (estmated), 1868 G
In 95 counties from which returns hav'
been received it appears there were 1904
schools, Of which there were tauhg; by
males 1927; by females, ., ,G99; by males
and females 1t the same time, 7i2; by NAL, 5
and females at different times 3 1886.
The average monthly compensation ot
male teachers was So, 80, and that Of f.
males $2T, 10.
The number OF white children in the State
under p years Of age according to the last
census, GyG, ,34S according 10 the report oi
the School Commissioner, the number Of
scholars attending school were 3l3,393. The
number OF organized school districts report
ei was 6,6l3; the number Of townships
,3S3 and the number OF paris Of townships
was 4i3.
The amount Of the public money paid for
teachers wages. IN % counties, was S8SI ;
Sos; tSe amount paid into the township
trc!sarics for building, repairing and far
nishinc school houses was $tIs,2I3. The
amount received for school purposes was
81, Ia, ,t5., and the amount expended for
,ctoo! purposes for the year 1886, was
$a2!, ,23,.
The theory Of ou- common school System,
supported By popular tax has tbs sane
ton Of all the Older states and meets no oP-
position from any quarter. The present
school law OF our State, in its general ica-
lures has been cordially approved by the
people and WITH the modification Of some OF
the details suggested in the report AID which
will Doubtless be rcned!.d by the present
Legislature, the iaw Vii! combine harmony,
ctiicicn y and simplicity.
Oac OF the principal objections, 10 the
law, which exists among i portion OF the
p-op'e is on account Of tie manner IL which
the state funds arc distributed among the
countics.-Oaing TO the very great Unequal
ity IN the valuation OF property in the dis-
iersnt c0nuiies Of the State, In some OF the
counties bat small proportion OF the schoo
tax col ectei by them IS returned TO them in
the distribution by the auditor. IL is pro.
Z 1
the two mill tax collected from the property
O! each township in each county s!i... Lo paid
over directly 10 tlc township Treasurer.
By this change each township vii derive
the benefit OF its own tax x.s--no more no
less. Besides, by paying tie tax directly
into the haads Of the district Treasurer,
there will be groa, saving to tn, schoo.
fund IN the way of commissions and other
lhFfiBiaft:ecd.
There are other notifications and Iinita-
tons upon the present law, recommended
by the superintendent, huL oring to the
crowded state oi or columns We cannot
n-w refer 10 them.
lie Snperntcnd 1T suggests Z moditica-
ton in the oiiice Of School Commissioners.
lie thinks that both economy and greater
efficiency will bc gained II, instead OF coun-
t. school conmisS ioners, the law is amend
ci so as to provide for Scnoo! Commissioners
elected by the people, for each Congression-
a District in the State. The salaries and
pcrquisiics Of the hundred county School
Commissioners now amount IN the aggre-
gate to upwards Of thirty thousand dollars.
If these proposed District Commissioners
should receive 4 salary OF l,000 there
would still be a saving Of nearly $50, 900
per annum to the State. He thinks it re-
qiires no argument to show that with a su!-
ficient salary to give their entire time 20 tae
work, these nine Comm :ssioners would dis
charge with muc', more efficiency the du-
ties now negl genly performed hy the one
hundred.
The plan OF State Normal School is still
urged by the Superintendent. as the best
means of securing Il Constant supply of COM
peteut teachers. In New York, 'saclu
sects, and other older states where they
have been established, the unanimous tcsti-
mony is in favor o. them
We are glad to observe that the Supcrin-
tcnicnt opposes any attempt to take the
University and Seminary funds for the es-
Enlistment and support Of an Agricultural
College or Industrial University, schemes
for which have been repeatedly before the
Legislature and defeated. He argues at
length against any such application or rath-
er misapplication OF those funds.
The illinois State Teacher" monthly
periodical published at Peoria, is recon-
mended TO be made the official organ Of the
S .peIintendent. 1t is suggested that the
State should appropriate small sum annu-
ally towards dcfraying the expenses of the
Teachers Institutes in those counties where
they may be held. lie also suggests mod
iication Of the law requiring teachers to be
examined in the seven elementary branches
The objection is not urged because the peo-
pie do not properly appreciate the imp'r-
tance of having we'll qualified teachers, but
because they cannot always obtain them.
The appointment Of Deputy superintend-
ent is likewise suggested. While the Su-
pcrintendent thus proposes amendments
and notifications in order to perfect and
harmonise the provisions of the present
school law, he still suggests and argues at
length in favor of the plan proposed in his
first report of township" system instead
of the district" system, rs much better
adapted to the condition of new States. The
effect Of this change would be to elect SIN
gle Board of Education to consist Of trus-
tees, selected as nearly as possible from
each district of each township, to have con-
troll of all the schools in the township. The
matter is submitted to the attention Of the
Legislature.
SMAEr BoY.-When Lieut. Gov Patterson
was speaker of the Legislature of one of our
States, some dozen boys presented themselves
for the post of messenger, as is usual at the
opening Of the house. lie inquired their
names, and into their condition. in order
that he might make the proper selection
lie came in the course Of his examination,
to a small boy, about ten years old, bright
looking lad. .,
"John Hancock, sir, replied the boy.
"What!" said the speaker, you are not
the one that. signed the Declaration of indie
pendencc
..No, sir,r replied the lad, stretching him