Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-10-16

Thus we rec, that whether We look TO thu detailed
or the aggregate disposition of the funds for educa.
ton for the last FIVE years, q very large per cent oil
the means has not been applied to education at all
OF the 81 1877 .345 SO for the five years, $5S5,9ll 81
lsft. in the treasury, less BIOL ,36S Is invested, amount.
ing to $484 ,543 50, and the balances in the hands OF
Superintendent, amounting to $963,392 81, making
in the whole the sum of $747 ,93G Ol. or nearly ~ per
cent. of the whole means, has been withheld from
education.
Again What has become of this amount OF
sl28, 292 IS of balances in the treasury to the credit
Of the Literary fund, Sept. 3Uth, 1856, which has not
been invested Ia it in the treasury now. or has 1t
| been taken to pay interest on the public debit AZ
in the case Of the c~apitation tax, which l apprehend
is drawn from the treasury before it 10 carried to the
credit of the Literary fund, so as to these balances
not invested, they have, | suppose, been taken to
psy interest on the public debt after they have been
carried to the credit of the Literary fund. II so, the
general treasury now owes this aInountto the Llfera'
~ fund for investment. AT all events II Is IN the
treasury, or the treasury is responsible for it. for the
fund is sacred and intact to any other appropriations
than those for education.
Again This statement shows that the balances
continuously remaining in the bands Of Superintend'
euts, from year to year, Is more than % per cent. on
the amount disbursed by them for tuition in the com.
mon schools.
For Eve years they disbursed s79o,9s6 ~
hands for the time amount to s263,392 81
them annually wss sl5y, 19s 90
annually, wss s52,67s 46
They received S per cent. commissions
on the whole sum of $2ll .877 rs 10, 1913 IS
And had the use of the $52,678 &c, with.
ont charge Of interest, from year to
year, equal to $3.50 20
Making their annual compensation about $l3,75i So
And it is remarkable that this sum of
their compensation corresponds with
the average cost Of disbursement, it
being about =. $l3,636 81
In other words-this shows that not only are they
paid S per cent. commissions on the whole amount,
but that they may make 6 per cent. on one.third OF
the whole amount. / do not pretend to say that all
of the superintendsnts use the school quotas which
sre placed in their bands. But l do say that all of
them may use them. and it is we'll known that many
of them Of the highest honor and respectability-men
whom | do not mean al all to impugn-do use these
public funds for their private uses; and the custom
has grown 30 Common and inveterate, that it is not
thought wrong or illegal for them to apply these funds
to their private uses Instead of letting them lie idle in
their hands. At the end OF one year they have about
one third OF the funds a balance on hand, and yet they
draw, in advance, full quotas for the year. Thus 1t
is apparent that they have the use Of a third Of the
education fund In addition to their 5 per cent. Of com.
pensstion. Notes in bank are paid with these quotas
Orders, for example, are often sent to Richmond TO
draw the county quotas, aud accompanying these are
orders to pay out Of the amounts various private bills
and debts in this very city, where your Legislators sit,
This is common, aud not considered wrong or illegal.
The superintendents are solvent and responsible men,
and generally account when called on but these
balances, without charge, may run on for years in
their hands, and this use Of public funds for private
use Is surely a direct temptation not to apply the
States bounty to the hungry aud destitute youths
who are craving mental food. And this increases the
cost of disbursing the fund. The average amount
per aunum applied to schools, we see, is $l5s,l99 20