The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1857-05-21

| cation appeared in your paper signed Tax Payer,
ond demanding of the Board ofaEducation the
publication of the items of receipts and expen-
ditures of the school fund. Without qbaiting, as
an enquirer after truth should have done, 10 see
if that demand would BE- complied with by the
Board, in the very next issue OF the Journal APP
pears smother communication from the same
source, and at the close of another week still
another communication appears hatyked around
the streets in the form of handbill. The OBJ
ject of these incenliary aud innammatory COM
munications are at a loss to conceive, unless
il be 10 arouse public prejudice -ercite public
passion destroy confidence in tenchers'Gnd break
dOpn the utility Of The Union School. II this be
Tax Payers object ha is in a fair way to accom-
plish it, But what right has he TO demand or
the Board TO comply with demlnd to publish
list OF the items of the receipts and expendi-
lures OF the school fun No law requires II,
and no custom juStifes il. Was Tux Payer ever
a member of the Board Of Education7 II so,
did the Board of which he was a member ever
make such publication II not, why does he
complain because the present Board do 1t not
|! may be asked, the people b. left in ignor
ance of these things7 We answer by no means
but for every thing there is time and place.
We have an annual meeting; and at that meat
ing true list OF the receipts and expenditures
are read. If majority of the citizens desire its
publication, then and there is the time anil place
to orderit-or they may at that time order such
report TO be made out and published each year,
at some fixed period prior TO the annual meeting.
There and there onl ,cOu the people obtain "more
light" The Board Of Education, as agents Of
| the people, can only follow the rules laid down
BY majority of the people properly expressed.
M majority have as yet assented 10, much less
directed, publication OF the kind demanded.
Are a majority Of the people embodied in Tax
Payer? We doubt it, But, says Tax Payer,
''ail this difficulty arises from desire to know
my name" We mast say that in this inference
Tax Payer arrogaies to himself good deal of
superiority. What is his name to the Board of
| f lucation? =? What matters it TO them7 Does
he expect they are to fall down and worship it
Nay, verify. unless it be as the Golden Calf to
which the Isr .elites bowed. We can say to Tax
Payer, that there is many man within the linn
its of Perrysburg Township, of just as good a
name and lineage, who paws Just as large share
OF taxes on property Standing in his oUn name
on the duplicate, who has quite as large an in
teres, in the cause of Education, and whose lif.
j. as of great usefulness tn society and the b'st
interest of humanity as is that of Tax Payer,
BE- he who he may. But says Tax Payer, it "is
| your duty to divest yourself of the cloud of
suspicion now resting on your capacity and in
t-grity." An! and how came it to rest there
| Is 1t from your inuenloes, arising from that
| petty malice which always leads those who have
been turned out of Office, to charge fraud and
proof? Oh, you refuse to make the publication
| demand. Yes because they refuse to obey the
beck Of the "I Am represented by Tax Payer,
they to be covered all over with the mire
| and filth of venOmous rem. But Tax Payer
goes back to "A former time "a time wh-n for
mer learned Boarl of Z ncltion paid $50 To
| Psychologist for tn exhibition of a mlnikn
to the boys of the High School,) and says the
number OF scholars enrolled are NJ greater now
| than it was four or five years ago. This asSer-
,ion Tax Payer makes from supposition, for no
papers Ire to BE- found containing the numbar of
scholars enrolled previous to the year 1855, but
that in the natural course of events children
must increase is unloubted Bat, says Tax Pay
er, the "I'cachcrs employed now are NJ more
learned, skillful, or experienced than they were
them" Are they not7 The question needs no
answer from us. Gu home, Mr.. Tax Payer, to the
bosom oi your own family and ask your chill
! dren, the loved ones at hume-the pupils OF the
! Union School, they can answer it better than
we. But, says Tax Payer. "the expenses of your
school have increased fifty per cent" this is ID
wiliful misrepresentation. That they have
slightly increased we admit two additional
schools having been organized with two addi-
tional school roors and teachers; one Of these re-
commanded b. the former Board. There are
now no more teachers than are necessary for the
proper education of the youth of our village
There is the a Principal at a salary Of $500 ;
eacher Of the Grammar school at $3.50 !ou'
female teach rs at a salary Of $3.50 each, and
one a n s,lary of Sl65. We thus pay Teachers
alone 50, ,5l6 out of 81 922 81, arising from the
tax levy. leaving Sll5 &c to rent school rooms,
make repairs, buy fire wool and for iDCiden tai
purposes. With the utmost economy, this
amour; cannot be made to meet expenses. AVe
the salaries Of the teachers too great? A mere
pittance-less than is paid 10 teachers in any
other High School of equal standing in the
a.. - H., 81
Would Tax Payer reduce their salaries to l. S.
than the wages OF day laborer? entrust the
education of his children to seconl rate teach
ers, becluse they would iUork cheap? Those in
terested in the cause Of education in Wood CO.
have enlaavored TO raise tn. luca tional stand
ard to high mark They have accomplished
it. And if they lUoull retain that standard they
must pay t,achers as good salaries as their SER
viccs iCouid command III any Oer school Of equal
standing in the West. When they pay poor
salaries they must expec. "poor pay, poor
teoch.' Not teacher now ob:ains "a gIo a
ss.ary as coull b. Obtained elsewhere. As proof
Of this, our teachers are continually leaving for
better situations. If present salaries are 10 be
ntcrfrrel with, let them be raised so as TO retain
good teachers, not lowered as an inducement to
Gave. With this opinion, we b'lieve, every
rign. thinking man will concur Bat, says Tax
PAYER, W hence comes this indebtedness Of from
$500 t. 81 UG0? w. answr r, that tn most q
this inlebednfss existed prior to the comm!
into existence Of the p,GseIt Board. At tht
annual meeting in June, 1913, when the old
Board went out OF power, they lft an existlns
outstanding Indebtedness OF over SIOO. Ihl'
lSiH undoubtedly be denied, and as m're assSrii n
on one sid, anl denial OIL the other proves notG
ing. if al Tie Hert annual meeting such denid
shall be there made, the papers and documents
necessary to prove the assertion shall b. there
and Then produced for ,he inspection OF every
; ciiz'n present, (and it is the duty of ever!
, citz N to b. presently
Now what is the difference in the expenses o
the school under the management of the for
ner and present boarl? In 1884 the amoln
of receipts was 81 ll3 %. The expense wcr