The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1859-11-10
The School La ".

Tor tho space we may occupy on tho SUBJ
jsct Of the School law, for we consider
it to be one Of the first in Importance,
and one that is little understood by those
who object to it. Two weeks since we
asked the Democrat to point out these
parts of the law which il considcrc OBJ
jectionablc. Last week the Democrat
contained an article on that subject
which VIC propose to review. Passing
by the slurs thrown out against US, as
having nothing to do with the subject,
We will give what it says on given
point, aud then reply to it. II says:
"In the first place, we consider that
there is too much machinery about the
law that renders i! difficult to be under
stood, aud which is attended with far TOO
much expense, thereby drawing from the
school fund large amount If money,
which ought to be applied directly to the
education of our children In proof Of
this We need only refer to the County
SUPPLEMENTARY, which alone draws
from the treasury, for salaries, nearly or
quite one hundred thousand dollsrs. A
large portion of this amount is unneccs-
s,rily expended, and costs by far more
than the good that accruos from that
office. Each county could have three
County Examiners who could hold pub
lie exami nations five or six time; year,
1t a cost Of not more than fifty dollars
per year, aud who would answer every
purpose of the County Superintendent.
We think the office ought to be abol
ished"
In reply to the frs. objection We give
the following from the Muscutine Our
nal, promising that Mr.. Woodhouse, is
wherever known, acknowledged to be an
honest, able man, and that his opinion
comedies with that Of every oshor candid
man who has studied the law with view
to understand it as it is:
"Our new Superintendent elect. Rev
Chas. Woodhouse, informs US that he has
thoroughly examined the new school law
and SO far from sharing in the general
opinion that 1t Is too complicated to be-
understood or be made effective for good
he regards it as the very best enactment
of the kind that could have been made
We doubt not but with the co operation
of the friends Of education in the coun
ty, ho will be enabled to manage our pub
lie schools tremendously and prosperous
y."
The Democrat says, it draws from the
school fund large amount of money
Can it be possible that the De~,Dcrat i
pretending to object to law that it has
not read? 1t must be so, or it would
have known that the expenses OF carry.
ing out tho school law do not comc out
of the school fund at all, but from the
State and county funds The Democrat
says, that the County Superin,-ndepts
draw ''for salaries nearly or quite one
hundred thousand dollars" We wish
the Democrat would, when it makes such
broad assertions give Us come proof -
We confess that we do not aud cannot
believe that j, costs one third the sum
named, to pay uperlHtendents salaries
There are about ninety organized coun.
ties in The State, the salaries as SC, by
the Legislature, range from s25, to $500;
taking an average the salaries would
amount to less than one-third the sun,
named. Again, judging from tho amount
paid in this county, and this county
has a population far above the average
population OF the organized counties, aud
the salaries are still less than one-third
the sum named by the Democrat The
sum paid our Superintendent is but q
trife more than vas paid, out Of tho
sch, oil fund to the School Fund Commits
fioner, under the old law, while the Su.
pertinent duties ara ten times as great.
In reference to the expcdieuev Of having
such an officer as the County Superin.
tendcut we give an article from the last
lo,oa Instructor, as being right to the
point:
COUNTY OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the
State Wishes to erect Lunatlc Asylum,
or other public building, it employs a
master bulder-one thoroughly acauain-
ted with the details of the work ia every
particular-io superintend the entire
structure If a railroad company wish
to make their road pay good dividend TO
its stockholders, they employ superin
tendent who has a perfect knowledge of
railroading in all its details and thew
find it profitable to secure the services OF
the very best man, even though it may
be ut the expense of an enormous salary.
Why i, it then that in the great work Of
educating tic youth of our State, which
the State has undertaken, many would
have US ignore the we'll established prin.
ciple Of an efficient sup srintendcnoy -
The State Of New York tried system
similar to our own. and the resul, vas
period of unparalleled prosperity to her
public schools. TIE 'schou! kill party
said this prosperity was not the result of
the county SUPPLEMENTARY and abolish
cd it, The bad policy Of this measure,
however, was soon manifest, and now we
find a superintendent in every assembly
district, aud the schools again prospecting.
Pennsylvania sees in tho daily increasing
eficisncy Of her public schools. the wis
dom of her provision for county super.
intendency, and would as soon think of
closing her manufactures Us Of abal sh.
ing this part Of her educational machine.
~. New York, Philadelphia, Boston,