The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-03-15
i rectors and others about the pay of Coun-

rectors and others about the pay of Coun-
ty Superintendent the reply is, F." The
same money would do more good if dis
tributed among the schools in paying the
teachers wages" Now as our School Law
is, this cannot be done. The superiuten-
Idency is part of the system, and each
county must have one. In the opinion
of many wise men, it is almost an essen
tial feature of the system of Common
Schools. Whether this be so or not, if
we do not use proper share of the mon
ey appropriated BY the State, other coun-
ties wW use it, We cannot add to the
+" State appropriation to our schools by
diminishing the salary of the Superin-
tendent except in very small proportion.
In private letter to me from Thus,
H Burrowes, editor of the IeRnsylUdHia
School journal, he says; "They are paid
out of the general appropriation and not
out OF the share of each particular coun-
ty" and also says that an official article
IN the subject will appear in said journal
for March.
Now most of the counties are drawing
from the common fund IA sufficient amount
to enable their Superintendent to act eff
ciently, and ,ach county may, and is ex-
pccted to draw liberal support for the
olIice. Now suppose We add $500 or even
$500 to the amount previously paid in
this county, how much will there be taken
from our share of the "State apnropria-
lion to the Schools?
The whole amount appropriated to
schools in the State for the year ending
June 6, 1859 was S1S6,S41 II. Oar
county received $500 20. Now take from
this whole amount the sum of $500. and
we would diminish our appropriation abcut
tpo doltars fifteen cents and q ho,f(S l5)
or, if equally divided among on. 81
schools, about % cents to each school
The mo- thckly settled counties of the
State would be proporrionalIy more affect
cd. Thus Allegheny county received fro'u
the State last year, Sll.G3lS0. Should
we take $500 more for our Superintendent
We would draw our $50 from the 4T6
school of thai co1uty.
The question now is do we want an
efficient general supervision of the schuols
Of the county. Some will answer BY ask.
ing what good has the Office done Us !?
We don't see the Superintendent twice
year. He don't say in the school over
an hour. 1t is true we have (until this
winter had men in the Office whose tine
was nccc>sarI y much occupied by other
matters, and even had this not been the
case, we have not allowed the Department
TO pay him lalary sufficient to coH .or,
o. expect. full discharge Of the duties
pertaining to the office
We cannot fully Judge of the fitness for
the Office of Messrs Gage, Pradt or Il en-
drick, by what we have allowed them To
do, or pail them for doing. Nor are We
prepared to decide "A: to the merits ofth>
feature of our school system, till we en-
ploy man to carry out the provisions Of
the Law for the Office.
The State Superintendent Of Illinois
says, Pennsylvania has the best system
OF School Supervision in any State in the
Union and recommends the creation Of
the Office Of County Superintendent in
that State" Our own State Superinten
lent, Hon H G. Hlckok says, "Thc
County SUPPLEMENTARY has been sue
cessfuI in exact proportion 10 the fitness
aud fidelity OF the office, modified, in some
instances, By the inad,gnate compensation
pail, or the persistent want of coGpera
ticn on the part Of Directors"
Now gentlemen Directors, we ask you
| to give us the best man the county affords,
or one among the best men-and by your
vote, allow him 20 receive from the $3.50.
900 or S290,000 paid by the State to
Common School purposes, sam amply
sufficient 10 repay him f'r devoting his
time and talent to the interests of the
schools 10 Examinations, Visitatlons, Lee
lures, Institutes. &c. Give US this for
one term Of 3 years, and then if the in
tcligent people of the county are dissatis
ied-we will try it again.
have been one Of your class for 8
years, but am now "voted out" because |
entertain the sentiments embodied IN the
three articles | have now published for
YOUR benefit. am not a candidate for
the Office myself, and have no favorite for
which wish to express public opinion.
[ will simply say, selecta man from among
the applicants, who is not burdencd with
other duties that must occupy any con
siderable share of his time, bearing in
mind the motto that, practice makes
perfect" Yours truly, L. BIRD.
The following paragraph was accidentally
omitted in Mr.. Birds last Communication
Ed. JoUn.1
may add that / am satisfied change