Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-03-01
8eoforo ynquuer
BEDFORD, Pa FRIDAY, MARCH +, 1851.
THE SCHOOL QUESTION IN THE
LEGISLATURE

On the 9th Of February, House bill No
l29, to which we believe was attached bill
No. l24, entitled an act to increase the eff
cheney of the common school system, was
taken up, debated and lost BY a vote OF 30
for and 47 against it passage. Weller aud
Richards voting fer it The bin was lost on
the first section which provides for the inn
position of State tax for school purposes.
Mr. Mann Of Potter seems to have been al
most the only member who had anything to
say in advoeacyof the bill We hope to see
a deeper interest shown on this subject by
the members from the poorer sections Ct the
State when it again comes before the House.
We have heretofore advocated the tax be-
cause we did not believe that the funds Of
tba State out of which the ordinary school
nominations are made, would admit OF
.,.,rai.riati4ar a...-l. s.-4-,.,s,s.s -
the present condition Of our schools, unless
there we're some other than the present
sources of revenue provided for the purpose
The object we have in view. is TO obtain an
appropriation from the State sufficient to
drlray the expense Of tuition throughout
gbe State. For this purpose we advocated
State tax. fhe decision of the house on
This question by majority Of eleven makes
+. evident that such a measure cannot be
Pas I'd this session. We now hope to see
cur members and the friends of the cause
20 to work vigorously to secure the next
best thing attainabIe at present, viz a
largely increased appropriation from the
usual source and what is Of still greater I'M
portanee a distribution Of it more in accor-
dance with the spirit Of our school system
We think distribution, such as that pro-
posed in the 9th section of bill No. I24,
viz 0ne-half in proportion to the whole
number Of schools and the other half in
proportion to the whole number of pupils,
might be obtained. This viii enable US
to make a great improvement in our schools,
provided an appropriation of 81, 100000.
Or 81, 100000, can be obtained instead
Of the present miserable pittance of 1854,
5000. The total cost of tuition in 1866
was 50, ,2ll ,521. 70. The cost of purchasing,
building, renting, repairing, &c, in addition
sums up a total expenditure Of the system
for 1866 Of $3,266, $4,000. Thus we see
that the State appropriation has been but
about one-tenth of the actual expenditure
when it ought to be at least one half The
extension Of the minimum school term to
five months seems to meet with general IA
Yor and will be carried whenever proposed.
This viii necessitate an increase Of local
taxation Of 25 per cent. unless there is a
largely increased appropriation and a change
in the method of distribution. If the gen.
eral taxation scheme is defeated for this ses
sion we hope to see our members work Wig
orously for this latter proposition We do
not wish to be understood to have abandon
ed our former position, but we believe half a
loaf to be better than no bread. We will
take what we can get now, and we wish to
get all we can, and then continue to agitatC
the matter until our people are sufficiently
walked up on the subject TO rise in then
strength and so amend our laws, as to ac-
e9mplish the design of the founders Of oul
Free School System.