Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-09-24
RATHER HEAvYl


the West Virginia system. A little township,
of perhaps less than four thousand inhaGit-
ants, and which casts thirteen votes, is assess
ed, and has recently been bled to the tune of
nearly eight thousand dollars for the support
of free schools, and to pay the salaries of in
competent teachers, who teach on an average
not over five hours per day, aud spend the
remainder of the time in vocations better
suited to their tastes and capacities.
Now, in this township, We have not moro
than thrce-and We believe only two schools
in operation. Let us make small arithmet-
ical calculation. These teachers are salaried
at S35 per month or $3.50 for the scholastic
year of ten months. Say that we have three
schools in operation, the aggregate salaries of
teachers would amount to Sl,050. One
school house has been reconstructed at a con-
tract price of s465. 1t may become neces-
sary to build two more in the township, which
should not, at the outside figure, cost more
than $500 each, or 81 600 for the two With
these new houses there mi ht be Eve schools
put in operation in this township. AS we
have shown, the cost of houses should not ex>
coed S2,l0O; and if we have five schools in
operation the salaries of the teachers would
amount to S1.750-making an expenditure
Of sS,S50-or thusly-
For building and repairing houses, $1,000
For salaries, five teachers, 1850
$3.50
As the school-board of the township, has, in
its wisdom, seen fit to extract $4,000 from
the pockets of the people, we take it upon
ourselves to inquire what is to be done with
the money? Who is to have the handling of
it. and for what purpose is it to be expended?
We take it for granted that it would not have
been collected, if it was not intended that it
should be used-and if used, the people
ought to know how, and for whose benefit.
We do not say that we may not be mista-
ken in our estimates. We are not aiming to
give exact, but approximate figures, and think
We are not wide of the mark. Nor do re in>
tend TO throw out the intmatiOn that the
School Board has exceeded its authority, and
levied an excessive tax upon the people. But
we have submitted u calculation which COW
ers all the expenses that are apparent, aud
this falls far short of absorbing the fund that
has been created by the assessment. The
remainder should be accounted for, and
public exhibit made of the manner of ex-
pending the whole $4,000, or whatever sum
was realized from the seemingly exorbitant
assessment.
In addition to the sum just referred to,
which has been extracted from the people of
the township at time when they find it in
convenient to meet such a demand upon their
resources, there is deposited in the Bank at
Martinsburg, to the credit of this township,
eieren hundred 1oU0rs,-thc proceeds Of
former assessmerts,-to be expended for
school purposes. We refer to this to show
that there was no necessity at this particular
time, to burden tho people with this enormous
taxation, and that the Board of Education
has taken advantage of an oppressive law to
Cypress the property holders Of the township,
when they had it in their power to avoid such
oppression.
We believe that five free schools, with the
large number of private schools that are bound
to exist, will be found sufficient in this town
ship. For the accommodation of these, there
were, before the assessment was made, at
least two good school houses-one at Fleet
wood, and another at Wiltshire's. These be-
lOnged to the county, and were eligibly loca-
ted. In town, we had the remains of a
school house, which, as stated, has been re-
constructed at a contract price of S4G5, and
is now nearly ready for occupancy.
We understand that some of the members
of the Board justify their course of procedure
upon the plea that their assessment was made
upon the lowest rate of per cent. on property
authorized by the school law. To show that
this pretext has not the shadow of founda-
ton, we quote from the amended school law
of 1867, the sections which authorize this
assessment. These are sections 4I-2-3. and
we give them in full to show that there was
no obligation resting upon this Board of Ed
ucation to cxtort from our people this oncrous
assessment, and that it has been done either
through an inexcusable ignorance in men
who aspire to position, or else from a dispo-
stion to Cypress. Below we give the sections
referred to, which will be found on the 18th
page of the amended law -
Building .tund-AnmW0i lery for same
LOORS.
Al. To enable the board If cducn ton Of town
ship Ia provide school houses and grounds, fuTni-
tuTc. fixtures and appCnda.rrs. AMI keep the same
IN GOO order and repair, pursuant to the thirty
seventh SECTION, and to pay III" PRINCIPAL and in-
t.T"st Of a. hans made pursuant to the fort third
section, they may annually levy Il the pro-
Te'ty taxable in their township. net to exceed in
any one YEA the rate Oi fifty cents every hun
dr'd d"iiars valuation thereof, according to the
latest assessment Ut the same for State and county