Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-02-28

BEDFoRD TowxsHIr, FER. 24rz 1868.
10 the Board ef School Directors Of Befford

BEDFORD IowSsHIP, EER. 24Tiz 1865.
70 the Board ef School Directors Of Beaford
Tolcnship.
GES1LsMES;-The Importance Of common
school education will be. my sufficient apology
for addressing you this note to cail your at
tentioR to the unlawfaIness Of the existing
common schools Of this township, and to re-
specially suggest to you the remedy therefor.
Aud as the matter concerns The public who
are your constituents, and an election for
school directors is near at hand, | address
you through the public print
L Is known 70 you that LAST winter, on peti.
ton Of myself and aud number of others, an
act of Assembly vas passed adding TO Bedford
Borough for school purposes q portion Of this
Township as iaF east as DR.. Anderson farm
and IS far south as the Springs. The District
added includes more than thirty families,
more than fifty scholars, and about $4,000
Of school tax. Pricr 10 this, all these we're
practically without school privileges. The
school house TO which they were required
to send is the one called Showers Valley"
a mile and half south Of the Springs, near
to Mrs. Riehardson s. and is log building
altogether unsuitable, located in a neighbor.
hood entirel aat Of the way for the majority
Of the scholars, where teacher could not
find suitable boarding, and where every sam
mer the school house is stripped Of its sash,
&c, until the fall finds it a neglected wreck.
Under the direction of some Of the members
Of your Board, long remembrance was got
up last winter, and again this winter. against
this law. No doubt you miss our tax which
for years yon have used to keep up your other
schools. There never has been a year to ny
knowledge When you spent ou the Showers
Valley school as much as oae fourth the tax
paid By this District 0ftentimes the school
was not kept open the length Of time required
by law, sometimes not at all, and when
opened some boy was got to 20 through the
semblatee Of teaching ten or fifteen irregularly
attending scholars. To the repeated remon-
s,rances Of myself and Others sou were as
deaf as a post, and you neglected year after
year to provide us a Suitable school-hoUse,
and refused to make any arrangement permit
ting US 80 pay our school taxesIu the Borough
and send our childre1 to the Borough schools.
You, therefore, am sure, on reflection, must
admit thar we did nothing more than was
right in procuring legislation BY which We
we're attached to The Borough
But our District was not alone ia being
neglected although ours was the most outra
geous ease. In truth there are not sufH
cient number Of school houses IN the town
ship and most Of those that are, are u5t suita.
bic buildings.
The law makes 1t your duty 70 establish
sufficient number Of schools for the education
OF fevery individual, above the age Of five and
under twenty one years, who may apply -
and It also makes it your duty TO procure
suitable lots" and erect suitable buildings
The language Of the Law Is imperative. You
SHALL do these things. Now gentlemen, /
can see no reason Why you should longer de
lay to comply with the law. Why not borrow
six or eightthousand dollars and proceed at
once 10 erect ten or twelve suitable school
houses, suitably located; or more than that,
if more are really needed and then leTy a
sufficient amounrof tax to carry on the schools
and pay of, say one Thousand dollars each
year Of the loau2 Bedford Borough, which
IS really no richer than the township, erected
a few years ego a school building at an eX-
pense Of .sI4 coo, aud did It in the way pro-
posed, by Joan which was gradually paid of.
That baiidirg is monument TO the advanced
public spirit Of . few citizens, and viii re-
main such through the ages as they roll.
If you build tor the whole Township at
once as many as may Be needed, you viii OBJ
viate the dissatisfaction that viii arise by
building one school house at q unei for each
ueighborhood fsucies its own necessities the
most urgent Aud whenever a suitable
school house, suitably located for the wants
Of the people lately added to the Borough, is
in good faith determined upon by your Beard,
those people will, have no doub, solsca-
to the repeal OF the law. More than this son
ought not to expect. You ought not toask us
10 pay school tax unless you give as q school.
Gentlemen of the Board Of School Djfec-
tors, you have an opportunity to do the
State some service, and DO yourselves some
credit Miss not the occasion. Peace hath
her victories as well as war; Erect ten or
twelve neat, comfortable aud convenient,
brick school-houses, with properly enclosed
play grounds, and your children and your
children's children for generations viii re-
member with pride and repeat with satisiac-
ton that you we're the school Directors who
iaaogarzted this good thing.
Very Respectfully
w. NJ Hall.