Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-11-15
THE PUBLIC slHOOLS OF
MEMPHIS.
Report upon Their Condition
by the President OF the Beard
CT school Visitors.

Ol our nudUCSSs DJ LucSe bEabcDltHU
you will see that the receipts for tbs
: year have been S24, 6S3 10; expenditures
S5l, 500 81. The reports Of the different
- committees will afford you the requisite
q information upon the various subject:
q committed to tAeir care.
{" To cur constituency the Board would
ls say, the best has been done which cir
3 cunastances permitted The schools have
c been successfully carried through an
e other year, under the most DEPRESSING
dnsncial endorsements. AT the
It time your operations commenced, you
; had net e dollar IL the Treasury, ana no
y adequate provision hso been made for the
u support OF the schools. AS the report oil
y the Secretary viii show, the expendi.
q lures nave been limited to salaries, rents
- al necessary repairs. No permanent
improvements have been maze in school
accommodations. 1t is 9 humiliatinR
, statement for me to make, yet the Board
cannct be held accountable for this
st&pd-stHl policy. It certainly is not Of
u 0Dr seeking, bat the result Of a failure 10
the proper authorities 10 meet the &C.
manGs Of cur schools. Every other
; interest has been better protected. Our
y streets have been paved at 8 vast outlay /:
Z the police mgintsined 81 g cost fye-!oId
; that OF the schools; one million dollars
Of Understanding bonds have been
= added to the debt OF The city the FIRE
department and hospitals have not been
suffered to renaln uDcsred for but
the psItry sum of S11 2S5 05 for school
D purposes has been collected since the
CON mencement Of the scholastic year.
= While other cities have reared their
imposing and OTDate structures for the
yarpuse OF free education, Memphis has
continued to have Der schools taught Ia
!, temporary and uncomfortable bindings.
Our teSehers have faithfully worked On,
while the Board is largely in debt to
them for theiI salaries. Iu looking over
the reports Of other yeas, the same state
of affzil 3 seems to have existed. Want
Of funds hes prevented any expenditure
except Whist was barely necessary to
meet the necessary expenses CT tuition, |
rent and suPPiies. Tne Bosrd Of School
Visitors Oi=E 70 the public their sixteenth
annual report with tbs statement thst
during thar period not L building Hor.
thy Of the character Of cur city is nov
owned and occupied for educating the
youth, who will in less than sixteen
years from this date, control our inter
ests, either for wesi or woe. The reports
OF other cities coma to Us with state
ments OF the value OF their real estate
and school houses, and the bountiful a9-
propIiations for the support OF schools.
Are they less prosperous than We for the
expenditure? DID any one ever heaz
the complaint that there were too many
schools? that school buildings were too
costly, more convenient and beautiful
than necessary? Thsae questions are for
the people Of Memphis 70 consider and
reflect upon.
raere should be 3 change in the man
nsr Of managing this department Of cur
municipal government, or the schools
will live 4 sickiy, fesbls life, little cared
for at home uc unknown abroad. Ii it
is for the interest OF the psOpie to have
schools, they should be good schools,
supported nOt persimOniousiy, but as y0a
would your business. In = word, make
them profitable. We find but few men
il the ~eoLsmunity Wh0 Hi;l have the az
sGrance 10 question the advantage Of IL
teiliseBt over an ignorant community.
The pupils in our ch0Ols are, SC far IS
qualifying them for eitIzeDship gces, e
trust committed TO cur csre. The law |
makes their education our cara. This il {
does because their education Is a public
benefit. Property IL sAhzEcsd il vs.us {
If IL is surrounded by ca IDtelligent and !
y~iFtuous community. Il is more secure. {
The statistics Of crime everywhere 20 To
prove that il is the ignorant portion Of
the population that causes burdsnsome
taxation. We need but consult the G
records Of crime in our city TO prove
this. The police ststiens every morning
but establishes The fact. The expensive {
but beautiful jsii oE YOEdsg bluff will :
a day snsWe fully your inquiries as :
regards the expense OF educating the :
people, as compared with the expense !.
arising from its neglect, .
To euFTaet tbs faults and blunders Of 4
the past is s difficult task, but the part Of
wisdom Is to set u work ana relieve Our
successors If the troubles and burdens I
which, ike the shirt of Nessus, have
stuck 10 us. It lie our duty TO cast about
as snd see what can be lone 10 relieve a."
the schools of the burden which has 81 y
long ha.G them down. While your Q
Superintendent and teachers are WORK Z
ing on with such accommodations as Q
have been transferred 20 U5, u mission U
3 to frame the public opinion which will Il
demand such facilities IS other places q
afford. the Board has labored ioDg a
enough uBGsr lis present system TO fully q
satisfy sill who have had experience in q
school management in this CITY, thai g L
change is necessary. G.
would recommend such alterations q
in the charter that you will possess the q
sCse right to provide for their support. 81
liz was certainly intended that you o
NAagAAu AAhg ~ y - ~ OAen11C
which gives the Board of Mayor sDd a
Aldermen the rigAt to sppro7e or reject, &c
should be stricken out. The Board OF a
School Visitors siOne should fix the rate, 81
and have the power to collect, IL thS &
city suthositiss refused to recognize Z
your assessment. Let the mRxImOm y
rate be fixed, say st three Eaills, with =
the right TO call upOE the people at any =
regular election for q sPeeitsIinerease, IS
IL necessary, for building schOo.-houses. al
This Bosri is the chosen body of the sc
people, snd should have the same power, 70
10 their separate capacity, TO regulate in 81
sill the details the various departments
of the system. You are supposed
TO understand the wants of the %
and viii provide for their q
support much better han those not =
Immediately connected with them. II L
SUCH amendments could be drawn up,
sfter due discussion in your body, aud M
submitted, if thought best, to the citizens :;
Of our city for approval, and should be
approved, you could then presents 20 the
: law FOR It's consideration, NJ
IncOrsed by g cody Of petitioners which
would command their approval. This
ought to be done before the next annual 81
municipal election, and the law en-
crossed upon the statute book of the a.,
In its preparation the more care ~
'ul attention should be given that no n.
ambiguous language shall 30 introduced 4,
will in after years place the city ov
schools in the helpless condition Of the az
~
Ileave this for your consideration, but
With an abiding confidence that the eiti
tens of Memphis will vote to support
{ free schools for the whole pee -
)le," eheerfClly giving you the aid IL
Ind encouragement which the 80
,ouplishment Of your desired work re- N
luiTss. Go to the souEce of power, u
he people. Some months since, p
he authorities laid before the people ~
|. proposition to be sanctioned, the ~
of which was to relieve the city ~
4 it's present due debt. No complaint ~
an be justly brought against the school :.
for pursuing the same o0urse,
authority is needed to accomplish =.
my desired result. II the vOice OF our -
constituents is adverse To fres schools, s.
hen our course will be plainly marked.
)ur superintendent and teachers may res
,e dismissed, while we csn spend our tn,
ime and energies In 8 less thsnkless Co
lufy than attending and watching over ST
dying patient. fhavs too much CON at