Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-08-18
EDUCATION.

terday. This was organized in Philadel
phia, Pennsylvania, 10 August 1867, pun
suant to call of the Presidents Of th
several State Associations, at which time
Constitution was framed, officers eleete'
and measures adopted, that have given no
only Permanency, bot q vast deal o
efficiency to the organization. Suhsequen
annual meetings have been held at Cincin-
natl, Ohio, Washington, District Of Column
bia, Buffalo, New York, Chicago, Illinois
Ogdensburg, New York, Harrisburg, Penn
sylvania, and lastly, al Indianapolis, In
diana, in August, 1867, at which time i
was agreed to assemble in this city at th,
time already designated.
At 10 A. NJ. the Association was called d
order, Hon. E. E. White, Of Ohio, presiding
PRAYER by Rev. j. L. Mcdowell, of Car
roll county, Tennessee.
President White stated 10 brief the OBJ
jects Of the meeting in general, and in par
ticular for to-day, as being for the discus
sion of l-L ~ CT ~
Z. SCHooI. DIsrRIcr OReANlzATfoN- :
Territorial unit, School Officers, etc.
II. School FUNDs.-How best raised
(by State or. local taxation how appoF-
toned, how disbursed, etc.
III. SCHOOL SUPERvIsIoN.-State coun-
ty and districts; how superintendent
should be chosen, term Of Office, etc.
". SCHOOL STATIsTIcs.-State and city
items TO be reported, basis of same, etc.
Also congratulated the gentlemen of the
Association upon the fine appearance that
there was double the numberspresent tina.
be had seen at previous meetings. Fell
greatly encouraged, and hoped that great
good would result from their deliberations,
and that as their object was to come at
practical results, their proceedings should
be informal and discussions conversational.
Rev. l.. Van Bokkelen, of MARYLAND, Sec
rotary, read minutes of last meeting.
DIR. Edwards, chairman of the commit
tee appointed on the subject of the relation
between pauperism and education and be-
tween intemperance and education, setting
forth also costs of same, reported that they
had made some progress, but asked for
another year. Granted.
President White in announcing the pro-
gramme for to-day, extended an Invitation
to all persons who occupied positions as
State or City Superintendents, TO partici-
pate in the proceedings.
The Secretary read the Constitution and
the Chairman then modified the invitation
by citing the limit in the Constitution, and
suggested that all present who felt practi-
cal interest in this cause Of education be
invited 10 participate in the discussions.
Moved by Mr.. Bulky, Superintendent
Brooklyn City Schools, that all educators
be invited to participate, Carried.
The President then introduced General
John Eaton, Superintendent Public In
struction for Tennessee, in few conipli-
mentary remarks to that gentleman's zeal
and unceasing labor in the great and good
cause Of education had met him thirGeen
years ago laborer in the same field, and
was truly glad to see him still at work.
DIR. GREGoRY's REMARKS.
DR.. Gregory being called upon, respond
ed as follows:
There are two considerations which con-
troll this matter of School funds" in my
mind. The one is the equitable collection
of the funds, and the other Is their ecoDomi-
cal administration. 10 regard to the col
lection, l have noticed that the larger the
section the more equitable the collection of
that tax. The poorest of all is the district
tax; the best is the State tax. The only
argument that L ever heard against getting
it by State tax was, that each district and
each parent should take care Of its children
in the matter OF education.
There are always three great parties that
are Interested in the young the child it.
self, the parent and the State. The State,
however, has the greater interest of the
three, greater even than the child, for it
feels an interest in him as citizen. Upon
that basis to my mind at least, there is no
possible reason why the State taxes should
net be levied for that purpose. 1t is said
that a Stale never manages anything
as economical as private citizens; but
in the hands of citizens the school
funds would be used only for the
particular community in which they
happened to be. 1t seems o me, that
the event hoped for will be reached, when
the State tax of sufficient amount will be
levied to bring it within the reach Of the
smallest and poorest district of the State,
to secure for their children, the funds ne
cessary for an efficient education.
There is one point only which propose
to elaborate. The points set forth in the
paper superintendent Eaton were good
ones. The point that / wish to elaborate
is this: You never can distribute the
population of State in such an equal
manner that every community and neigh
borhood shall have any equal number of
scholars, 80 that the bearing Of the bur-
dens of the education OF the young
will not be equally distributed.
New York State attempted to guard
against this by distributing to the districts
without regard to the number of children
it contained. If the Massachusetts system
is TO prevail, then the New York plan is
the best one, because expenses have to be
borne without reference to the number of
scholars. The real remedy for this is in
the township system. When the township
system shall become the American system,
then the distribution will be made equally /;
every child can have a chance of being ed
ucated and the administration being OF
the people, the strictest economy can be
used. These are the conclusions which l
reached years ago, and which every re-
Peated reflection has enforced upon me.
Mr.. Van Bokkelen said that the subject
of the school fund underlies the whole sub
ject of education. Money made the mare
CO." and money would make the school go.
Money was what we needed.
.AMr. Bulkely then introduced Mr.. Hagar,
Superintendent of the State Mammal Asso.
citation Of Massachusetts
Mr.. Hagar said, as to shedding any light
upon this subject, cannot do so.
Mr.. Superintendent Eaton said that the
State should raise a sum of from forty to
sixty cents, and that each scholar in the
towns should be entitled to it. In our State
there are $4,000 collected, and no less than
So raised for each child between the ages
Of five and fifteen years. This is distri bu-
ted among the towns of the State. The
distributions have been changed within the
last year or two. Now, the sum of SIS is
set aside for every town. The remainder
is set aside for children between the ages
Of five and fifteen years, 30 that each town
Is sure of receiving at least SIS, and re-
ceives more, depending upon the number
of children between the ages before speci.
fed. The remainder of the fund comes
from direct taxation, that is, by voluntary
taxation Of towns. This is the state oi
taxation on school funds in Massachusetts,.
Mr.. Bosom was then introduced to the
Association and spoke as follows | am
truly graiiied that am permitted TO add a
sole thought TO the many that have been
expressed in reference to the proper method
Of raising funds for edncation in the State.