The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1869-01-14

Tor the ensuing year; or call an extra ses-
sion ofthe Legislature. I repeat that cit
is earnestly desired that the appropriation
bill be taken up, discussed and passed at a
sufficiently early period during the session
to enable it to receive that thorough ex-
animation which its Importance demands" :"
The annual report of the Superinten-
dent of Common Schools exhibits the con-
dition of that department in highly salts
factory manner. Within the State there
are ,918 school districts 13, ,766 schools !;
1882 graded schools; II ,698 school direc-
tors; 73 county, city and borough superin-
tendents; 1911 teachers, and 800,5
pupils The cost of tuition for the year
was So ,273 ,269 43 OF building, purchas-
inss az & renting school houses, 81 ,99I ,162
65 Of contingencies, 1854 ,253 21. These
three items, with expenditures for all 9th
er purposes connected Herewith, amount
to the aggregate sum of $6 200, ,537 96.
These facts are exhibited with great
satisfaction, as they show the average an
nual cost for the tuition of each pupil to
be about seven dollars and seventy four
and half cents. The average amount
paid to each teacher is about $185 179 per
annum. This, in my opinion, is too small
a salary to secure the services of compe-
tent teachers; and am fully justified in
urging the necessity ofincreased compensa-
ton. 1t is but just, and it will have an
elevating tendency not only upon the
teachers but the manner In which their
duties are performed.
Your attention is called to the fact that,
notwithstanding the ample provision now
made by law for the education of all per-
sons between the ages of six and twenty
one years, large numbers of children, prin-
cipally in our cities, do not attend any kind
of school. Over twenty thousand of this
class are found in Philadelphia, and the
number In the State is estimated to be not
less than seyenty-fve thousand. These
children grow up in ignorance, frequently
without employment, and many of them
contract habits of vice, which eventually
cause them to be committed to houses OF
refuge, county prisons or penitentiaries.-
Humanity and sound public policy de-
mand that something be done to remedy
this growing evil, and also that of the
neglected condition nofconsiderable numbers
of children in the alms and poor houses in
many of the counties.
Four Normal Schools are now recogniz
ed Is State Institutions. The number Of
students attending them during the pas
year was 2, ,115, of whom eighty graduated
Two additional Normal schools will proba
bly, go into operation during this year, one
located at Bloomsbury, Columbia county
and the other at California, Washington
county The value of these institutions
to the common school system cannot be
estimated Our schools are comparatively
worthless without qualified teachers, and
such teachers can most easily be obtained
from the Normal Institutes, where the ar
of teaching is made speciality.
A meeting of the presidents and othel
authorities of a number of our principa
colleges was held in Harrisburg last win
ter, the object of which was to bring abou
a closer union of all our educational insti
tutions, and connect by bond of sympa
thy, if not of organic structure, the com
mon schools, academies and colleges. Th,
establishment Of such an educational de
partment seems to be desirable.
There is no subject more worthy th'
deliberations of the Legislature than th
promotion of the welfare of our common
schools. They Immediately underlie tn
characteristic features ofOur social system
they are fountains of that widespread in
telligence, which, like perennial vitality
pervades the nation, and are nurseries o
that inquiring spirit to which We are in
debted for the purity and preservation o
our free institutions. Iu a republican
| government education is sure basis o
power and public prosperity. BY 1t th'
people are taught to discern and estlmat
the value of their own rights to distin
guish between oppression and the exercis
of lawful authority; to discriminate be
tween liberty and hcentiousness to pre-
serve an inviolable respect for the laws
and exercise ''eternal vigilance" agains
any encroaehments upon them. 1t is ad
n,itted that thoroughly educated peopl
alone can be permanently free. By edu
cational culture patriotism is expanded
and the principles, manners and sentiment
of the whole people are assimilated.-
Many of the sources of jealousy and pred
judice are diminished, social harmon
largely increased, and the structure of ou
free and happy system of government &C
mented, strengthened and adorned.
In his report the Superintendent c
Soldiers Orphans Shoots exhibits the tc
tai expenditure for their support fro1
December 1, 1867, to May 81, 1868, t
be $236, $40 26; total number of pupil
in the schools 3,431; average cost pc
pupil So 653. The fiscal year of thes
schools, like that of common schools, tern
mates by law on the last day of May {
each year. The present report of the 81
perintendent, therefore, embraces only 81
months, and reports will be made up
the 31st day of May, annually, hereafte
The special appropriation of February, 2
1868, made in accordance with an est
mate of the Superintendent, presented
my last annual message, exceeded the ac