The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1870-01-13

uonor pretensions. And then every one
who shall have performed his whole
duty TO sustain the true interests Of the
State aud TO maintain the high dignl-
ty Of her character, may return uBpol-
luted and with clear conscience 10
his constituen s, who will receive him
with open arms. and with the joyful
exclamation of ''wel done good and
faithful servant"
Liberal appropriations are made an
lluaily 10 our peniteutiarieS, iunatic a
sylums, ond other charitable and ben
eficial institutions, without requiring
from those who receive aud disburse
the money any satisfactory evidence
that il has been faithfully applied 10
the objects intended. This is wrong,
and should he corrected without delay.
All officers of the State who receive pub
lie moneys, not excepting the Governor
are required by Law and usage 10 set
tie their accounts, on proper vouchers,
in the Auditor Generals office. This
is sright and there is no good reason
why the same accountability should
not be enforced against all those who
receive annually such large sums of
money from the bounty of the Com
monWealth. /, therefore, recommend
that law be passed requiring all per
sons who receive ana dIsburse State
appropriations, TO take proper vouch-
ers for all moneys so expended by
them, and to make quarterly settle
ments of the same in the Auditor Gen
erals office. This is important, not
only to protect the interests Of the
State, but also the good name of those
who receive and disburse the money,
aud of the members Of the Legislature
through whose influence the appropFi-
ati0ns are represented 10 be procured.
Fer maEy years the general appTopri-
alton bills have been signed on the day
Of the Adjournment OF the Legislature
and | here repeat my suggestions OF
last year on this subject. The Gov
eFnOr has been forced either 10 sign the
bills without proper Investigation,
notwithstanding any objections ne
may have; suspend the means 10 de-
fray the operations OF the government
for the ensuing year; or call an extra
session Of the Legislature. II IS there
fore earnestly desired that the apiro-
priation bill be taken up, discussed
and passed at a sufficiently early period
during the session TO enable the Gov
ernor to give ii that thorough exam
Common Schools.
The peculiar interest which is al
ways manifested by the people IN the
sab;ect Of education, is an inducement
10 Iay before you, more at length than
would otherwise be done, the prlncl-
pal statistics of the system drawn
from the report Of the Superintend-
ent Of Common Schools.
There are within the State l,97l
school districts; 1885 schools; 2,443
graded schools; u, 900 scho0idiFectors;
T6 superintendentS 7,l42 teachers,
and Sl5.7 pupils. Tie average cost
of tuition for each pupil is ninty-
seven cents per month. The whole
cost of tuition for the year is $500
70t %. Total cost including eXpendI-
lures Of all kinds during the year, S6,-
9S6, 1882. Estimated value of scnoOl
property $l4 0l5,632.
Notwithstanding the fact that our
school law was made gen raj in the
year 1913, it is remarkable that there
still remain five districts within the
State which have not vet conformed
thereto Hopes are entertained that
four Of these will soon accept the con-
ditiOns of the law, and the remaining
one, known as the Harmony District,
under the control of the "Econo-
mites" having a good school of its
own, will probably not adopt the pub
lie school system 50 long a. the present
organization of that society exists. 1t
is, therefore, a subject worthy Of hearty
c0ngratulation that our school system
has been so universally adopted by the
voluntary consent and general acquleS-
cence Of the people.
As important auxiIlaries to our com
men schools, the Normal schools are
entitled to assume the front rank
Their fiouIishing condition may be un-
derst0od from the following statistics:
The whole number OF students that
have attended the four Normal schools
l. 10 237, of whom 32I have graduated.
During the past year there were IN
these Institutions rs teachers, and f.,
Us students. Since my last annual
communication, State Normal school
has been fully established and recog-
nized at Bloomsbury, Columbia coun-
". Its buildings are of the most fin
ished and substantial character, and Il
commences its career under the mo-
auspici0us circumstances. Another is
now in state Of preparation at Cali
fornia, Washington county, and will
probably be completed during the cur
rent year.
Your attention Is again invited to
the fact that there are about seventy
FIVE thousand children in the State that
do not attend schools of any descrip-
ti0n. and who are permitted 10 grow
up in ignorance and without employ
ment, and, in many instances, from
lack Of industrial and educational
training become not only votaries
of vice, but q prolific source frOsl
which the inmates Of our prisons and
peuitentiaries are supplied.
The number of children throughout
the State attending private schools, Is
estimated at eighty-fiye thousand.
The aggregate Of ftheeducatianal con-
dition of the children OF the Common
wealth, may be thus stated
Attending the public schools. SI5.753
Attending private schools. 5.0Cb
Not attending schools Of any kind. .'..''..79 900
Whole nuzber q children. ........-... .s75, ,7s3
The subject of non-attendanee by so
large portion of children, is specially
and most earnestly commended to your
consideration. 1t Is true economy on
the part Of the State, if possible, to
save these children from ignorance, va
grancy and crime. To neglect them
would be inexcasable, if not criminal.
Doubtless in your assembled wisdom
YOU will be able to devise some effect
uai mode by which this evil can be
remedied.
Many Of the recommendations con-
tained in the report of the Superin-
tendent are of the utmost Importance,
and eminently deserving Of serious at
tention and legislative action. The facts
above set forth illustrate most forcibiy
the practical value of cur most admi-
rabIe common school system, and bear
testimony that cannot be misunder
stood 70 the Vi-tIn1 and lihpraljty bV