Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1870-01-14

and should be corrected without delav
? AIlofhcers of the State who receive pub
7 Tic moneys, not excepting the Governor
!. are required by law and usage to set
J tie their accounts, on proper vouchers
; in the Auditor Generals Office. Til.
i right; and there is no good reason
why the same accountability should
not he heeniorced against all those who
receive annually such large sums oi
money from the bounty of the Com
monwealth. ], therefore, recommend
that law be passed requiring all per
sons who receive and disburse State
appropriations, to take proper vouch-
eFs ior 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 70 protect the interests Of the
State, but also the good name of those
who receive and disburse the money.
and OF the members of the Legislature
through whose influence the appropri-
atlOns are represented to be procured
For many years the general appropri-
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
ernOr has been forced either to sign the
bills without proper investigation
Notwithstanding any objections he
may have; suspend the means to de-
fray the operations of the government
for the ensuing year; or call an extra
session of the Legislature. 1t is there
fore earnestly desired that the aDpro-
priatiOn bill be taken up, discussed
and passed at a sufficiently early period
during the session to enable the Gov
eTnor to give it that thorough exam
inatiOn its importance demands"
Common Schools.
The peculiar interest which is al
ways manifested by the people in the
subject Of education, is an indueement
I to lay before you, more at length than
would otherwise be done, the princi-
( pal statistics of the system drawn
/ from the report Of the Superintend-
emf Of Common Schools.
There are within the State l 1.97I
| school districts 1886 schools; 2,445
! graded schools; II. 800 school directors;
I 70 superintendents; 17,142 teachers.
/ and Si5.7j3 pupils. The average cost
/ of tuition for each pupil is ninty-
/ seven cents per month. The whole
cost of tuition for the year is $3, SEQ
/ 70426. Total cnst Including expendi-
/ lures Oft all kinds during the year, So
Z 9S6. 1882. Estimated value of school
I property S140l5,632.
/ Notwithstanding the fact that our
( school law was made gen raj i'm the
( wear 1918, il is remarkable that there
( still remain five districts within the
State which have not yet CONFIRMED
/ thereto. Hopes are entertained that
fnHr of these will soon accept the con-
diiinns of the law, and the remaining
one. known as the Harmony District,
under the control of the "Econo-
mites.n having good school of its
own. will probably not adopt the pub
lie school system so long as the present
organization of that society exists. II
is, therefore, a subject worthy of hearty
cpngratulation that our school system
has been so universally adopted by the
voluntary consent and general acquies-
cerce Of the people.
As important auXiilaries to our com
mGn schools, the Normal schools are
entitled to assume the front rank
Their fiouTishiug condition may be un
dpr5t0od from the following statistics
The whole number of students that
I hive attended the four Normal schools
/ i I0. 237. of whom 32l have graduated.
/ Turing the past year there were In
I these institutions rs teachers, and A.
RS students. Since my last annual
Communication, a State Normal school
has been fully. established and recog-
med at Bloomsbury, Columbia couu-
tv. Its buildings are of the most fin-
( is1ed and substantial character, and it
/ commences its career under the most
atspiciOus circumstances. Another Is
/ now in a state of preparation at Cali
/ fTnia, 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 theStatethat
/ do not attend schools of any descrip-
4 tion. and who are permitted to grow
/ up in ignorance and without employ
ment, and, in many instances, from
/ lack of industrial and educational
/ training becnme not only the votaries
1 of vice, but a prolific source from
+ which the inmates of our prisons and
penitentiaries are supplied.
The number of children throughout
/ the State attending private schools, Is
I estimated ut eighty-fiVe thousand.
The aggregate of ftheeducational con-
/ dition Of the children of the Common
wealth, may be thus stated:
I Attending the public schools. .Sl53a3
4 Attending private schools..,.,.,.s....... o5,0Ot
( Not attending schools Of any kind. ........I9O 600
! Whole number Of children. .....-.....-. .9I5,753
The subject of non-attendanee by so
/ large A portion of children, is specially
! and most earnestly commended to your
/ consideration. It 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 inexcusable, if not criminal.
/ Doubtless in your assembled wisdom
/ Won will be able to devise some effect
/ ual mode by which this evil can be
7 remedied.
Many If the recommendations con-
tanned i'm the report of the Superin-
tendent are or the utmost importance,
and eminentIy. deserving Of serious at
tentinn and legislative action The iacts
/ above set forth illustrate most forcibly
the practical value of our most admi-
rahle common school system, and bear
testimony that cannot be misunder-
stood, to the wisdom and liberality by
which it has been conceived and so
successfully carried into effect.
soldiers Orphans Schools.
Attention is invited to the report
Of the SUPERINTENDENT cf the Soldiers
Orhpans' Schools, for the year ending
May 81, 1869, in which is exhibited
their condition, circumstances and eX-
penditures.
The whole number of children adj
| mitted into these schools from their o.
rigin to the 3lst day of May, 1863, i
four thousand FIVE, hundred and nine
,, of whom three hundred and seven
have been discharged on order, five
hundred and eighteen on age, ana nj
ty-three have died making a to-
! tai Of eight hundred and seventy
eight. which left three thousand. siN
, hundred and thirty-0ne in the schools
at the end of the year. Up 10 May 81
1863, the number of discharges from
tho sehOOls have exceeded former eSti