Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1870-03-10

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T. lco.-u.,e.r.,.
To the II - Beard of !Sehno'
.cea 3. Nasy's COnasy.
GnxuRnsx :-lt i With extreme DIFF
6denee Jour humble servant. . public
School Teacher, attempts 70 address you
touchiig matters Of Public Instruction in
our county. He does not arrogsntly pre-
sumo to dictate. OF even suggest . line
o. rule # conduct which should govern
your sctDns. f
The ~. although ambiguous in some
Of its particulars, Is tsrse in others. and
wherevs desect.. owing 20 hasty lcgi.la-
tior orrelaxcd diligence upon the Glowing
hours d . long and laborious session.
have ban allowed to remain, M dosbt
some PIN will occur TO your judgment.
tempered BY IN honest desire 70 subservc
the interest Of Psbfc destruction. where
BY these defects m.y b rs~s.iied. until
they be repealed o. anepded BY lsgisla-
tive cusctmen.. IA
I am aware that you viii dad yourselves
hamperei BY the liabilities q the old
Board. owing b their neglect to call upon
the County Beard last year for any add
tional sam necessary to carry on sqcoess-
fully th work Of Public destruction in
the county as the law directs. But such
being the case. il behooves you to look
she matter in tho face and do the best
you can under the circumstances. II
10 uld seem, according 10 the published
opinion Of the late Board, or rather its
President. they had no legal right to an
ticipatc deficiency and call upon the
County Board for aid until deficiency
actually dad exist. and - they could no,
legitinately determine upon any defcien-
cy until the close Of the scholastic year,
Sept. 30sh. it was too late to call upon
them then, and necessarily deferred it IN.
til the present year. The consequence Of
oil this Is that the Teachers have TO Wait
nearly II months before a levy il laid
and about another II months before they
get it. Wha. says chap. 8. sec. 4 Of the
School I4~.
The State School Fund is primarily
intended. under this act. to pay the sala-
rics Of the teachers Of tho several coun-
ties, aud provide school books and sta.
tionery for the children Of the State. II,
however. in apportioning the said State
School Fund amsng the different counties
and the city Of Baltimore, the share Of
any county should prove insdequate for
the purpose Aforesaid, then the C,untv
Commissioners Of such county are hereby
authorised, empowered. directed and re-
quired 10 levy and collect such ta1 upon
the sssessable property Of such county as
the Bard Of School Commissioners shall
designate Is sufficient to make good The
de6ciensy and to pay quarterly On the
day Fixed for the payment of the State
School Fund 10 the several counties, the
amount % .cxied AID collected over to the
Treasurer Of the said Board of County
School Commissioners in order that the
ocbools Of such counties may be kept open
for the time herein set forth" (ten months)
land said tax shall DO levied and collec-
ted like other taxes"
Now what becomes Of tic provision re-
curing the County Board to pay quar-
terly on the day fixed for the paymeu. of
the State School Fund to the several
counties the amount 20 levied and collec-
ted over to the Treasurer Of the School
Board, if the Teachers have to wait two
years for il? No, the intention Of the
law is obvious. It il expected that the
funds so levied will be in hand to pay the
Teachers promptly At the end Of the
Term.
The Principal Of the State Normal
School in his annual report for 1868, 10
also unders tand in bis report for last
year, noticed the refusal Of the School
Commissioners 10 call for . levy. The
Governor Of the STATE 10 his annual mes.
sage notices it. and even takes the ground
that the counties that refuse n levy this
tax, forfeit their apportionment Of the
State School Fund, for It is donated upoo
he condition that the eouuties will make
up the deficiency BY ajax. But h 10 use
less TO dwell upon the past. To che vast
majority Of the members Of the late Board
I, and believe the Tesehers cfshs coun-
y generally, easertain no feelings Of
hostility or resentment. They are mon
known for their practical good sense and
strict integrity Of parpose. aod. no doubt.
endeavored to sdmini.t~r the affairs o.
their Office for the best interest Of all con-
cerned. but that they failed to meet the
necessities of the case and the require
ments Of the lav under which they seeed,
The present peesniarv embarrassment
under which you labsr. too sssoogly At
tests.
True, On the eve Of their dies olu,iou,
they made . requisision for 8. 900. bu,
their indebtedness must Be something
over a, 900 for Teacher Salaries alone
IL for nothing else. The amount due
each Teacher for balance Of Summer and
Ill Of Fall Terms, 500. makes in the ag-
gregate, g. 800, 70 say nothing Of the
excess OF incidentsls over receipts Of
books seld. Bot even If the Is, 900 viii
liquidate the Indebtedness Of last year,
the difficulty arises in having to make q
requisitioa this Jsas for besh the def
e;eaeies u The lass and pesssss year,
vhsa The ds6eisscy Il ~ yeas skssA
bave been kyiod -