The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1871-11-23
The Public School Fund.

Gcnhemea:--On the hrst day OF Sep.
TENDER, 1870, the School Fund in the
Treasury subject to distribution among the
severnl counties, was $233,l53 O2; and
on the first day of September. 1871, there
was subject to distribution, $l74,S96 81
indicating an apparent decrease Of S5S,264
40 in the accruiug revenues Of this fund
during the last year, and proportioually
reducing the amount appOrtioned to each
county Of the State.
Letters have been received at this Dc
partment from tho friends of our School
System, school officers, and others asking
40 explanation.
In 1869 there was distributed Sl49, 56S
GS, a sum SIS 1923 Oh less than the am
cunt distributed in 1911. This indicates
that the discrepancy between the amount
appurti'Sed in 1870, and that apportioncd
10 1871, was not to be found in the fact
that the revenues of the fund had decreas-
cd during the year ending on the LIST of
September. 1871, but was due chiefly, to
some unusual increase in the amount dis.
tribu,cl on the LIST Of September, 1870
And this is fully illustrated by the follow
ing facts:
Previous to the time the Code of West
Virginia took effect, the State School Fund
was distributed on the LIST dry of April, in
each year, but by the Code this distribu.
ton was directed to be made on the lst
day Of September. The Code took effect
on the LIST day of April, 1869, and on
that day the State School Fund amounted
to the SUN Of Sl49, 563 5S. as above sta
ted, was distributed. The next distribu.
ton was made on the LIST of September,
1S7O-,he period Of II months having
elapsed in the mean time And so it was
that on the list of September, 1870, there
was apportioncd among the several couu-
ties of the State the distributable School
Fund that had accrued during the period
Of scusnteen months.
In these five extra mouths April, May,
June, July, and August, 1S69--the sum
Of S4S,360 81 was received at the Treas
ury on account of this fund. During the
year preceding the LIST day of September,
1870, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company paid into the Treasury to the
credit of this Fund, $4,000 on account
of arrearages of taxes due for former years,
and S5,Sl2 05 on account Of taxes assess
ed on that Company for the year 1863
This Company has paid no tax for the year
1870, owing to the omission, as am iu-
formed, of the former officers to make the
assessments for the year 1870, as is requi-
red by the 9th section Of chapter 80 Of
the Code. 1t will thus be seen that the
aggregate sum Of $G4,lS 90 from the
causes here named alone, entered into the
distributable Fund for the year 1870, that
formed no part Of that Fund for the year
1871. Deductiug this sum from the am
cunt distributed on the LIST of September,
1870, leaves the sum Of $l6S 405 10.
which, as will be seen, is S6,491 so less
than the amount distributed in September,
1871, The facts presented illustrate, that
the amount distributed in September, II,
is larger than that distributed in any pre-
vious year, except that Of 1870, and is
S6,49l 50 larger than was produced from
the ordinary sources Of this Fund during
the twelve months next preceding the ap-
portionment made 10 that year. This is a
gratifying result and conclusivcly demon
slrates that the revenues of this Fund is
increasing and not diminishing
Very Respectfully,
C.S LEWIS,
General Superintendent