The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-11-09
TTuE DIsTRIBUTABLE SCHOOL
FUND.

SpOuucut COhSo oPPAI -rT7'
to the Intelzigencer the information it
has been pining for in relation to the
distribution of the school fund. Now,
having, without color Of probability, ex-
pressed "the suspicion that large por-
ton of this years distributable school
fund has been withheld from the people
for some improper and unauthorized
use" will the editor have the manliness
to publish the explanation that shows
his suspicion" 10 be entirely destitute OF
foundation in truth? We shall see.
Last year, as is well known to those
familiar with school affairs, the portion
of the distributable school fund given
to each county was unprecedentedly and
unexpectedly large. Our city Board OF
School Commissioners were surprised at
it's magnitude and had not anticipated
80 much by several thousand dollars
The sum received in 1869 had been but
little more than one-half Of that
of last fall, which was spoken OF at the
time as unusual in its amount; and the
Radical politicians then in power, while
carefully RETAINING from any explana-
ton as to why it was so large, actually
endeavored to make party capital out OF
the circumstance and boosted OF the In
creased fund they had been able to dis
tribute for the benefit Of the public
schools. 1t now appears, however,
that the distribution made on the Let Of
September, 1870, for which they claimed
so much credit, was the result Of the
accumulations Of seventeen months in
stead of only t,os!ve, and that the dis
tribution Of the year before was as
much too small as that Of last year
was too large. And now they have
the effrontery to complain that the fund
distributed this year from twelve
months receipts is not SO large as that
of last year from the accumulations OF
seventeen months, and the Wheeling
hts!Ngencer expresses the suspicion that
"a large portion of this years distrlb-
utable school fund has been withheld
from the people for some improper and
unauthorized use" Could partisan
mendacity 90 farther or adopt meaner
course?
For the further enlightenment OF the
Mte!Hgencsr and others OF its class, it
may be stated that tile total amount OF
school funds distributed to the several
districts in 1869, from a single year
accumulation, was $l49,54S.60, while
that distributed this year from the accu-
mutations Of 4 similar period is Sl14,-
500 CO, an increase OF more than Tween
ty-five Thousand Dollars. Last year,
the total amount distributed from the
accommodations Of seventeen months was
about 1898 900; but, in ad lition to the
railroad tax which went to swell this
amount and is not available this year,
as stated by our correspondent, it was
further increased by the payment OF
back taxes on lands, under the stimulus
afforded 10y Chapter 81 OF the Code |
which was then first enforced. To
prevent forfeiture, large amount
of taxes due since 1892, were paid to the
treasury during that year and constitute
a portion Of the school fund distributed
on the lst Of September, 1870. From
this cause, in addition to the others
that have been stated the fund last
year was unusually large. And yet,
Notwithstanding these extraordinary
sources of revenue, the sum distributed
this year is proportionatelyten thousand
dollars larger than that OF last year,
making proper allowance for the differ
ence OF time in its collection. So the
School Fund falschood yanishes into
exceedingly thin air and the Parkers-
burg Journal may .soothe the excited
Imagination Of its Richie county
friends.