Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-02-28

tlOn OF SCHOOLS IN lhclr sectlOn.I rff
Again, these county superintendcnts
pass around the county constantly,
and are in social intercourse with tho
directors, and they have an opportun.
ity for setting mp county conventions
upon this subject Of their salaries.
II a superintendent desires that his
salary shall be increased, all that bc
has to do, is 10 apply his mind q little
TO that subject, about year before
hand, and it is pretty certain that he
will obtain favorable decision from
the convention when il meets. ,,s
Now,sir, thisconsideraiion demands
some reelection from tue Common.
wealth by law. Bnt thereis,another,
and that Is TIA; tho compensation OF
supcrintcndents, for the samc service
in different counties Is unequal; in
one county a liberal salary is paid; in
anothcran inadequate one; there is no
rule-no standard or law, BY which
this is to be fixed, nor is any standard
Of actual service, either as 10 valuo or
amount established anywhere in the
Commonwealth tbc Whole thing is
at sea-thc sport Of chance oraccidcnt
moro than that, subject to tho man
agcment Of the county superiatendents
themselves, who have II very extensive
and perhaps u very just influence over
school directors and county conven.
lions. u m5uiaq srff fslu
Now, then, il we see good grounds
for establishing n general rule by law
the only question is, whether this bill
is based upon tho proper principles--
Well, sir, in the first place it takes
into accourt tho number Of schools ia
the county the compensation Of The
supcrintendcnls is sproportioued to the
number Of schools within his urisdlc
ton; bnt. sir, that alone would hardly
furnish correct standard, because IN
such counties as Delaware, where the
population is dense, and where all the
schools are close together They can be
easily visited and very lilllo expense
or trouble, or extraordinary c0nsnmp-
of time is imposed upon the superii-
tcndcnt, whereas in another part Of
the State, with the same number Of
schools. the travel is very grcat-es
pccially in tho counties lraverSed by
mountains in some Of them very little
railroad communication exists between
the different parts OF the county
Now, this bill takes into account both
of these clcmcnts-thc element rs to
the number Of schools and The element
of territory. | should extend the
Jurisdiction which these superintcnd
onts have.
Mr.. Chairman, the amount Of com.
pensation which willresult from this
bill, is not very different from the ~
grcgatc amount now paid out of the
common school fand but this bill will
stop the increase of the pay of county
supcrintcndents at the point fixed by
this bill--will prevent their being in
creased hereafter, and in creased un
equally and improperly in different
parts of the State, and, therefore. al
though | would vote for q scale oil
compensation little lower than that
provided by the bill, yet taking it as
it is, believe that the ultimate result
will be saving Of money to the treas.
uy, and an equality Of compensation
proporlioned to the service, and tax
ing out of this subj icct Of compensation
al these elements OF confusion, of in.
equality and favorilism, which now
exist. For that reason | will vote for
the Lill.
Mr.. DILL If | understand the
position of this bill it is in this shape
now; there is motion 20 strike out
"unlcss convention of directors shall
see proper 20 add to the sum thus OBJ.
tanned an amount from Che State ap.
preparation to their own county. -
Now, Mr.. Speaker, ! think that that
amendment ought not to prevail, and
that the proviso TO this bill ought TO
be stricken out; it is provided that in
no case shall the salary of II county
superintendent be less than pnc thous
and dollars, excepting IN counties with
less than one hundred schools whore
tho salary OF the county superin,end.
ont shall be eight hundred dollars per
annnm.
Now, the bill furnishes rule with.
out this pros $50, for establishing the
salaries Of the county supcrintendents;
without the amendment proposed, it
allows to the school directors dis.
erection in increasing the salaries OF
the superintendent beyond tho rule
fixed ii the bill consequently we ob.
'viate the objection Of the gentleman
that it IS tgl(iDg away from the board
OF school directors their control of this
matter, while we correct the difficulty
that heretofore there was no rule
whatever, in regard to fixing tho sal
aries of tho superintcndcnts. This
proyisp is not needed at all in my
district IL raises the salary some five
hundred dollars. Now | would pre-.
fer that this proviso should be stricken
out and that tho bill should stand us
il has been printed without the pro-
viSo; then we obsiate objections -
Tho board OF sbcol directors can, when
thcy see fit, give their county supcrin.
tcndents more money than is provided
for by the rulc fixed in the bill, and
ia that shape tho bill will be objcc.
tionablc TO no one.
Mr.. BUCKALEW. The committee
on Education did agree to stricke odt
that clause
Mr.. BROOKE. | am in favor of
this generally Looking over tho
slip that the Senator i'rum Lancaster
placed on my desk, iind hat Came.
ron county, with twenty eight schools,
receives ono thousand dollars to-day
ont of the State treasury with the
ability of the directors OF that county
to vote tho compensation to their su
pcrintendent, they voted only one
thousand dollars when he has twenty.
eight schools bUt presume from the
character of that region, that these
schools arc not like schools in some
parts OF the State where they keep
them open nine or ten months In the
ycar--l presume they arc kept open