Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-02-28
NEW SERIES--V0L. I3, NO. 8

N ~ 1A1s ~
operating upon the directors when
they assemble, nor OF public consider,
alton connected with the admnistra
ton of schools in their section. VI
Again, these county supcrintendcnts
pass around the county constantly,
and are in social intercourse with the
directors. and they have an opportun.
ity for setting up county conventions
upon this subject Of their salaries.
II n superintendent desires that his
salary shall be increased, all that he
I has to do. is 10 apply his mind . little
to that subject, about-n year before.
hand, and it is pretty certain that he
will obtain n favorable decision from
the convention when it meets.
Now,sir, thisconsideralon demands
somc reelection from tue Common.
I wealth by law. Ent there is another
and that Is that tho compensation OF
superintendents. for the samo service
in different counties is unequal; in
one county q liberal salary is paid; In
anotheran inadequate one; there is no
rulc-no standard or law, by which
this is to be fixed, nor is any standard
Of actual service, either as 20 value or
amount established anywhere in the
Commonwealth ibc Whole thing is
at sea-thcsp sport ofchancc or accident
moro than that, subject 70 the man.
agcment Of the county superintendents
themselves, who have avery extensive
tand perhaps a very just influence over
school directors aud county conyen.
lions. mllifa arnd t.Im
Now, then, if we sec good grounds
for establishing general rule by law
tho only question Is, whether this bill
is based upon the proper principles
Well, sir, in the iirst place it takes
into account the number of schools in
the county the eompensalion Of The
superintendent is prOporlionei TO the
number OF schools within his arisdIc
ton; but. sir, that alone would hardly
furnish u correct standard, because IN
sach counties rs 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 consump-
of lime is imposed upon the supern-
lendcnt, whereas in another part Of
the STATE. with the same number OF
schools, the travel is very grcat--cs
lpccially IN the counties traycrscd by
mountains; in some Of them very litile
railroad communication exists between
the different parts OF the county
Now, this bin takes into account both
of these clomcnts--tho element rs to
the number Of schools and the element
of territory. | should extend the
Jurisdiction which these superintcnd
ents have
Mr.. Chairman, the amount Of com
penSalion which Wilresult from this
bill, is not very different from the ~
grcgatc amount now paid out of the
common school fand but this bill viii
stop the increase Of the pay of county
supcrintcndcnis ut 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.
ury, and an equality OF compensation
proportioned to the service, and tax
ing out of this subject Of compensation
9ll these elements OF confusion, of in.
equality and favorilism, which now
exist. For that reason | will vote for
the bill.
Mr.. DILL. If | understand the
position of this bill it is in this shape
now there is motion 10 strike out
"unless q convention of directors shall
see proper 20 add to the sum thus OBJ.
tanned an amount from Che State up.
lpropriation to their own county
! Now, Mr.. Speaker, thiok 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 county
superintendent bc less than pne thous
and dollars, excepting IN counties with
less than one hundred schools where
the salary of the county superintend.
cnt 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, il
allows TO the school dircetors n dis.
cretion in increasing the salaries OF
tho superinlcndcnts beyond tho rule
fixed ia the bill consequently We ob.
l'viate the objection Of the gentleman
that il is tgyiDg away from the board
OF school directors their control OF this
matter, while wo correct the difficulty
that heretofore there was no rule
whatever, in regard to fixing the sal
aries OF the uperintcndcnts This
provisp is not needed at all; in my
district 1t raises the salary some five
hundred dollars. Now | would pre-
Ter that this proviso should be stricken
out and that tho bill should stand as
il has been printed without the pro.
viso then We obyiato objections -
Tho board OF sbeol directors eau, when
they sec iit give their county supcrn-
tondents more money than is provided
for by the rulc fixed in the bill, and
in that shape the bill will bc objcc
tiouable to no Que.
Mr. BUCKALEW. The committee
on Education did agreo to stlickc ont
that clause
Mr. BROOKE. | am in favor of
this generally. Looking over tho
slip that the Senator from Lancaster
placed on my desk, lind hat Came.
ron county, with twenty eight schools,
receives ono thousand dollars to-day
out of the State treasury with tho
ability Of the directors OF that county
to vote tho compensation to their su
pcrintendent, they voted only one
thousand dollars when be has twenty
! ..i,,bl schonls. bin prosun,o frnm tho