The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1872-03-07
Written for the Advertiser.
Our Common Schools.

II has been said that the financial
aspect Of our school system is rather
formidable, and it may be well to no.
tice q few facts bearing on this point.
A few years ago, when the various
products Of the farm brought from
two to three fold the amount they do
now, greenbacks were plentiful and
the people went in for schools with
more liberality than wisdom. Here
Ia Gan.er- township it seemed at one
time as ie they would never stop un-
til every improved quarter section
had school house upon it. 1t is fair
to suppose that this has been the case
more or less all over the State. No
wonder then that the County Super
inteldents said in their official re-
ports " our schools are progressing in
the right direction, and the people
stand taxing admirably" However
it may be with the schools now, the
people to" stand tax ng" has of late
been progressing in the wrong direc-
ton.
In their official reports the County
Superintendent ali over the State
have been prelty-I might say clam
erously-unanimous in their sugges
ton as to what ought to be their
own status and remuneration. The
burden OF almost every song has been
IS let me be entirely Independent Of the
supervisors, and pay me 500 per
annum and $40 additional for every
sub-d,strict in my county" II they
get what they want it might be well
enough to give it with proviso to
the effect that no person shall be
eligible for the Office except such as
are thoroughly qualified 10 give all
needful instruction in the theory and
practice Of teaching--and have them
do it. The Superintendent Of adj.
joining counties might then assist
each other to hold Teachers lnsti.
tutes and dispense with the high
salaried professors that GO about on
that business.
There are many complaints about
the ineffciency Of teachers, but d
common-sense view Of the matter
would seem to point to the conclusion
that if all teachers were proficient
they would not need any Superin.
tendent, and that if the Superintend
cnt be incapable of supplying what is
lacking he is unfit for his Office, and
we would be better off without him
II this view be correct, to begin al
the beginning, we want competent
Superintendent first Of all.
1t now takes about one hundred
County cuprIiutr.isienp s"a ter
thousand teachers to rua the public
schnols &c L,s.... - Ms--s~Ssf of train
ing the requisite number Of Sup. -
tendents we might stand " admira
bly," but to thoroughly train ter
Thousand teachers at the public cos,
and then put them under the contro
Of q set Of capricious ignoramuse'
would be most egregious folly. i
may be to the interest of few to hav.
school districts multiplied, but thu
interests Of the many lean the otheI
way. There are too many lone
horse schools already. Time
can only bring the right remedy il
one or both vi two ways: either by
bringing . deaser population, or b,
convincing the people that the hes
results are unattainable in small
schools and thereby leading to consol
idation.
State Superintendent Wells said il
his ofiicia! report that, according 4
the ,ce0iM Of the two States, low,
contributes for the support OF fre'
common schools nearly FIVE times a
much as Massachusetts, the banne
State Of the Union, ought to convinc'
our Legislators "or any other man
that change in the law involving
additional taxation is rot what VI
II ed.
There is certain school about /.
mile from Upton at which | was tol.
the average attendance last summe
was from 3 to 5 pupils. The lav
might justly make it the duty Of an,
Board Of Directors to close such |
school. CENTER.