The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-02-17

so far from having too much school SUI
perintendence, Louisiana has not
half 50 much as she actually needs to
throughly rootthe public school system
in this uncongezfai soil.
Now for the second question, viz.
Are we paying too Ruch for school
superintendent?
The cost of our six superintendent,
including contingent expenses, secre-
tary and messenger of superintendent
of New Orleans division, is $22, 500, Of
which amount $7l00 is expended for
superintendent in New Orleans.
Mississippi employs sixty-five SUI
perintendents. or one for each county,
at salary of $5 per day for time act
ually employed. Those who devote
their entire time to the work, exclu-
sive of Sundays, would therefore re-
ceiye $1565 per year.
The average salary of superinten-
dents in Mississippi may be put down
at $1,000 per year at least, making q
total of $65, 900, or almost two hun
dred per cent more than is paid for
superintendent in Louisiana.
Besides city and town superinten-
dence, the State of New York pays
$105, 600 for superintendent in rural
districts.
Illinois employs a superintendent
for each of her one hundred and two
counties, at a salary of $5 per day.
The average yearly pay of superin-
tendents is. about $1,000, making to-
tai of 1922, 400. This is exclusive of
superintendent in large towns and
cities.
A larger sum is paid for superinten-
dence in Chicago alone than for that
of the whole State of Louisiana, in
Guiding the city of New Orleans.
Hon w. ID. Henkle, late State
School Commissioner of Ohio, makes
a partial report of cost of superinten-
dence in that State for 1870, which
foots up $125, 133 for towns and cities
alone. Of this amount, Cincinnati
expends $4,000, or more than five
times as much as is paid for super
intendence in New Orleans; yet
the population of Cincinnati is less
than 5000 in excess of ours. The
cost of superintendent in Cincinnati
exceeds by S14, 900 the cost of super
intendence for our whole State, New
Orleans included.
superintendent in Pennsylvania
last year cost, for the rural districts
alone, SEC, 800. A complete report
was not made of cost for superinten-
dence in large towns and cities OF
that State.
Space will not allow me to give
statistics of other States bearing upon
this subject, but from what has been
given, it will be seen that, compared
with other States, we pay very
small sum for the superintendent of
our free schools. Now, if this system
is essential to the success of public
schools in States where such schools
have been so long established, and
where they are so universally popular,
how much more necessary is in State
where society has so recently under
gone revolution unparalleled In the
history of nations? Within the pres
ent decade hundreds of thousands of
slaves in Louisiana have been liberated
by gigantic war, and thrown upon
their own resources. These men,
brought to feel the helplessness of ig-
norance, cry aloud for the education
of their children as the only adequate
safeguard in the future against their
enemies. Their cry has been heard
and answered.
Our school law is no longer an ex-
pertinent. Our division superintend-
ents have explored every parish in the
State. They have met and almost
entirely removed the opposition of an
aristocratic class, who know that be-
fore the piercing light of popular edu-
cation their domination over the col
ored race must cease forever. These
superintendents have nobly braved
the dangers of our climate-have gone
through fevers almost as malignant as
the foes of our public schools. If one
or two have proved unfit for the great
work intrusted to their care it is far ca
sier to exchange them for others more
suitable than to again change the
school law. We have this day IL
operation in this State more than sew.
en- hundred public schools. This Ii
nearly six times as many as were evel
in operation in any one year in the
history of our State, and yet the
amount of money apportioned for theil
support during the year has been less
than halt what was expended in 1859
The school system has been changed
three times inside of three years. An
other change now would be very
serious public calamity.
| have the honor to be, very respect
fully, your obedient servant.
THOMAS w. CONWAY,
State Superintendent Of Education