Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1872-01-10

teachers in their schools who thus de-
port themselves, we must infer, if they
are untrue to themselves and negli-
gent of their own best interest, it can
not be expected that they will be true
to others, and jealous of their interests.
Those who feel no interest in their
own intellectual improvement will
not be likely to feel much inter-
est in the intellectual improvements of
their pupils.
You have committed to your care
a great trust, you can scarcely over
estimate the responsibility, you have
the care and guardianship from four
to six months during the year, of near
five thousand children with minds
young, pliable, innocent, and trust
ing, susceptible Of almost any impres-
sious you may see fit to mould or i'm
press thereon. 1t is possible for you
during this period to instill into those
young and plant minds such princi-
piles as may determine their whole fu-
ture life. An eminent philosopher and
educator has said: give ME the first
five years ola child's life for training
you may have all the rest, will de-
termine the future of that child. What
a weighty consideration !? How re-
sponsible, and important then is the
calling of the teachers.
There was paid last year, that is in
1870, for instruction alone in Juniata
county, Sl4.776.3G, and in 1869 there
was paid for the same purpose sl4,-
17I.27, showing an increase in the
teachers salaries in one year of s6O5.
90. There was paid during the year
1867 for teachers saleries alone Sl3,-
054 2S, showing an increase in the
teachers salaries alone since 1867, a
period of only four years, of Sl,722.
OS. This is not trifling increase in
the salaries of teachers in four years
in email county like this, and this,
too, has been accomplished at time
when corresponding increase in the
salaries of other professions, costs of
labor, &c, has rather been on the de-
cline than otherwise. 1t is Of suffi-
cient Importance to give to the teacher
foretaste Of brighter day in the
future, and this is not the end but only
the beginning. As your qualifications
increase and you become more worthy
your vocation, your salaries will still
advance. until the common school
teacher receives compensation more
on equality with other professions and
the price of other labor; but you will
bear in mind that it is a work of your
own Do not expect others to do it
for you. You are in this the archi-
tects of your own fortunes The
teacher must adorn and dignity the
profession, and its elevation and digni-
ty will demand an equivalent comPea-
sation.
Twenty four school houses were
built during the last five years, and if
we add to their net cost, new seating.
repaintiug, &c, we shall have the
handsome cum of S43,75142, that the
taxpayers of the county have paid in
FIVE years for school houses alone
All Of those twenty-four new houses
are decioed improvement on the old
ones whose places they have taken;
but, | am sorry to cay, in a few in
stances not so great an improvement
took place as could have been desired
What we have had most to complain
of was want of size, proper location.
aid suitable furniture. The total cost
for educational purposes in the county
including that paid for instruction,
fuel, contingencies and building school
houses for the four years preceding
1871, and including 1867, '6S, 90
and 70, was sll2,076 81, and for the
four years prior to 1871. including
1868. ga. '65 and 'e6, the total cost
for all educational purposes including
tue items specified in the four years
first named was but s63, ,24O %, show
ing an increase in expenditures of the
latter four years over the former of
S4S,S36.4 As. The Hon H. c. Hickok,
former State Superintendent of this
State, said, in addressing a State
Teachers Association in the State of
New York in 1857, that Pennsylvania
was then paying S2.5O0.0OO taxes for
school purposes alone, and lie was told
after leaving the stand that New York
would not bear such tax for one year
but would throw it off. Pennsylvania
paid last year over SS,000,0O0 for
school purposes alone and the figures
we have given above of the expen-
ditures for school purposes for Ju-
niata county are part of the SS,00O,-
900 and probably would show nearly
proportionate increase relative to the
increase in the State at large.
Great and rapid changes are taking
place morally. intellectually and socia-
ally What used to take almost CEN
turies to accomplish is now brought
about in few months. or at most in
few years. Pennsylvania paid in
1870 taxes for school purposes alone
S., 100000 more than was paid for the
same purposes in 1857, and this has
all been accomplished in the last thir-
teen years. Well might we pause
here and query thus: If intellectual
Improvement in both pupils and teach
ers is not keeping pace with this vast
increase in the expeud uditures of money
and in the demand for increased taxa
ton, then we are not making real pro-
gress, and the people are not receiving
an equivalent for their money; but
we trust that our intellectual onward
movement is at least equal. if not su-
perior. to the increased demand pecu-
niarily In the last five years during
my official connection with you, |
need not tell you that you have made
a most decided advance both intellect