Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1872-11-30

ry, making 100 additional school Off
GERS; then add the fifty-four county SUI
perlntendents, and you have the sum
total OF the school officers in the State,
besides the State superintendent, max
ing nearly one-ninth of the voting popu-
lation. When the duties and RESPONSE
bilities Of executing the law are divided
up among So many persons, it is easy to
see the probability Of many failures in
this respect Tlke any of the old re-
ports, and you will find that the State
superintendent complained of the fail
ures OF the county superintendent, the
county superintendent made similar
complaints against the secretaries Of the
boards of education, while they in turn
lodged their complaints against their
subordinates-thet trustees. l have been
thus specific, not for the purpose of ex-
cusing an apparent neglect upon the
part of the intelligent State superinten-
dent; for know that he has made unu-
sual efforts this year to obtain reports
from the several counties-but to illus
trate what conceive to be the chief
defect in the present law-its complex
ty. / have selected the highest and
perhaps least important of the DUTIES
imposed upon the various school Off
cers-that of making reports. If they
neglected the least of their duties, what
is to be expected in the more important
ones of levying or discussing taxes, es-
tablishing schools, building school
houses, employing competent teachers
and fixing their salaries If you can
devise system by which to concentrate
the powers and duties necessary to be
exercised in any system Of free schools
upon much smaller number of officers
the chances OF neglect and malteasance
are not only greatly diminished, but the
machinery of the whole becomes much
more simple, and if errors or defects
are found to exist, they can be more
readily detected and corrected. a
large sum of money is annually raised
for the support of free schools. The
State fund distributed this year alone
amounts to s237,215,sS; add to this the
amount raised by township levies, which
must be at least double this sum, and
we have about 100000 Of which about
100000 belong to the fund for build
inc school houses; consequently the bal
ance left for the support of free schools
will be about s500,000, or an average
of about 5000 for each district i'll the
State. 1t is to be regretted that exact
! figures cannot be given, but owing to
the want of complete reports from all
the counties, this cannot be done. The
number of Youths enrolled for 1872 was
| l7O,O3l, about half of whom attend
school. The foregoing statements show
that sufficient means have been provided
for the education of the children OF the
State. And yet it is known that there
are many districts in which 10 schools
were held last year. During the past
summer took some pains to enquire at
different points as to the operation OF
the school system. Sometimes the re-
ply would be, ave have had school,
but the teacher was incompetent.
Sometimes, 1--WE have had no school
this year," and again, eve have had ma
school for two years" Occasionally
the replies would be favorable, but III
no case did hear it said that the taxes
were not high enough. My purpose is
not to bring the system of public IN
struction into disrepute, norto censure
officers entrusted with its management;
but it is to point out some existing evils
with the hope that sufficient remedies
NAV be provided against them i'll the
future.
The New Constitution requires that
1.-The Legislature provides by general
law for thorough and efficient system
of free schools.
The fact does not seem to be gener
ally realized that that the school system
is not only our greatest public interest,
but that it also requires an expenditure
of money nearly equal to the amount
raised for State and county purposes
combined. | will not attempt to sug-
gest in detail any plans tor putting into
execution this important provision OF
the Constitution. But | earnestly
recommend that You will consider sim
plicity, efficiency And economy as OF
primary importance in any plan that you
may be pleased to adopt.
The 9Th Section of Article N11of the
Constitution is as follaws:
The Legislature shall provide for the
support of free schools by approprla-
ting thereto the interest Of the invested
school fund.- the net proceeds OF all
forteitures :ndfres aclr g tothls State
under the laws thereof; the State caPl-
tation tax, and by general taxation, on
persons or property or otherwise. 1t
Shall also provide for raising in each
county or district, by the authority OF
the people thereof, such proportion of
the amount required for the support OF
free schools therein as shall be presrclb-
ed by general law"
1t is clearly the duty of the Legisla-
lature hereafter, as heretofore, TO pro
vide for raising means for the support
of schools, partly by State taxation and
partly by local taxation. The questSns
that seem to be left open are the rate OF
State taxes, and the mode OF levying
the local taxes. The present law I'M
posing tax of one mill on the part OF
the State appears to have given general
satisfaction, and it would seem to be
the part Of wisdom not to disturb 1t.
Under its operation, the weather. coun-
ties contribute something to aid their