The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-01-10
NO. 80.
AUDITORS REPORT.

state AUDITOR s report, which, for the
hrst time, contains q full statement of
: local Indebtedness. You are also re-
: ferred to several important sugges-
tions made by the Auditor, with refer
ence 10 legislation affecting his office
, ADJUrANT-GENERAL's REPORT AND
WAR CLAIMS.
By reference to the Adjutant. Gen.
erals report,it will be seen that there
are claims for reimbursement now
pending in the Treasury Department
at Washington, on account of ex-
!, penses incurred by the S ate of Ohio
during the war of the rebellion.
amounting to Sill, ,747.24, of which
claims to the amount Of S49,5I27 70
were prepared and presented during
the year 1872.
, The following is q general state
ment OF our war account with the
United States:
Total presented for payment IOs, ,sSs 70
e Awaiting settlement ll7,7f724- 2,sI3,905 Is
Balance suspended and rejected .s254 81 81
3 Great labor is required in prepar-
r ing these claims for settlement, and
: there is necessarily much delay, as
? all accounts at Washington are ex-
amined in their order, and as many
items require explanation from State
} officers acquainted with the facts cor
cerniDg them. Commendable pro-
gress has been made during the last
year, and we hope for an early ad-
justment of all pending war claims.
TWO PER ckS-. CLAIMS.
There is now due from the general
government, as we maintain, tC the
State of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois,
very large sum Of money, on account
of the per cent. granted by Con-
Qress 10 the several States, upon the
sales Of public lands. This 5 per
cent. has been paid in full to all the
States entitled to it, except Ohio, In.
diana, and Illinois, which States have
received only per cent. A memori-
al was addressed to the Senate and
House of Representatives at Wash
ington, in January, 1872, by the
Governors Of the three States named,
and the subject will be pressed for Fl
nal action at the present session of
Congress. 1t is believed this claim
is so palpably just that its payment
will be directed. The House Of Rep
resentatives, by decided vote, has
already taken action to this effect and
we only wait for tie concurrence Of
the Senate. Certainly, after the set
Element of similar claims with other
States, q refusal in our case, would be
an unjust discrimination against us,
which we have no reason to expect.
SCHOOL LAWS.
The necessity for modifying and
revising the school laws of the State
has been long felt, and is now most
urgent. The public sentiment of the
OF ointment teachers of Ohio seems to
hnve approved the ill(before amend
ment) reported by the House Com
mittea on Common Schools st the
session of last winter:
Your attentions especially invitedto
the following subjects:
l. Normal instruction.
g County superintendency.
3. Township organization as q
modification of the district system.
l have mentioned normal instruc-
tion first for the reason that believe
it to be the most important. We can
not have good schools without good
teachers, and we can not have COM
petent teachers unless they are prop
erly instructed in their duties. Coun-
ty superintendancy might, and un-
doubtedly would, somewhat sssist, but ,
the fact il, the lack OF competent I
superintendents is quite as great as ,
the scarcity Of good teachers. We
want normal schools to instruct both,
and these schools the State ought to :
supply. Until we have them, large Z
portion of the enormous sums ex- s
pended for educational purposes will 4
be thrown away. 1t is undoubtedly G
true that the schools in our large .
towns and cities compare favOrsbly q
with those OF other States, but even g
these ought TO be improved. 1t is 8
certainly true that our country G
schools are inferior in many respects. I
An effort should be made to elevate t
the standard of these schools so that 7
all the children of our State may en-
Joy equal advantages. 1t shOuld be {
subject OF inquiry as to what con- {
stitutes the difference between the G
city and the country schools, and '
there should be such legislation as q
will give the greatest possible ad- i
vantage to the greatest number of ouI q
youth. In my judgment, our first I
necessity is Gormsl schools, perma c
nently located, created, supported, 4
snd regulated by the State ; these, 4
for the present at least, to be supple v
mented with normal instruction upon 7
the institute system, reaching into v
every county, and under the control t
of a State board. Reasonable ex- u
pense, incurred in promoting the in f
telligence OF the people, will be found e
iudicious and economical. Common Q
school education is the basis OF our a
prosperity, and it should be made IS L
complete and excellent as possible. 5
| have no doubt that, With normal {
schools to educate teachers and su- l
perintendents, we would reap from
the money now expended double the '
benefit we at present enjoy. Until
we have such institutions, our schools
will always be inferior. respectful
ly urge this subject upon your atten-
tlon, and take pleasure in referring
TO the very able report Of the State
School Commissioner, which will
soon be laid before you.
OHIO AND MIAMI UNIVERSITIES
The Ohio and Miami universities,
at Athens and Oxford, are now IN {
very feeble condition, and unless [
something is speedily done for them
nv the State the doors must soon be 1
closed. While considering the ne
cessity ofestablishing normal schools,
il has occurred TO me as possible that
one or both of these institutions
MIGHT be made available for that pur- '
pose. At Joint meeting Of the alum
nj aad Trustees Of the Ohio Uni
yersity, held last July, 8 resolution
was passed requesting the General
Assembly to consider the propriety
of adding 8 normal department to be
supported by the State. Possibly
the funds of the two universities
might be united so as to afford sup
port for one, while the other could be
made q normal school, supported en-
tirely by the State At all events,
these institutions must have immedi-
ate and substantial assistance or they
will die, and that very soor.
AGRIcULTURAL COLLEGE.
The Agricultural College will, at
no distant day, be ready for admission /,
of students. Generous provision hes {
heretofore been made for it, but the '
fostering care OF the State, whose (
child it is, will be required for some ;
wears to come. 1t is expected that
Inc State will extend the same liber-
,l.ty 20 this that she does to her !
charitable institutions. The Agri-
cultural and Mechanical College !
should be something more than
o .