Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-09-26
THE OTHER SIDE.

SoVeTdl articles nave recently
appeared in the columns of your
valuable paper, criticising and in
directly condemning the action OF
of the Board of Educa-
ton in laying the levy for school
purposes this year, as well as for
other minor items, which at this
time is not my design to notice.
Why all this flood Of correspon-
dence on q matter for which the
school board should rather be
praised than censured. is hard to
conjecture by all friends of
free schools.
The writer of the article in ques-
lion must either be an enemy to
free schools or One having no chill
dren to school and in the latter
case so illiberal as to stamp and
crush out, if possible, all free edu-
cation. First, he speaks ofthe ex-
travagance Of the Board in ex-
pending $4,000 in buildings and
lots for school purposes.
Now, in my opinion, the Board is
no more responsible for the expen-
diturc Of that's sum than Observer
is, and to prove this fact, 1t is only
necessary to remember thata pub
lie meeting was called only last
winter, at which time and place 1t
was decided to erect the buildings
in question and that the Board
have theoretically ind wisely car
ried out the wishes and views Ct
that meeting, is apparent to all ex-
cept, perhaps, that they have not
increa sed the expense in building,
as the expressed views Of that
meeting would have warranted.
In the second place observer"
tries to create the impression that
the Board is very extravagant in
paying $500 per year for teach
ers. Now any man with one grain
Of llberality and fairness certainly
could not wish to pay teachers
who are competent to take charge
of these schools, any less than they
now receive. On an average, their
salaries are less than $475 each per
annun, but of course this 10 ex-
travagant ,and their salaries should
be reduced 10 suit the narrow
views Of some correspondents of
the independent. In calculating
the cost per pupil, observer"
adroitly foots it up to 5000, by,
his extravag ance is very clearly
seep when it is considered that
TINS includes the entire cost ;of the
school buildings. Leaving the
tom OF buildings out. and accord
ing to his own figuring, the cost
per pupil is but about 5000 per
annum.
As / understand the matter,
the Board propose raising this
year about $14 900, say $4,000 for
keeping the schools in operation,
and $4,000 or more for building
purposes. Estimating an average
attendance Of 200 pnriIs. this
would make cost Of Ga ca.li 20
the following five years, at the
end OF which time the school build
inHs would all be paid for, be an
ornament and credit to our town
and Slate, and thereafter nothing
but the legitimate cost Of conduct
ing the schools would be required.
AS the law gives the board but
five years in which to pay for
their Improvements, 1t Is hard to
conjecture how they would distrib-
ute the amounts equally, and use
less than one fifth each year,
and in any other manner than by
| taxation, unless observer" comes
forward ut once and makes a
heavy donation. Allow me to say
Messrs. Editors, in conclusion, that
| l receive no benefit directly or in
directly from free cchools further
them the influence all good schools
exert on society, but ] am their
| friend and contribute my
mite toward their support, and
| when / see the action of men
who believe are faithfully en-
deav0ring to discharge their du
ties, unjustly assailed, feel It my
duty TO assist in frowning down
the injustice Of those, who profes
sing to be the friends offree schools
are, by their actions their deadli
estenemies.