The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-01-19

! " lulh ueut was CGeNteu AVF HVlAI ~ tlA-
ternal improvement | concur with the
Commissioners in the general principles
laid down by them as basis Of adjust
ment. Should II be your pleasure to de-
termine az far ~ il can be done e1 plrte,
the amount OF this liability, y sinking
fund might be provided Tor, a. u means
Of ultimate liquidation. l have q COM
munication on this subject from dis
tinguished citizen OF the State, who is
interested in the matter, which lay be-
fore one OF your committees,
FREE SCHOOLS,
The report OF the State Superintendent Of
Free Schools is as complete and exhaus-
tive as the material furnished him by the
county Superindents would permit. The
reports OF the county superintendCnts have
improved much over former years, but
many OF them are still unsatisfactory.
The Superintendent informs me that
there were but three perfect repOrts-0ne
from the city Of Wheeling, and the other
two from the counties OF Hardy and Brax-
ton. For this reason you will see some
Inconsistencies in the statistics which can
not be explained. The number Of youth
enrolled during the last school year was
l70,l07; the number attending school
was lOS 1865; and the average daily attend
ance was 6s,297. There were 3,09S schools;
1880 schoOl.houses; and 3,3i2 teachers
were employed. In all Of these partiCu-
lara there was an Increase over the pre-
cediug year, Tho value OF school proper
~ was 81, $40, 4G0,5l; the value Of school
houses being 1907, 4s0,67. The total re-
Ceipts during the year were SIlO, 9SSB0
and total expenditures S7O4,I6IS6. The
average district levy was @.lS cents for
teachers fluid, and 10, II cents for build
ing fund, In examining the report Of the
State Superintendent, which | commend
to your careful consideration, you will
find discrepancies due to the cause just
stated HENCE lGannOt speak with entire
confidence OF the accuracy Of the statistics
given, Its perhaps safe to say, general
", that while the district levies have
diminished, the receipts have not sensibly
decreased, while, on the other hand, the
schools, the teachers and tho scholars
have materially increased. When the
Importance Of this branch Of the public
service and its peCuniNFy bearings arc
more generally realized, there will be
more careful scrutiny and examination
Of It's management in the various districts
aud sub-districls throughout the State.
This fact, will Of itself, tend to improve
tho system by eleyating the character Of
the schools, and IN the dlminutiOn Of
their expenses. The simple abatement
that the total disbursements by the State,
exclusive Of the general school fund,
amounted lust year to but SllU'S2U.7S, |
while the total disbursements In the State
for free schools amounted to S70l,7G7.8O,
is sufficient To show the large interest In |
volved in the free-sChOol system.
The Superintendent recommends sew
eral notifications Of the school law,
which you will doubtless duly consider.
shall speak only OG.Slch amendments az
seem more directly connected with the
general public service.
The spirit Of the new constitution was
to have OnlyOnc elecLionevcry two ycarS,
hence 1t provided TINT vacancies In Office
should BE- filled BY appointment nnd that
tho persons appointed should hold office
until after tho next general election.
The people had grown weary Of so many
elections, md II was evidently the Inten-
ton Of the trainers Of the constitution to
guard against their frequent recurrence.
I think The law regulating the election Of
school officers should be made to conform
to this idea. "a the matter now stands,
an election must be held on the second
Friday OF next August for choosing
school officers. There Is conflict between
the school law and the general election
law OH this point, the latter declaring that
''lhe general election for State, district
county and county district officers, shall be
held OH the second Tuesday Of October
When II Is remembered that no county
district officers are elected, except school
officers, tho conflict becomes apparent.
Therefore II the limo Of election Of school
officers Is not changed, it will BIO necessary
to 10 modify the general election law, Us
not to include the election OI County
Superintendent Of free schools school
commissioners and trustees. But the bet
ter plan would 10 to make the school law
conform to the general election law This
may be done by continuing In office the
present school officers until December 81
1875, and by providing for the election Of
their successors ~ INC gehetnI elg G..I ~
nc held on me second luesuay y IN T t,.,,,
iSIU. VINO should enHer INTO oL.ce Jn.u"rE
1877, NJ the same lime WIN ONE. ID.,, VI
iicers chosen ~ inc sNlu geherai eltct I
ny the 10Th section o. Ine SCHOOL ."w,
lChaW' l2d AcIs io'l'S ne oner.m' III
addition TO ms orHlnarE Donu, N reIu't Nn
to give "a special DG'lu on acco"n Intm i w.
scIOol mlUIeIt mnIJ't ~" V ~ ~ 'v
hands, which BOND II snail pe Inc un!yol
the County OourI 70 ehange from year 70
year. presume Tue in1enI'oh WIN "
require tho shsritl 10 give = new WON, n"Iu
eaeh ye3r, ont y y not explicit eno;nsm
you should tHihE proper ~ ai;,ian y,
1hls pan ~ OF !lo usual iJ'l"'..'es
regard 70 oiHcla' Golll' sno,.lu . w pr"N'u i
Tor, Rneh os Tue llne, oE li'h ~, WI En, 'T !,
new Pohu Is 10 De rglulFfa' ~ T Wv I'LL
Is 10 De approves wne .ro, ~ u 49,. y" "'v%
What Tctlon caI ~ ni1 T.. ''a, "Im LIN
and whpL u 70 ponohG III T,'io u,S , ",tg
iali or relusc " eIHe ll' 49, =" no' "'' ha.,.
'hut III mnny e,I't is, ~ me" "w""iJ
i.n ~, esror,a,iv In cosa NJ defouli oyrcni
"Ua;Os, liz H. ert,T i,imself tprntnInnhj
'Es" " 'bo la i"w ho ." amended M In rpoUire
a." Si,o,iI. ~ 1;vo hnnds IN rnvHr tho