The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-01-19

/ for. as a means of ultimate liquIda-
/ ton. I have q communication on tnis
subject from distinguished citizen ol
/ the State, who Is interested ID the matter,
which will lay before one OF your COM
I mittees.
FREE SCHOOLS.
The report ofthe State Superintendent
Of Free Schools is as complete and ex-
haustive as the material furnished him
by the county superintendent would per-
/ nit. The reports of the county superin-
! tendents have improved much over
/ former years, but many of them are still
unsatisfactory. The Superintendent in
| forms me that there were but three per-
feet reports-one from the city OF Wheel
! ing, and the other two from the counties
of Hardy aud BraYton. For this reason
YOU will see some inconsistencies in the
statistics which cannot be explained.
The number ofyouth enrolled during the
last school year was 10, l07 the number
attending school was l0S,356 and the
average daily attendance was 6S,29I.
There were 1923 schools; 1880 school
houses, and 3,342 teachers were employ
ed. In all these particulars there was
an increase over the preceding year.
The value of school property was 81 ,o4o,-
4G0.l5, the value of school-houses belnS
81 3O7, 48O.67. The total receipts during
the wear were $740,938.G9, and the total
expenditures S7O4, 1916. The average
district levy was 29l8 cents for teachers
fund, and 1917 cents for building fund.
In examining the report OF the State Su
perintendent, which 1 commend to your
careful consideration, you will find dis
crepancies due TO the cause just stated;
hence cannot speak with entire conf
dence of the accuracy of the statistics
given. 1t is perhaps safe to say gene
rally, that while the district levies have
diminished, the receipts have not sepsibly
decreased, while, on the other hand, the
schools, the teachers and the scholars
have materially increased. When the
Importance of this branch Of the public
service and its pecuniary bearings are
more generally realized, there will be
more careful scrutiny and examination of
its management in the various districts
and ub-districts throughout the. State.
This fact will of itself tend to improve
the system, by elevating the character of
the schools, and in the diminution ofthelr
expenses. The simple statement that
the total disbursements by the State, e1-
elusive of the general school fund,
amounted last year to but $4lG, S2G.1S, |
while the total disbursements in the
State for free schools amounted to 1904,
1916, is sufficient to show the large in
terest involved in the free-school system.
The Superintendent recommends scvc-
raj notifications of the school law, which
YOU will doubtless duly consider. 1shall
speak only of such amendments rs seem
more directly connected with the general
public service.
The spirit of the new constitution was
to have only one election every two
wears. hence it provided that vacancies in
office should be filled by appointment,
ard that the person appointed should
hold office until after the next general
election. The people had grown weary
of so many elections, and it was evident
" the intention Ofthe trainers of the con-
stitution to guard against their frequent
recurrence | think the law regulating
the election of school officers should be
/ made To conform to this idea. As the
! matter now stands, an election must be
! held on the second Friday of next Au-
! gust for choosing school officers. There
! is conflict between the school law and
general election law on this point, the
latter declaring that "The general cleo
/ ton for State, district, county and county
district officers, shall be held on the sec
| ond Tuesday of October When 1t Is
/ remembered that no county district OIL
GERS are elected, except school officers, the
conflict becomes apparent. Therefor; If
the time of election of school officers IS
not changed, it will be necessary to SO
modify the general election law rs not to
! include the election of county superln-
! tcndcnt of free schools, school commits
sioners and trustees But the better plan
would be to make the school law conform
to the general election law. This may
be done by continuing in office the pres
ent school officers until December 81,
1876, and by providing for the election
of their successors at the general election
to be held on the second Tuesday in De-
tober. 1876, who should enter into office
January |, 1877. at the same time with
other officers chosen at the said general
election.
Bv the sc section of the school law,
Chapter l23, Acts 1S72-lS7S), the sheriff,
! in addition to his ordinary bond, is re-
quired to give IA special bond on ac-
! count of the school money, which may
come into his hands, (which bond it shall
be the duty of the County Court to
change from year to year" presume
the intention was to require the sheriff to
give new bond each year. but it is not
explicit enough. If you should think
proper to continue this plan, all OF the
usual formalities in regard to official
bonds should be provided for such as
the time or term when the new bond is
to be required, by whom it is to be APP
proved, where it is to be filed, what ac-
ton can be maintained upon it, and what
is to be done in case the sheriff fail or re-
fuse to give it. 1t is not unlikely that Ill
many cases no new bonds have been
given; in such instances, there would be
no remedy in case OF default except
against the sheriff himself. | recommend
that the law be 40 amended As to require
the sheritls TO give bonds to cover the
school money for the residue OF their
terms Of office, and that additional bonds TO
cover tn, school fund that may come into
their hands should be required Of all sue
cceding sheritfs, and made TO embrace the
: whole term Of office and bind the Sureties
therein during every year Of the term.
leAgain sherifis are allowed but three
per cent for collecting and disbursing
school money. Some taxpayers have
claimed that they are entitled TO the two
= and one-half per cent deduction for
prompt payment, which is allowed in
other cases The Legislature certainly
never intended that sheritts should col
lect and disburse any part of the taxes
for a commission of one.half per cent, and
vet present laws may bear this construc-
: ton; the matter is ut least lett in doubt.
The mere mention of this subject will be
sufficient to arrest your attention without
any special recommendation.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.