Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-03-30

tice IF requiring them to pay for educating the
children TT others, Tut as they must 90 SO, |
they demand that the facilities afforded shall
be limited and that nothing like handsome
buildings or comfortable furniture shall be pro-
vided. Others ale Of Opinion that We are 100
slow. We should have had say they, High
School long ago. and we should take such
measures that all the private schools Will nave
10 be abandoned, and all the young people cd
ucated iu our schools. The money PAID Tor the
support Of private teachers would educate
them all without further cost to the public,
and thus they could educate their children,
which they cannot do now, because the grade
IF our schools is TOO low.
Both these classes are. am happy TO say,
very small, aud the uljrclivus they urge arc
easily answered. 1t may be lit probably is
true that human wisdom might devise u better
school system than we have; but we cannot
pet such one at present, and We cannot suffer
thousands Of children who will hereafter dis.
puse of our lives and property as voters aud
Jurors, yet whose parents arc unable to have
them fitted by education for the places they
must fill TO grow up ln ignorance, to the lneV.
liable destruction of our rights OF property and
system of government and II this work Is
worth doing at all, it is worth doing we'll. The
buildings aud furniture we have provided are,
simply, the most economical we could procure,
for the purchase of cheap things is never eco
nomical. As to the second class OF oblectloas
we may refer to the fact that our highest
grades have never been filled as conclusive. A
large sun is, no doubt, paid to private teach
ers; but We haye no control uf that expendl-
ture, nor can we dictate to people to what
schools they shall send their children. There
is way in which the thing may be accom-
plished, if it is considered desirable. We have
number Of we'll qualified aud experienced
teachers who have been loug engaged IN teach
ing 10 our city. The prices charged by thcm
have never been much more, as general
thing, than halt those charged IN the other
cities of the State, and if they are offered sala-
ries such as are given in other places TO teach
ers of similar qualifications they will, no doubt,
be glad to accept places 10 the public schools
and their pupils will follow them. When |
tell YOU ,bat the nece> slry buildings and furni-
ture to accom- modate those pupils would cost
forty thousand dollars, and that the current
expenses of our schools would be doubled, you
can see that We are not prepared for such an
arrangement at present for though the prl.
yate teachers may now receive what you would
have to pay them, much of it is now paid 10y
people who own no property, and who would,
under the new order Of thugs, have their chill
drcn paid for by those who do. am COB
WINGED that the large majority of our fellow
citizens consider our action wise, and are quite
satisfied to let our system grow up, Slowly but
safely, by the addition of new grades as the
demand for them becomes apparent.
After mentioning the difficulties uodcr which
the city has labored for the want Of good school
rooms, and giving full description Of the Pea
body, and Seaton buildings, and showing that
$675 year, besides $3.50 paid for al Office has
been saved to the city by the purchase Of the
first named, be says:
I'VE need another building for Washington
by the higher divisions is badly located and is
too old to be enlarged by the addition Of story.
10 few years. Something must be done, aud
know of no better thing to do than to continue
the negotiations with the county respecting the
old court house. 1t occupies the oGIy central
location in which suitable grounds can be Sc
cured, ADD the house itself could be converted
into fine school house, at very moderate eX-
penSe, as [ have hitherto shown. Ii the coun-
ty will not agree to adjust the matter with US
by the time we are ready to proceed, would
strongly recommend the sale of the lot on the
eoruer of Cameron and Columbus Streets, and
of the Washington school house, aud the cree
too Of a new house ou the court house lot.
Could We secure the building itself, We would
have accommodations for fourteen hundred
pupils, which We could. with a little trouble,
enlarge to the extent of three or four hundred
more. That far more extensive accommoda
tons than we now have will be needed III
very few years, no Que who has observed the
growth of public schools 10 other cities can
doubt; and it is therefore, the part OF wisdom
to arrange now for the future, that it may not
find us unprepared FIR its demands
The report concludes as follows:
"Having thus laid before you as full state
ment as could Of the progress and present
condition of our schools, it but remains for me
to return my sincere thanks to you, as Board
and Individually, and through you to my fellow
citizens generally, for the generous confidence
and cordial support which has been given me
in the discharge of my official duties. have
eudeavored to discharge those duties with hde-
lity, and have devoted to them all the time L
could spare from the demands of my business,
yet | am fully sensib}e that had my other en-.
gagements permitted, could have supervised
the schools much more pro6tably. Almost all
our other cities have Superintendent who de-
vote their whole time to their work, and, until
we are able to provide for such supervision, 1t
cannot be expected that our schools will be as
efficient as those which enjoy greater advanta-
ges in that respect"
TUE Coal CARRYING QUESTION. The