The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1879-02-06
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
STATE OF TEXAS,

AUSTIN, February 10, 1879.
To the Honorable the Senate and House Of Rep
resentaives, in Legislature assembled;
The free common schools have their
foundation in the Constitution of the
Safe. The mode and means of crea-
ting a permanent fund therefor, and
OF an, available fund with the manner
of its Distribution annually are pre-
scribed in the same instrument. Il
results in fixing il as a duty upon the
government of the State, aud not as a
charity, TO educate the rising genera
ton.
Its permanent fund consists of sur
veyed lands about 81, 0OO, coo acres,
and half of all the vacant domain,
making Is, 600. 600 of acres more, SIT
apart by the Constitution. There are
now over So. 900, 00O OF S late and rail-
road bonds.
Notes for the sale of lands unpaid
$3.50 coo. CASH on hand from sales of
land $6940. As the lands are sold, and
amounts collected, the Comptroller is
required to invest the money in State
or United States bonds. These lands
are sold on credit 70 settlers, payable
with interest in ten annual installments
and at considerable expense, at the
minimum price Of 81 so per acre, and
are consequently thereby Increasing
the permanent fund very slowly. The
probable fact Is easily demonstrated
that when three millions more of
bonds are thus purchased by their sale,
settlers upon those lands and upon the
railroad lands surveyed in connection
with them will have introduced into
the State children of the scholastic
age enough to require the interest or
this increase Of the fund on their edu-
cation. And by the increase in the
scholastic population IN other parts of
the State, the proportion of the fund,
already accumulated to the scholastic
population, except those thus intro
duced, will continually diminish from
year to year and therefore an increase
of taxation would be required, if the
Constitution permitted 1t, to keep up
the schools TO an averaL &c of four
months In the year. But by more
rapid sale of the lands, as has
been recommended, the fund may
be increased before the increased
scholastic population is Introduced
into the State by immigration. The
ands sold beng taxed before they are
settled, the general revenue will be In.
creased. BY this means the schools
may be supported by the interest of the
fund, with a much less appropriation
of the revenue than at the present
time, which is ono-fourth of the State
taxes and one dollsrpoll tex. For the
present year the Board of Education
set apart $500, geo TO the free common
schools. Tals included an amount of
over $500 coo that had accumulated IN
the treasury from the collection of pre-
vious years. taxes. 1t is, therefore, es-
timated by the Comptroller that the
amount to be set apart for the next
year will be about $500, 900 less.
II the effort to perfect the free COM
N IN school system certain fixed guides,
as prescribed IN the Constitution, must
be acted CD, as follows:
The permanent fund can not be used
otherwise than bJ the annual apPTo-
pratiOn Of the interest accTulng from IL.
To which may be added not more than
one-iourth OF the annual State taxes and
one dollar poll tax. Whatever amount
Is set apart must. be distributed by Il Q
Bnaro of Education TO each county ae-
cording TO its scholastic population,
irrespective of whether or not the chill
dren are taught by the county. The
counties receiving 1t must apply u IN
such manner as may be provided by
law. The discretion then left to the
Legislature is. to determine what
amonnt OF the State tax, so il does lot
excaed one fourth of it, shall be APP
probTIated fo- this object, and to regu-
late by Law the manner in which the
co9uties shall apply it in carrying on
>ftEeS common schools. The present
school law, il is believed, is lounda-
ton upSn which msy be built a system
as far ~ practicable adapted to the
wants of Athe Country. L is to be re-
marked, however, that il proceeds
upon the idea of providing for the
compensation OF the teachers more
cffsctually than for the teaching of the
scholars, fer whom the money has osen
distributed to the counties. A teach
er employed by the trustees Of a
SCHOOL Com AlOlity " et-~A SSi 80 y
number of scholars gets bis pas
whether aii the scholars come 10 school
or not. and inceed il Is for lis cor
venience tina, half OF them should not
come. Toe pu1ctuai attendance OF
the scholars depends upon the Efforts
of the teseher TO secure It, sud II PTHc-
ticabie he should be made PeeEniarlJ
interested in mixing the enoTts. Thu
is shown by the reports OF the last
scholastic year, in which it epPesIs
that the scholastic population wa
I64 2eL, for whom, as they resided n
esca county. the whole OF the. money
allowed fer thst year was diztribut5-l.
0ss Of lhzt number there we're y .sos
ubo cid not attend any school IN The
STATE and II, S4s OF them '5fre rot en-
rolled In any ssnooi couEunity- Sal
the counties got the Ts6ney according
70 the teTns Of ths~Ealslitution. and,
As We maj supPs.f, II was EivsH 70 n.
g.