Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-04-22


be examined. II must be admitted that
graduates OF the normal schools are in
many instances the most inferior oil
teachers, but there is higher consider
alton than this. The State solemnly
agreed with those parties, that, il they
would comply with certain conditions,
they should be allowed to teach in the
public schools without examination.
They have fulfilled their part of the con-
tract and the State recedes from her part.
When an individual takes advantage
OF legal informality or by any other
method avoids the obligations OF a con-
tract, We call him dishonest. What
shall We call State that acts in the same
manner?
Section thirty provides that one or
more institutes shall be held in each
county for five days, at a cost not ex,
ceeding S25 for each institute, and the
aggregate for the State not exceeding
$500. 1t would seem that our legislators
are bad arithmeticians. Allowing only
one institute for each county-as there
are fifty-two counties-fifty-two in five
hundred twenty-five times you can't!
In fact the quotient is 50 S-l3 for each
institute. Now If some of the counties
have two institutes of five DAYS each,
and some of the teachers APP
pointed by the State Superintend-
ent receive the maximum COM
pensation allowed by law, it would seem
that others of the institutes must be
conducted without any cost whatever.
And where is the teacher who will take
charge of a county institute for five
days and be harassed TO death with in
Vulnerable questions which will cost
trouble and study TO answer, and re-
ceive for his service nothing.
The fifty-fourth section is nothing be-
hind the rest. The office of County Su-
perintendent is virtually abolished. He
receives a minimum salary of seventy
five dollars, and a maximum salary OF
Sl2j. He is required to be a person of
literary requirements, and skill and ex-
perience in the art of teaching, and, by
being all this and considerably more,
he can for years labor-skilled labor
realize far less than the ordinary farm
hand. Who will henceforth be found
to fill the office Of County Superintend-
ent? Is there a first-class teacher in
the State who will quit his school and
ride all over his county in the most
inclement season of the year, beside per-
forming multitude of other duties, for
less compensation than he would get for
teaching? The idea is preposterous. If
he were allowed to teach and only re-
quired to exercise general supervision
over the schools without visiting them,
he might be induced to accept the office,
but not otherwise. But he cannot
teach; section twenty eight prohibits it:
Superintendent and members of the
Board of Examiners may teach without
certificates, first rdcdtiHg their offices"
No system can be a success without
manager. The County Superintendent
is the manager OF the school system OF
the county. His office is an important
one, its duties are Onerous, and he
should be sufficiently compensated.
No competent teacher will be found
TO accept the position for the present
starvation salary, and the office, il filled
at all, will be filed by some incOmpe-
tent blockhead who is disgrace to the
profession, and under whose manage
ment the school system will become
soothing and by-word.
Ii there is one institution which is es,
pecially dear to the people of the State
of West Virginia, it is the free school
system. Adopted at time when very
large portion of our citizens were politi-
rally Ostracised, it was looked upon with
disiavor as a measure inaugurated by
the dominant party. But it has gained
in the affections of the masses year by
year until il has torn praise from the
mouths of the wisest censurer, and I'M
til the voice of opposition has almost en-
tirely died away. When our consti- |
tuition was adopted it was made
part of our organic law, that instru-
ment declaring that the Legislature
shall make provision for an efficient
system of free schools. Such legislation
as We have had during the past winter
will speedily destroy the very system
which our people, by Constitutional
provision, propose to foster.
The Legislature seems to have been
of but one idea-that they
must cut down the emoluments OF all
offices until no man OF capacity can be
found TO fill them. And having done so
YOUR legislator Tolls back in his easy
cum dignitdte-and says
with inefTable complacency: "Let Il o
CALLED jade vince, our withers are I'M
wrung." A HAMPSHIRE TEACHER.