Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-01-06

than par value. 'S'
II requires no argument to demonstrate th,
Feasibility OF this scheme. The establisbe,
credit OF the State in financial circles IN
gether with the fact that capital ia seekin,
Investment at a lower rate Of interest thaf
Per cent, In first-class securities, in m,
Judgment ENSURES its success.
Already the State Treasurer has had annli
cation from capitalists outside of the Stale tr
negotiate our debt at a lower rate Of interest
provided he should DO authorized SO 10 do
have no doubt, however, that such bond,
can be negotiated entirely within our owl
State. '"N
ARREARS OF NATIONAL BANKS
| by the report of the state Treasurer IL mn
pears that The First National hank of VII.
mington, The National Bank of Delaware
inc Union National Bank of Wilmington
aud The National Bank OF Wilmington and
| Brandywine, have refused to pay the tas
assessod on the shares of their capital stock
under an act Of the General Assembly entitled
An Act Taxing the Shares of Banks" passed
at Dover. April 3, 1863, upon tho theory TINT
such law is in conflict with the United States
| whch impose certain limitations upon
the taxing power of the State. | shall not
| enter into any discussion of the question
raised between the State and these delinquent
National Banks. II ID enough to say that.
| having refused to pay the taxes thus assessed
aud the whole matter having been referred 10
you by the State Treasurer, it will be your
duty, in asserting the authority invested in
you over this matter, 10 instruct him to pro.
coed to collect the taxes due from them in
eccordance with the opinion OF the Attorney
General, which accompanies the report of the
State Treasurer.
RAILROAD ARREARS.
! herewith transmit the annual report of
Al lrau Igasut .. L.
pany containing its receipts and EXPENSES for
the year 1879, made in pursuance of a Joint
resolution adopted by the General Assembly
at its last SESSION. for your consideration.
1t Will be seen by the report submitted that
the gross receipts Of the company for the
year 1879 amounted to Sla.4ii.g2, and the
gross EXPENSES for the same year amounted
70 Sly,oS3 90, IN which was included only one
molety OF the semi annual payments of
Interest on the mortgage held by the State
against the company, which shows that the
expenses OF the company, exclusive of the
other moiety OF interest for that year were
IN excess Of the receipts 52il.63 But 1t APP
pears by the report OF the State Treasurer
that the company has been prompt in paving
the sum of W 900 semi, annually in accord
ance with the provisions of said resolution,
on account OF the interest due upon SAID
mortgage While such il the case 1t would
not be advisable to force the payment of the
mortgage held by the State because of the
continuing default in the payment of interest
which accrued prior to January, 1879.
therefore suggest the propriety of suspending
the authority vested in the State Treasurer to
collect the mortgage by due process of law
Tor period OF two years longer.
FARMERS BANK.
I herewith submit the several reports of
tho State Directors of The Farmers Bank of
al al ha
thereof made under an act of the General
Assembly entitled SAN act requiring the
Directors of the Farmers Bank OF the State
of Delaware and its Branches on the part of
the State to make an annual report" passed
at Dover, March H. 1879. Ii appears by
such reports that part Of the branches of
said Farmers Bank have been unsuccessful
in their business operations, and, therefore,
Improbable. 1t will therefore 10 your duty
to adopt such measures with reference to this
matter as the difficulty may suggest.
PUBLIC OFFICES.
The compensation of our county officers is
made up Of fees prescribed by statute which,
IN many instances, are never paid by the par
ties liable therefor. This method of renuni-
Grating public servants is unjust to them
because they are compelled to render con-
siderable gratutous service-and to the pub
lie, because the people are necessarily
ignorant OF the compensation which they
actually receive. This has become a source
to some extent. of complaint and dissatlsfac
ton. The policy of making Offices salaried
has obtained in many states with marked
degree of public appreciation, and in my judg-
ment may be adopted in this State with the
same result. | therefore recommend the
passage Of law authorizing the payment
Of such officers AZ far as prac-
ticable, by annual salaries PAYABLE
monthly, commensurate with the labor per-
formed, in lieu of the fees pertaining to such
offices, the fees now by law taxable by such
officers to be by them taxed and received AZ
heretofore and paid to the State Treasurer.
Such law to take effect rs the terms Of the
present incumbents expire.
FREE SCHOOLS
There is no subject in which the people
have greater interest than that of free
-chools. They havea an interest as individuals,
for therein Id laid the foundation, to some
extent, of the future usefulness of their OF
spring. And they have an interest az citizens
of the State, because ii IL through their
agency the rising generation is better quail
lied for the duties and responsibilities Incl
dent to citizenship. Hence the Legislature,
more than half Il century ago, provided per-
anent fund TO supplement individual effort
III supplying the proper facilities for the
acquisition of tue documentary branches OF
education. But without the hearty co.opcra-
ton of parents and those who have no imne-
date interest IN the welfare OF the young no
system of public education can be made pio-
ductiye of the beneficial results of which it il
| capable. The efficiency of any system of
Improvement. moral, intellectual or material,
though established and aided by government,
| depends, i'll ii great degree, upon private
| exertion Public donations many times have
failed in the accomplishment OF the end pro.
posed through the neglect or Slothfulness of
those for whose benefit they were intended.
| Governments cannot do the work of nature.
| In the future, therefore, we should mainly
! rely upon the liberaity, care aud interest
awakened in the minds of the people, by
| appeals to that sentiment of duty which
| springs out of the relations of parent aud
ellild, the strongest and tenderest. perhaps
winch resides III the human breast for richer
and more satisfactory results from this field
| Of pubic and private labor. l do not mean
| by this to hay that the state should turn its
back upon this institution aud do nothing
more towards its support, but that the people
i'll every district should rise to the level OF
| their opportunity aud utilize all the possible
| advantages which FREQ schools afford. II the
fund already dedicated to the support Of thlr
| important and cherished institution IL moi
| equal to the demand upon the State in that
| behalf it should be made 80 and if the PEG
pie through any lack OF interest or through
any other cause, have failed to their duty in
| the matter, tho proper remedy should bt
| speedily applied.
| Owing to the largely increased number OF
| school districts by subdivision, the amonnt OF
money annually distributed to each district
| by the State has been correspondence
| lessened. and the resources therein for raising
money for school purposes have been sensibly
| diminished, 10 which, have no doubt. may
| be attributed to certain extent, the fact that
| the schools have been closed 80 long III some OF
| the rural districts during the year. As q
remedy for this difficulty, recommend the
consolidation OF those districts in which the
resources and number of scholars are nc
| limited as to render it inconyenient to sup
| port schools therein for longer period than
| they are, or the reconstruction of such dis
| tricts upon the basis of the original lines AZ
far al it may be practicable. With these
| notifications | can see no good reason why
| the children in each district should not have
| the advantages OF a school during eight OF
| nine months in every year. l therefore
recommend that sufficient amount of money
! be levied and collected to keep the schools in
| operation in each district for that length OF
| time during each year-the collection OF the
| taxes to be confined to the county collectors,
az they can do it with less cost and confusion
| to taxables.
herewith transmit, for your consideration
| the report of the State superintendent oil
| free schools which contains much valuable
information. concerning, not only the present
! condition OF the schools, but the origin and
| growth Of the system of public education III
| this State.
SCHOOL BOOKS.
| AS the necessary supply of school books
| forms material element OF the cost OF edu'
| cation, it il highly proper that they should be
| obtained with as little expense as possible tc