The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-01-06
PUBE.rc sCrsoos WORK.
ml Morgan makes
Some valuab bic and Practical
Suggestions.

suggestions.
LAUREL PorsT, Dec. 23.-I desire
to submit for the consideration oil
the officers and patrons of our Pub
lie Schools, some conclusions arrived
at after observing the practical work
ing Of some parts Of our School Law.
A brief experience as County Supt.
Of Schools las impressed me with the
necessity Of some additional legisla-
tion as regards certain parts of our
School Law, in order that the Public
School system Of our little State may
not only have fair chance to grow,
and improve in usefulness which is
certainly to be reasonably expected
Of this institution, but even essential
to its accomplishing what every tax
payer could honestly demand Of it.
/ refer to the plan adopted by the
State for furnishing the Public
Schools with the necessary textbooks
and school supplies and to the defec-
tive and cumbersome forms or blanks
used by school officers and teachers
in making their reports. First in
regard to our Public School text
books, and need | remark that the
kind Of textbooks used in eur com
mon schools has much to do with
their usefulness and advancement.
Whether these textbooks can be
readily obtained by the people and
also at 8 moderate cost, without doubt,
has much to do with the success and
usefulness of our schools. Have not
these two essentials to success been
somewhat ignored in the past? BY
an unfortunate wording Of the School
Law, All unsuitable text book in L.
S. History,-and one dear in price
too, has been used in the Public
Schools Of Monongala county for
several years, and it seems to-day al
most an impossibility to exchange it
for cheaper and better one. / re-
fer to Goodrichcs' History of the u.
S. Again, other text books adopted
by the State, it has been almost an
impossibility for the people to get.
Such distractions as these have a
effect upon our schools,
and popular education has enough
obstacles to contend with, without
the blnnders and mistakes Of its
friends like these.
The enactment Of the Legislature
requiring the State Supt. to make
contract with some one or more pub
fishing houses to furnish the people
of the State with Public School text
books, after having received bids as
to cheapness, quality, DC, would be
an excellent law, if it were supple
with another law compelling
some person OF persons in each dis
trict in every county, to keep q sup
ply of these books SO that they could
be obtained by the people. In some
parts of Monongalia county the vii.
lage merchants will not keep these
Public School books at all, and in
but few places is full supply Of all
tbe books needed kept; for the rea-
son that the profit is too small to pay
them for handling them. In conse-
quence of this the people are put to
great trouble and Inconvenience in
the necessary school books
for their children. | have known
persons to ride twenty five and thirty
miles and then not get the books and
supplies needed. / have heard much
complaint on account of it. Our
county does not stand alone in this
trouble Of the same nature
has been complained of in other
counties.
While do not wish to dictate to
those whose duty it is to remedy
this matter, yet / will venture to sug-
gest plan which | think practicable
and an improvement upon the pres
emit arrangement. 1t is this. AS
the State has gone so far rs to make
a contract with one or more publish
ing houses (thus virtually cutting off
all compitition) by which the Public
School books must be furnished to
the people at a certain price, let it
go little further and sec that they
are furnished, are placed within
reach of the people. Here is plan
I think would work. Let the district
secretary be required to act as book
keeper for the district or some other
person or persons to be secured by
the Board of Education, and let
complete supply of all the text books
used in the Public Schools including
a good system Of Penmanship and
all necessary school supplies be kept
constantly on hand. Our schools
have suffered and are suffering in
many parts of the State because
some of the necessary school sup
plies are practically unobtainable.
Possibly by some such plan as the
above the Public School books and
other school supplies could be furn-
ished to the people at taihe above
cost and carriage.
Now, a word in regard to our forms
and blanks for making school reports.
Undoubtedly they are too complex
and bunglesome. To such degree
indeed are they so, that it would be
next to an impossibility to get accu-
rate school statistics, even if all our
school officers were competent. But
| shall not here speak of the neces.
cary fhanpne to ha ma6a in our prac