The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1883-03-24
correspondence baltimore County Union.
THE SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS RE-
PORT AND THEIR CIRCULAR
LETTER.
Trxru DIsYn,cr. March 10.

IENTu btsfNtCt, Marcu W.
Editor, CAioH 1T is so long since have
written TO you that scarcely know how TO begin
my subject, but hope you will make some allow
ancc for me. So much has appeared In TnE UxioS
on the Fire Department, the county lcvies, the
Treasurcr's books, the reports Of the Grand Ju.
ries and know not how many more interesting
affairs, that / thought I would add another by
writing something on last years school report and
school expenses. have been favored with one Of
the school reports for 1SS2, aud also with n copy
Of the School Commissioner circular letter. urg.
ing all connected with the schools 20 practice the
most rigid economy. The circular OF tho School
Commissioners and the school report appeared TO
my mind lat contradiction Of each other The cir.
cular letter says; "If the Board would avoid
debt il will be necessary for all connected with
the schools % use the stretest economy In all
items of expenditure" I am Of the opinion that
the Board more than year ago should have prac
iicci 'the strieicst economy" itself. Three inem.
bcrs Of the Board disrcgaTdcd the wise counsel Of
Of the other two, and voted out the geography
tina; had been in use In the schools for years, and
put in an inferior one regardless Of cost. IL my
recollection serves inc right one Of the COMMITS.
sioners then sail that rs good a geography rs the
onc voted In could be had without any additional
cost. The consequence Of this extravaganza 10
an enormous increase in the cost Of books and
stationery for the year. The cost for books and
stationery Ia 1851 was S1.S6292 the coss last
year stc.os5.U5, an increase Of Is. csc. ~.
This Is the expense the tax payers have to meet
for an unnecessary change Of one book.
The circular also says $50 far =. Il Is con.
trolled by the Board the expenses can only be 70.
duced in one Of two ways, either by cutting down
teachers salaries or by keeping the schools open
for a shorter period In the year" The increase
in the cost Of the geography suggests to my mind
another way In which the expenses ought TO have
been kept down. The circular says in another
place at Is an old adagc take care of the pen.
mics and the pounds will take care Of themseives'
There are one hundred and sixty public schools
Ia this county, and IL only ten dollars were saved
In each school In these incidental expenses, Il
would amount TO 81 800 In tho course Of n wear.
This SUN would build a school house in some
neighborhOod where IL 10 badly required, and
there arc many places where such houses, as well
n those costing larger suns. are sadly needed
This Is god logic. aud the School Commits sioners
should have acted up 60 II and not have thrown
away nearly twice 81, 600 In n useless change Of
books. IL the Board had the money In hand now
they could erect two school houses where they are
sadly needed. Good advice has more force when
given by those who live up 20 u than from those
who do not. I know Il has with me.
alec see by tbs school report that the Board
increased the salary of the Assistant Examiner
5000 last year. which y just equal 10 an increase
Of $i.2s In the incidental expenses Of each Of the
100 schools. How nov about tho $40 reduction
In tho Incidental expenses OF each school recon.
mended In the circular. The increase caused BY
putting new geography mot ns good rs the old
onel into the schools, and the increase In the
salary Of the Assistant Examiner, along side OF
the advice Of the Board To use "the strietest
economy" make mo believe the school report and
the circular Of the School Commissioner aaiiy
contradict each other.
In looking over the school report find there
were ten teachers In our district last year. and
they all received about $4,000 for their years
labors. This IL about 500 year 20 each teacher.
Tho Assistant Examiner's salary, before the In.
crease, was 81 900 year. Now Il u 81, 200. In
all conscience how Il he worth, for the little ser
vice he performs, as much to the county as three
Of our teachers. and what have the School Com.
missioners lately found In him that 10 worth 5000
year more than he had been rcceiyingi We do
not consider the services required 10 that position
worth ~ much as is given 90 the poorest paid
teacher 10 the county. Any ten.ye old boy Of
ordinary brightness can do all that Il required Of
the Assistant Examiner. and no one In he sense,
would think Of paying him $1,000 year for hl,
services. Teachers must practice economy and
trustees must reduce the number Of free permits.
bat the school books may be changed, no matter
what the cost the salaries Of the Officers increased
and We taxpayer, poor devils, must groan and
pay the bills. 8.