Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-01-24

Fund, would it not be well to give Che
State Board Of School Fund Commission
ers authority to fully protect the interests
of the funds in their guardianship. by
conferrlng upon them power to make the
necessary leVies in all cases where Coun-
ty Commissioners have refused or neg
leeted to do SO?
PUBLIC EDUCATION.
The school system of Kansas embraces
the Common Schools, the University, the
Agricultural College, and the Normal
School. The Constitution makes it an
imperative duty of the Legislature eto
encourage the promotion of intellectual.
moral, scientific and agricultural inprOv-
ment, By establishing 8 uniform system
of common schools, and schools of high
er grade, embracing normal, preparatory,
collegiate and university departments"
The duty thus enlOlned IN our organic
law has been supplemented by an unfaiI-
ing and even prOdigal generosity on the
par Of the people Of the State, In the IA
cilities provided for the educatiOnOf our
youth. The first public thought, in every
settlement Ia Kansas, has been the
school house. The best constructed and
most costly building in every city, town
or hamlet of the State, is the public
school. No Kansas community, in the
darkest days 1t has known has ever felt
too poor to pay for a school house and
employ a teacher. When the people
were uvIDgIn dug-OuUs, TnevyOted bonds
to build q comfortable school house on
tbs hill. Believing education to be "a
better safeguard Of liberty than a stand
ing army" GI& Shat on it the future des-
tiny and glory OF the State must funda-
mentally rest, no touch Of parsimony
has characterized the relations between
the tax payers OF Kansas and our school
system. The expenditures Of the State
for public education exceed the aggregate
Of all its other expenditures.
The report of the Stale Superintendent
of Public instruction shows the school
opulatiOn-betWeen the ages of five and
tWeuty-One years-Of All, 250, an in
crease of Is, 981 over 1888. The scholars
enrolled numbered sos, 1901, an increase
of II ,433 over the enrolment Of the
previous year. The attendance in 1888
averaged 1913, III; for the year Just closed,
207, 22l-an increase of SO l04 In 1874
the enrolment was only l35, $685. and the
attendance n, 1856. These figures show
an increase, in ten years, of 168, O03 in
enrolment and 129, 835 in attendance.
The teachers employed in the public
schools in 1883 numbered S,2S3; in 1884,
s, 342, Of whom 2, 396 were masesand 3, 400
females. Average wages paid teachers,
In 1874 there were 5,043 teachers en-
pIOyed, Of whom 1880 were males and
1858 females. The average wages then
paid were: males, 1921; females, $28. 90.
The increase in the average wages paid
indicates an increasing demand for bet
ter qualified teachers.
The school buildings and grounds are
valued at S5-715-582- There ara 6-Rn5
school houses, OF Wnlcn. AZ were DuIlG
during the past year. In 1874 the school
houses numbered only 3,543, valued at
SIS, 989,065. Increase in-number Of school
houses during the past ten years, 1902;
in their value, $l,726,49
The receipts and eZpendituresfo for school
purposes, during the school year ended
July 31st, 1884, are shown by the follow
ing exhibit:
RecetDts.-Balance in district treasures
Aug. LIST. 1888, $378, 27l.S7. Amount re-
ceiVed from County Treasures from dis
trict taxes, $2,021 ,O53 %; received from
County school funds, S304, 444.74; from
sale of school bonds, $539, O09.34; from all
other sources, S las, PILLS. Making total
Of s., 1892, O5035.
peaditQre8.-AmOunt paid for teach
ers' wages, $I,682, 1892; for rents, fuel
and incidentals, $43l, 54217; for Libraries
and school apparatus, $56, 6O2.30; for sites,
buildings and furniture, 1856, 23l.47; for
all other purposes, $I45, 85272. Total ex-
penditures for school purposes during
the year, 50, 49,, 963.28. Balance in the
hands of District Treasurers, July 51st,
1854, $5O9,O8zO7.
School Funds The investments for
the permanent school fund for the fiscal
year ended June S0th, 1888, aggregated
1899 ,946.55; for the fiscal year ended
June 3Oth, 1884, 1892, 861; for the period
from June Both to Dec. LIST, 1884, $24S, 5S8.
Total, 81 ,S51 1855. The uninvested
money belonging to this fund, remaining
in the State treasury Dec. LIST, last, was
IS, 1915.
THK COUNTY Teachers INSTITUTES
Are doing excellent work, and the money
appropriated for them, by the State, Is
wen spent. Our school system must de-
paad, for iLs,succass, largely on the spirit
aad enterp|'Ea &C the teachers, and these
T=1esiUutes. furnishing normal education
60 the great body OF our public educators.
and promoting and fostering a spirit of
pride in their profession, are of import
ant and general benefit. For so large a
body Of officers, the teachers of Kansas
rank well. But there is room for inn
prOVement, and it Is worthy of inquiry
whether an increase of the work of the
County Institutes would not be wise.
HIGHER SCHOOLS.
Our institutions of advanced education
seem to be in a hourishing condition.
Undoubtedly the Common School sys-
tenn is infinitely more valuable to US as a
State than the higher Institutions, but
both are necessary to secure the best re-
suits IN the formation of q wise and in
teIllgent community. Kansas is now q
great, popuIOus and wealthy State, and
can afford to be liberal, though not ex-
travagant, In providing for our institu-
ions Of higher education. The public
schoOlsshOuld be put in harmonious rela-
tons with the University, the AgricuItur-
al College, and the Normal School, feed
/ ngthem with the best blood and brain of
the State. The graduates of ali these in
.titrrtfrna % o rrrla r-ar-r.s-.- r,-r----.