The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-26
old law are indicated by the follow

l. On the first Monday in June
next. and every two years there
after. the justices Of the peace and
the county commissioners at their
joint meeting are required to elect
three residents of their county, who
shall be a county board of educa-
ton. Their duties will be the gen.
eral supervision of the school mat
ters of their ccunty-mainly such
as are now performed by the county
commissioners. They are to meet
four times year, with a compensa>
tion OF two dollars per day and mile
age.
2. The county superintendent is
to be secretary of the board of edu-
cation. His pay is two or three
dollars per day, as the board may
determine, for the days that he is
actually engaged, and he is under
the direction nd supervision of the
board. He will, in addition to the
ordinary duties Of superintendent.
perform the duties now required by
the register Of deeds in school mats
tiers. A good board will give him
pay and work within the limits of
the law. according to his efficiency.
8. The county board of education
will hereafter not be required to
make per capita appointment of
funds among the several school dis
tricts of the county as heretofore
required. The law requires that
two-thirds of the money be appor-
toned on per capita basis, and
the remaining one.third is to be
apportiOned '.in such manner as to
eguaiiZe school facilities to all the
disti lets of the county, as far as may
be practicable and just to all con.
cerned, without discrimination in ia
vor Of or to the prejudice Of either
race" Ifthe board find it desirable
80 to do, they may control prices to
he paid teachers. and they are pru-
IDENTIFY to require comfortable school
houses to be provided.
These p.ovisions indicate the
principal changes in the laval
others are minor changes. made nee
essary to make the system conform
to these provisions.
AS understand it, the assembly
intended to separate school affairs
from other county business. and put
them in the hands Of persons special
ly appointed with view to their fit
ness to manage them in dlciouslv and
economically, giving them large dis
cretion, and evidently taking into
consideration the fact that the State
is exceedingly diversified in its in
terests and population, and on this
account demands larger local discre.
ton tnan has heretofore obtained.
This local discretion extends also
to the county SUPPLEMENTARY. While
it is almost automatic truth that there
can be no good system of public ed
ucation without the services of an &C
tive and competent superintendent.
some of our counties are slow to real
ize the fact. Sach cou mites are al
lowed, under the late legislature. t.
elect an inferior man su perintendent
restrict the scope Of his laburs and
jog along, being continually distance
ed in the educational race by their
more progressive neighbors. A suc>
cessful business man never invests
money IN any enterprise without
either superinte nding it himself, OF
employing a competent person to su'
perintend it for him. This principle
applies to school business with dou =
BILE force A short term Of good
schooling is worth more than long
err one of inferiority; time is saved in
proportion to the efficiency of the
reacher. and a good county superin'
tendent promotes the efficiency o
teacher in marked degree.
The system is not more expensive
than the old system. The specia
board of education will not cost mucl
if any, more than was the the cost o
the county commissioners as boards
of education, anil the fees heretofore
paid to registrars Of deeds will bt
eliminated.
Seeing that the constitution Of thu
State requires system of public
e lucation, may not ask the justice'
of the peace. the county commission
ers and the people to assist me in e X
ccutirg the system given US by th'
assembly under their constitutions
requirements, to the end that we may
provide at least a rudimentary edu'