The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-01-23

ton of their respective county and State tar
and, second. TO avoid the restrictions upon
tax loves provided In section 70, chimp
ter 70, laws of 1873. Under this section.
q county with q property valuation not ex-
ceeding S5.0Jo,o3o. can levy one per cent. for
general purposes, and is thereby enabled to
raise 5pJO0 But should the valuation be in
creased to S. 100.Gn, the county authorities
can levy only one-balf of one per cent, yield
ing revenue of only SS5,lW. Ii, therefore.
the sim of $4,000 is required for current ex-
penses, the county must either increase It's
assessed values at once from S5.0N.oo9to SlO,-
OOo0c0. or keep such values below the hrst
named sum. The constant tendency, there
fore. is toward low valuations. This diff
Guilty might be remedied by authorizing q
levy of one per cent. on a valuation OF S5.OU,-
900. ana providing that the levy should he de-
creased one mill for each s., 1,C00 increase in
valuation: -
SCHOOL DISTRICT BOND LEyIES.
Under the provisions of section ISL. chapter
~. c. L. Of 1879, it is made the duty of the
Board of County Commissioners of each
county to levy, annually. upon all the tax
able property in each school DISTRICT in such
county, u tax sufficient to pay the interest
accruinC upon any bond issued by such dis
trict, and to provide n sinking fund for the
final redemption of the bonds.
IL sometimes happens, either from neglect
or purposely. that the duty thus enjoined is
not performed, and no provision is made for
the payment of coupons or bonds until long
after maturity. As the majority of the
manent school fund, would it not be well TO
give the State Beard of School Fund Com.
missioners authority to fully protect the in
terests of the funds i'm their guardianship, by
comforting upon them power to make the
necessary lcvics in all cases where County
Commissioners have refused or neglected to
do do?
PUBLIC EDUCATION.
The school system of Kansas embraces the
common schools, the University, the Agri-
cultural College and the Normal School.
The constitution makes il an Imperative
duty of the Legislature ''to encourage the
promotion of intellectual, moral, scientific
and agricultural Improvement, by establish
ing uniform system of common schools
and schools of higher grade, embracing
Normal, Preparatory, Collegiate and Uriver-
sity Departments" The daty thus enjoined
in our organic law has been supplemented
by an unfailing and even prodigat generosity
on the part of tne people of the State in the
facilities provided for the education of our
youth. The first public thought in eycrv
settlement in Kansas has been the school
house. The best constructed and most
costly building in every town. city or hamlet
of the State is the public school. No Kansas
community, in the darkest days il has
known, has ever felt too poor to pay for
school house and employ a teacher. When
the people were living in dug-outs they voted
bonds 20 build comfortable school house
on the hill Believing education to be ~
better safeguard of liberty than standing
army" and that on il the future destiny and
glory of the State must fundamentally rest.
no touch of parsimony has characterized
the relations between the Taxpayers OF
Kansas and our school system. The cx-
penditures of the State for public education
exceed the aggregate of all its other ex-
peDditureS
The report of the State SUPERINTENDENT of
Public Instruction shows Il school popula-
the ages of five and twenty
one years-of 41I.25 an increase of :S.9Sl
over 1883. The scholars enrolled numbered
500, COL. an increase of 11.49j over the enroll
ment of the previous year. The attendance
in 1883 averaged l6S.Il7 for the year just
closed, a3i.:s21-an increase OF a,lO4: In 1871
the enrolment was only 1Si SIS and the at
1886. These figures show an in
crease. in ten years, of i6S,U3 in enrolment
and II, Si5 in attendance.
The teachers employed in the public
schools in 1888 numbered S.aS5: in 1884. s3is, of
whom 1886 were males and 5.i05 females.
Average wages paid teachers, per month.
males, s41..0; females. SsS.S5. In 1874 there
were 5.c43 teachers employed, of whom :. SO
were males and 1853 females The average
wages then paid were: males, 49, females,
$500. The increase in the average wages
paid indicates an increasing demand for bet
ter qualified teachers.
The school buildings and grounds are val
ucd at S5.il55S,. There are e,605 school
houses, of which AZ were built during the
past year In 1874 the school houses num-
bored only 3.543. valued at S3.oS9,0S5. Increase
in number of school houses during the past
ten years, 3.oi2; in their value, Sl-i26,4g
The receipts and expenditures for school
'
3lst, 1881 are shown by the following exhibit:
Rcceipts-39lance in district treasures
August LIST, 1851, ''s,22Il.ST. Amount received
from County TrcaSurcrS from district taxes,
s., OF. C;s,:25: received from county school
funds, S214.444.i4 FROM sale OF school bonds,
S;Ieg, I10:Sl: from all other sources, Sli9,2tl.-
Is. Making total Of * 81. G51.a5.
observation-disclosures paid for teachers
wages, sl.fS2. 80 a. Tor rents, fuel and incl
dcntals, Il.542lI; fer libraries and school
apparatus, S53,6G,.S0; for sites. buildings and
furniture, S566. .all A; for all other purposes.
sl45,S Total expenditures for school
purposes during the year, s.. Sss,. as5.2 IS. BAL
ance in the hands of District TreaSurcrs,
July 3Ist, 1884. 500, 0S1.01.
School Fund--The investment for the per
manent school fund for the fiscal year ended
June 3Oth. lsSS, aggregated S:SSa +i.,5; for the
fiscal year ended June 3Dth. ISL S.d2, S5l; for
the period from June 3oth 10 December LIST,
1854 So, SIS. Total. S1.31l 81. ~. TIC urin
vested money belonging to this fund. re-
manning in the State Treasury December l,
last, was IS. 1910.
THE County, TEACHERS INSTITUTES
are doing excellent work. and the morey ap.
propriatcd for them by the State is well
spent. Our school system must depend for
its success largely on the spirit and enter
prise of the teachers. and these institutes,
furnishing normal education TO the great
body OF, oar public educators, and promoting
and fostering spirit OF pride in their Pro-
fcSsion, are OF important and general benefit.
For so large a body OF officers. the teachers
of Kansas rank well. But there is room for
Improvement 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 he in tiour3Shing condition. En-
doubtedly the common school system is in
finitely more valuable TO us as stale than
the higher institutions, but both are neces-
sary to secure the best results in the forma-
ton OF a wise and intelligent. community.
Kansas Is now a great, populouS ard wealthy
State, .nd can afford TO be liberal. though
not eytrayagant, in providing for our iHstitu-
tiOnS OF higher cducat on. The public schools
should he put in harmonious relations with
the University, the Agricultural College and
the Normal School, feeding them with the
best blood and brain of the State. The
graduates of all the institutions. as rule,
remaiil permanent citizens Of Kansas, and
give us the benefit of their knowledge and of
the discipline 10 which they have been sub
jected. The higher schools of learning have
always been the home and nursery of pro-
greSS and freedom. even in despotic Govcrn-
merits, and their lberalizing, conservative
ard up-building results among free people
cannot he OyercStlnated-.
The three great educational institutions of
the State should each, however, confine its
work to the purposes for which 1t was es-
tablished No one of them should attempt.
nor he permitted, to trench on the field as
signed the others. There is room and need
for them all, each in its legitimate province.
asked TO support, two or three universities,
or agricultural colleges, or normal schools.
but it ought to, and no doubt will, generously
support one institution in each of the fields
of work and duty Indicated by the names of
these homes of learning.
THE STATE UNIVERSITY.
The condition of the University, its pros
poets and ncsis, are fully stated In the re-
ports of its Regents, its Chancellor, and its
heads of departments. The Regents state
that substantial and gratifying prosperity
has marked its history during the past two
years. The new chemical building has been
erected and equipped. The board has wisely
ordered the discontinuance of the lowest
preparatory course, and tsker action look
ing 70 the early discontinuance of the entire
preparatory department., so that the strength