Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-01-22

| JULIUS uutu long ait6I uldtUIily. d6 lu0
majority of these school district bonds
are owned by the Permanent School
Fund, would it not be we'll to give the
State Board of School Fund Commission
ers authority to fully protect the interests
of the funds in their guardianship, by
comforting upon them power to make the
necessary levies in all cases where Coun-
| ty Commissioners have refused or neg
lected 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 ito
| encourage the promotion Of intellectual,
| moral, scientific and agricultural improv-
ment, by establishing uniform system
| of common schools, and schools of high
er grade, embracing normal, preparatory,
collegiate and university departmental
law has been supplemented by an unfail-
ing and even prodigal generosity on the
par of the people of the State, in the IA
youth. The first public thought, in every
settlement in 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 it has known, has ever felt
too poor to pay for school house and
employ teacher. When the people
were living in dug-outs, they voted bonds
| to build a comfortable school house on
the hill. Believing education to be "a
better safeguard Of liberty than a stand
| ing army" and that 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 taxpayers 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 State superintendent
| of Public instruction shows the school
population-between the ages of five and
| twenty-one years-of All $50, an in
crease of %, 981 oyer 1888. The scholars
enrolled numbered 308,60l, an increase
of 17,433 over the enrolment of the
previous year. The attendance in 1883
averaged 1913, III; for the year just closed,
2O7, 22l-an increase of 80, 104 In 1874
the enrolment was only 1876, 59S, and the
attendance 1886. These figures show
an increase, in ten years, of 16S,003 in
enrollmenta and 129, $50 in attendance.
The teachers employed in the public
schools in 1888 numbered {, 1888; in 1884,
S,342, of whom 1856 were males and 5, 400
females. Average wages paid teachers,
per month, males, 5000; females, $32 IS.
In 1874 there were 5,O43 teachers en-
ployed, of whom 1850 were males and
1858 females. The average wages then
paid were: males, 1924; females, S2S So.
The increase in the average wages paid
indicates an increasing demand for bet
! ter qualified teachers.
The school buildings and grounds are
valued at $5.715,5S2. There are 6,6O5
school houses, of which All We're built
during the pasty year. In 1874 the school
houses numbered only 3,543, valued at
$3,9S9,0S5. Increase in number of school
houses during the past ten years, 1902;
in their value, 81, 726,497.
The receipts and expenditmesfo for school
purposes, during the school year ended
July 31st, 1884, are shown by the follow
ing exhibit:
Receipts-Balance in district treasures
Aug. LIST, 1888, $37S, 271.S7. Amount re-
ceived from County Treasures from dis
trict taxes, $2,O2l ,O53.25; received from
County school funds, 1904 444 "A; from
sale of school bonds, $3.50, O09. "a; from all
other sources,$ las, FL Is. Making atotal
of So, 1872, O5O35.
observation-disclosures paid for teach
ers' wages, $l,6S2,7 34 81; for rents, fuel
and incidentals, S43l ,54217; for libraries
and school apparatus, $50, 6O230; for sites,
buildings and furniture, $3.50. 23l4 Al; for
all other purposes, $l45, S52.72. Total ex-
penditures for school purposes during
the year, $2,6S2, 963.2S. Balance in the
hands of District Treasurers, July 3lst,
1884, $5O9,Os7.O7.
School Funds The investments for
the permanent school fund for the fiscal
year ended June 30th, 1888, aggregated
$685., 946.55; for the fiscal year ended
June 30th, 1884, $762,S61; for the period
from June 30th to Dec LIST, 1884, $24S, 5sS.
Total, 1851 1855. The uninvested
money belonging to this fund, remaining
in the State treasury Dec. 1st, last, was
$9,l69.75.
THE COUNTY TEACHERS INSTITUTES
Are doing excellent work, and the money
appropriated for them, by the State, is
we'll spent. Our school system must de-
pend, for tssuccess, largely on the spiri.
and enterprise of the teachers, and these
Institutes, furnishing normal education
to the great body of our public educators,
and promoting and fostering spirit of
pride in their profession, are of import
ant and general benefit. For so large
body of officers, the teachers of Kansas
rank well. But there is room for i'm
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 fourishmg condition.
Undoubtedly the Common School sys-
tenn is infinitely more valuable to us as
State than the higher institutions, but
both are necessary to secure the best re-
suits in the formation of a wise and in
telligent community. Kansas is now a
great, populous and wealthy State, and
can afford to be liberal, though not ex-
travagant, in providing for our institu-
tons of higher education. The public
schools should be put in harmonious rela-
tons with the University, the Agriculture
al College, and the Normal School, feed
ingthem with the best blood and brain Of
the State. The graduates of all these in
situations, as rule, remain permanent