Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-03-18

In The smaller counties Is no excuse.
They are, as q rule, more able TO pay
their superlntendcnts than the larger and
more populous counties,
81 The scholastlc age should be
changed 40 as to include all children be-
tween the ages OF seven and fifteen, and
the state school fund only appropriated
Ia this claes. TO those over fifteen
wears old and those pursuing studies not
embraced within the statute, the county
school fund should be apportioned.
AS a specimen Of one OF the
results OF the present law, one county
IN this state having S7BiG TO the
credit of each child enrolled IN school,
compelled onc.fourth Of all the children
of the county who attended school 10 pay
private tuition In 1881.
The present method Of apportioning
the state school fund should be changed,
30 that the money would be apportoned
according to the actual number OF schools
and school children. Under our system
of voluntary attendance on the part of
children OF scholastic age, those who do
not, and hnbltually refuse or fail TO attend
school, ocoupya no more logical relation
to The school fund or school system of the
state than do SO many sheep; hence the
continually apportioned money TO the
different counties for their benefit Is not
only unjust and absurd, but results In an
nually wasting u large amount OF the
school fund. To explain, for the schol-
astc year 1870 one county in Texas re-
ceived from the state for each child
actually enrolled IN the school in that
county Sl7s 81, or about forty times as
much as each child in Tarrant county re.
ceived during the same year. This sum
was exclusive Of accumu!ations of former
years and OF the amounts derived from
the county school lands OF the county,
The law provides no security for this
accumulated surplus, and there is no
legal way for counties TO eXpend so much
money, hence a waste.
B. No reliable school census can ever
be had until. the couuty supervisor is
charged directly with this duty, In some
places IN the state two-thirds Of the en-.
tire population are put down as being OIL
| scholastic age while in other places moi
more than one-eighth are enrolled as
I being within scholastic age. As the Law
! now stands the superintendent Is power
/ less TO correct this evil.
! These changes In our law would be ii
entire harmony with the splendid progres.
now being made in our methods o
! instruction by our teachers. am salts
/ fed that $4,000 more children would re
ceive the benefits OF free education that
are now receiving it; that each school II
the state would have its fund increased
ll5 per cent. after allowing liberia
salary to a superintendent In every coun
I ~ in the state, and that accurate infor
nation as to the actual working OF th,
system throughout the state would be s.
accessible TO every intelligent citizen a.
q, to preclude the possibility OF the contin
ued existence OF abuses OF any particula
consequence,
ROAD LAW
Since the passage OF the law makin
the county commissioner supervisor II
his precinct have not paid great dea
OF attention to road matters Our com
missioners, however, are unanimous az Il
two changes, Each commissioner shoulC
be allo wed forty days tinstead Of ten Il
at present. TO supervise the roads in hi
precinct, or the law should be change
so as TO authorize the court to employ
supervisor, The law should authoril
the employment Of state convicts with th
Z road and bridge fund, upon the sam
J terms and under the same regulations a
they now let out TO railroads and planti
tions Respectfully,
Z. T. FULuoRE.
County Judge Travis County