The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-02-25
CECIL FARMERS CLUB.
A Full February Meeting at Mr.. john W
McCuIiougn's.

members being present: Messrs. w. w.
Moore, ). K. Carson. John 5. Ewing, A.
j. Kitchener, H. H. Duyckinok, John P.
Wilson, Euoch Mccullough, Thomas c.
Bond, S. C. Magraw, E. Noyes, Geo. w,
Sutton, John w. Mccullough, John r.
Bond and George G. Hopkins The WISH
tors present were the Rev. 5. A. Gayley.
the Rev. John Squier Msssrs. Johnson
and Jones, of Southern Ohio, and Mr..
Alfred Kirk, of Cecil county.
The minutes of the last meeting hav
ing been read and adopted, reports of
experiments were called for. MIR. Duy-
ckinck reported his experience in NOW
ing wheat where it was quite thin late in
the season, to secure the crop of timothy
seed which seemed to predominant. His
experience was that where it was cut
with the moving machine the grass
seemed to be killed out and plantain tax
ing It's place, while right alongside where
cut with the reaper the grass stood fine.
Mr.. Noyes reported a similar expert
ence. He thought good stand of grass
could be seeded successfully without
seeding wheat.
The essay being next in order, Mr..
John W. Mccullough submitted the fol
lowing on
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
There are so many questions which are
likely to enter into the discussion of public
schools, that | shall not endeavor to give
resume of all. The school law of the State,
taken as a whole, is perhaps as good AS the
majority of public school laws. There are,
| however two or more features that could,
| we think ba eliminated from it and per-
haps others added to. First, there is the
book fee, as provided for in Chap. 10, Sec.
3, which says mo pupil shall be required
to pay more than one dollar quarterly for
the use of text books and stationery" If
we are going to have free schools let us have
| them free. 1t is true that in the chapter
and section alluded to above there is a pro-
| vision that parents or pupils may purchase
| their own books when they think proper To
| do So This book fee has been Il source of
gre 1t deal of trouble both to teachers and
trustees, because the teacher has found it
almost an impossibiiity to collect it in some
| instances and the trustees would not exempt
the parent OF guardian from the payment of
the same, consequently the teacher must
gain the ill-will of the patron or else losse
| the fee and in some instances both, because
if the trustees fail to exempt the pupil, the
| School Com missioners look To the teacher to
| collect the same
| Again when the tee charged Is more than
the book or books can be bought for then
the parent or guardian is very willing TO
buy the books bat after the pupil has adj
vanced sufficiently so that the fee is less,
then they are perfectly willing to pay the
| fee, so that in the end it is a loss to the
school fund.
My remedy for this would be, that the
commissioners furnish the books to each and
every scholar making he parent or guardian
responsible for the return of the book or
books in as good a condition when given
out, reasonable wear excepted. If the
| scholar should loose the books or should
wantouly destroy them, they should be re-
placed by the parent or guardian.
Secondly, the salary Of the teachers, al
we believe, with the declaration of scrip
ture, 1.-The laborer is worthy of his hire, B" SO
we believe that the school teacher
should be paid salary commensurate
with his position, which we think one
of responsibility. On this point We have no
controversy with the law as laid down,
| =. u 81 a.
of the teachers of each county shall be fixed
by the Board of School Commissioners.
But we do think that our county board
ought to find some better basis for 4 teachers
salary than the number of scholars in the
the school over which the teacher may be-
placed We maintain that this system
gives the larger school of our county the
advantage over the smaller ones.
l heard a trustee of one of the schools in
this end of the county say that it was i'm
possible to get such teachers as they desired
for that school, aud when asked the reason
said it was because the school was small
and therefore the salary was small. do
not pretend to give you his exact words only
the pith of them.
This question of salary is a very impor-
tant item in securing good and competent
teachers. What person is there that would
be willing to enter into lite work knowing
that the salary would not enable them to
lay by anything for old age or intirmity. |
am sorry to say that most of the teachers,
especially the male teachers, only teach
while they are preparing themselves tor
something else which which they think will
yield them a better remuneration. The
teachers now being paid on the basis of the
number OF scholars attending the school.
they must, of necessity, be in the dark AS to
what they will receive for the quarter until
they make out their quarterly reports. The
law provides that the Board OF County
School Commissioners shall appoint an
examiner whose duty it shall be to examine
candidates for the profession of teacher and,
with the sanction of the board, give such
person as are qualified certificate setting
forth such branches such persons are quail
fed to teach.
These certificates are divided into these
different grades. Now if the teachers were
|
cate then the certificate would carry with it
a certain and specified salary. Then each
teacher holding a first grade certificate
would receive as much as any other teacher
holding a similar certificate and would
not be anxious about the size of the
school, whether there be thirty or fifty
scholars. If such were the case the
complaint made by the trustees would
be obviated and the smaller schools would
have the same advantage of the larger ones.
Another point which | would recommend
is compulsory law, compelling each parent
or guardian to send child to school for a
certain portion of the school year. l would
put the age. limits at seven and fourteen
years and from seven To nine years. The
child be sent u school for the full school
year, from nine to twelve for three quarters,
and from twelve to fourteen, two quarters.
Comment on the essay being in order,
Mr.. John r. Bond spoke in regard to the
salaries paid teachers. He thought them
generally poorly paid. He thought the
points of the essay we'll taken and that
the inadequacy of salaries the main
cause of inefficieney in the teachers.
Mr.. Noyes said it was delicate ques-
ton to discuss. He was of the opinion
that if our schools were improved il
grade, improvement would result in
the qualification of teachers. He thought
the book fee Objectionable, and favored
the pupils furnishing their own books