The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-07
A Bill to carry into effect Article <,
Section 8, Of the State Constitution.
Be it enacted, &C.

Be it enacted, &c.
Section l. There shall be one or
more free schools kept open in each
school district at least six months in
each year.
Section 2. For each months service
in public school the teacher shall re-
ceiye from the public school fund SUM
equal to one-sixth of the whole amount
to which the said school is entitled for
the year.
Section 8. The State superintendent
of education, the county school COM
missioner, the county board Of ez-
aminers and the trustees of the public
schools are charged with the duty Of
enforcing the provisions of this Act.
Section 4. Nothing contained here
in shall prevent the patrons OF any
public school from supplementing the
public school fund by subscription,
tuition fees, or otherwise: Provided,
that no child shall be excluded from a
public school because of inability TO-
pay tuition fees. -,
There might be added a provision
giving to the trustees of the respective
schools power to decide as to the chill
dren entitled to attend school without
pay, with right of appeal to the county
school board. .-.-~
Now to illustrate what I conceive
would be the result of requiring six
months terms: The patrons would
employ their teacher for at least six
months. for only in that way could
they get any help from the public
fund. They would contraetto pay him
certain sum for the six months, and
would deduct from that sum whatever
the school should receive from the pub
lie fund. ... -
Under the present plan of public
schools, the public fund is wholly ex-
hausted in about three months. But
the teacher does not close the school
then. He contracts with his rich pa
trons-I use "rich'' here only in a
relative sense-for three months logger
and sends the poor children adrift.
And before they get another chance at
the 'tfree schools they have forgotten
pretty much all they ever learned.
If a teacher is to receive $500, includ-
ing the public fund, for six months.
what difference can it make to him
whether the public fund is $50 a month
for three months, or SIS a month fo1
six months? It can make no differ
ence to him at all, for his pay is the
same in the end. The difference is to
the poor children. When the public
| fund is exhausted before the private
subscription, or tuition, is; reached they
get only three months schooling, but
if the public fund and private fund are
consolidated they getsix months.
A CASE IN POINT.
This provision for six months terms
can be enforced without additional cost
to any parert; without depriving any
child of school privileges; without de-
creasing the remuneration of teachers
and, best of all, with three months
more schooling for the children of the
| poor. 49,.
There has been great deal SAID
about lengthening the school term by
organizing school districts and voting
local taxation, and an omnibus bill
looking to this end passed the Genera,
Assembly at its last session. This plan
may do very well for towns and cities
where there is concentration of wealth
and can be concentration Of effort; but
it is not suited to sparsely settled com
munities, as most county school dis
tricts would be. Take for example two
cases in this county. Two school dis
tricts were chartered by the Genera
Assembly in December last.s They are
each four miles square, and each vii
have a white school and a coloret
school. The citizens have met in each
district, and in each have voted 6
special tax of three mills for theil
schools. The constitutional two mil
tax, the special three mill tax and the
poll tax collected in these respective
districts will all be retained by then
for their own schools. This look.
we'll; but I am informed by the schoo
commissioner that neither of these
new school districts will get as much
by all their taxes as they would have
got if they had remained as they Were
and taken the share that would have
been apportioned to them out of th'
two mill tax collected in the county
Each Of the districts has taxable pro
perty of about fifty thousand dollars
The tax of five mills on the property
supplemented by the poll tax, will Civ
to each district $500 for the mainten
ance of both a white school and col
ored school.
I am satisfied the special tax plal
will not remedy the evils Of the fre
school system. Nothing will, excep
to treat the public fund as mainly ant
| primarily for the education ofthe poor
We have school taxes enough al
ready. Let US try little more private
| undivided effort.
Very truly, W. II. WALLACE
| Newberry, S. c., February 10, 1889.
A STRONG ENDORSEMENT OF THEPLA
| From the Greenville News.]
William II. Wallace, of the New
berry Observer, has lorg been regarded
by his brethren of the Press, who ar