St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-11-06
COMMUNICATIONS.
More of the School Question.

Editor of the Caledonian:
The supervisor having replied to Sub
scriber's" letter and leaving it just as
blind as before concerning the expense of
county supervision l write again. He
says l did not deny that the schools of
the county cost less the past year than
either of the three previous years. l
think that | did, but will try and make
it palmer this time. What called my at
tention to his report was the fact that
he had compared the cost of schools
under the old law with that of the past
year and did not put in his salary as
part of the expense. l think that the
salary of the supervisor is school expense
if he does draw it from the state treasury.
Now the people do not care for a little
extra expense if they can have better
schools; but to have Il great deal more
expense and no better schools is what
we do not like for the schools have not
been looked after as well, nor can they
be by one county supervisor as they can
by one in each town. AS to the expense
of supervision in this county, Mr.. Taylor
estimates the board of education to be
SIS. | suppose the work for each men,
Der would be about the same, but do not
know what it cost in but one town.
Barnet paid SIG. At that rate the ex-
pense to the county would be $272.
When he comes to the expenses of super
vision he refers to the school report, and
says that the total expense to this
county would be $1144. .26. Now let us
quote from the state officers report for
1889 and 1890. "Oct. I, w. HI. Taylor,
salary and expense as supervisor 1913.
81; Jan. 2, $4O5.64; Apr. 1, 1887 go"
which amounts to $1166.51 for three
fourths of a year. And if he charges in the
would be $3SS.S3 which added in to
make out the years salary would
amount to 1855. 81. Now to this sum
add the expense of the board of educa-
ton, as estimated, and it is $1S27.34 for
the year instead of $1144. .26 as he repre-
sented in his letter. To compare this
with the expense of town Superintend-
entS, the average amount for the last
three years was $S99.62 which deduct
from expenses of supervision the past
year makes $927.72 more expense for
county supervision under the new law
than under the old Add to this the
extra amount we pay teachers as COM
pared in the school report in 1SSS-S9
and 1SS9-9O which is ST 40 a week for
males and $.S1 for females and we have
some knowledge of what an expensive
luxury the new school law is.
Now, if Mr.. Taylor did not intend to
mislead, why did he give the total ex-
pense of supervision to this county to be
$1144.26 The Acts of the Legislature
of 1888 chap. 2, sec. IS says his salary is
$1,000. Sec 10 says his expenses while
travelling not to exceed one-fourth of his
annual salary, and also allows his neces-
sary expenditures for postage and sta
tionery for official use. If this is penny
wise and poundfoolish" let the public
decide.
l would like to make a suggestion
that the school year be changed back to
where it was; then the state officers re-
port will contain the expenses for two
full years instead of one full year and two
parts of years and also that districts
may have a school any time of year they
choose SUBSCRIBER.