The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-01-10


0nr progress in education has been
remarkable. As this is question OF
such vital importance to our people,
aud as we expend three.fiths OF the
taxes upon our schools, I ask your con
sideratiou, ut some length, OF the school
question.
In 1870 the average rate OF levy for
school and building purposes was 30
and .0G cents on tho Sl00. In 1894 il
waa 80 and IL cents. Any system
under which such showing as this can
be made Is not poor one. In the
main features. our system is good one,
but it has been added to, amended and
changed. in SO many ways. by the var.
ious legislatures. that it Is ambiguous
in lta details, obscure in its operations,
unjust, and very often unduly cumber.
some. / believe that the whole school
law should be intelli2eutly and com.
prehensivesy revised AZ whole. do
not believe that tho Isolated amend
ments will reach the objections to it.
In the matter OF school supervision
the Inv is virtually ineffective. The
schools have grown 40 numerous that
legitimate supervision Of them by tho
superintendent is almost farcical. In
the first place, the pay OF the county
superintendent is utterly inadequate
and, he. in effect, does nothing aud can
do nothing. To do tho work required
OF him ut all thoroughly, will take the
whole OF his time for tho whole year.
In the second place. the county super.
intendent is nmenable to no one. ani
no ono can displace him, or compel him
to do his duty. lie should be amena.
bic to, and undor the supervision Of,
some higher power having power to re.
move him for neSlec. OF duty.
Again, tho district levy is tho unit OF
taxation. Very often this produces in.
equality and absolute untairness in tho
same county. Let the county low be
tho unit OF taxation. This Will produce
longer schools all over tho state, aud
better pay for tho teachers aud bear
equally on all parts OF the county. This
aubjoct is ofgreat importance. ms three.
fourths OF our children receive their cd.
ncation in these district or village
schools.
Again, the independent school dis.
trio. hus gotten TO be MI abuse. and yir.
tually defeats the fundamental constjtu.
tional idea Of tho law which says ''Tho
legislature shall provide by a general
law Il thorough md efficient sys,em of
lree schools" Tho process by which
these independent school districts nro
brought into existence Is simply tho
abuse of tho power which tho richer
part OF tho county has over tho pooror
part thoroof. The votora Of rich com.
munity holding the voting powe. Of tho
district. seltiahly form n district IN
themselves and exclude from its bono.
ITS those who happen to 1.-Two across tho
l'nc, IN mo poorer section OF the dis
trlc'. Thus. the richor portion of tho
district divides itself from tho rcst Of
tho district md uHes for it's own solfsh
lntcroats tho improvements which in nil
likelihood have boon given it by tho
outlying country. In n majority Of in.
stances, tho independent district ava.
tom ia opposed to tho honest and ooEal
advance Of tho FREQ schools, and IL
wrong. and aelli,hly unjust to n large
part Of the people who pay taxea.
This independent district systom ia
utterly unjust to tho pooror pnrla If
tho state, md this proposition vorv
largely applies To tho whole irco school
system: The rich cities and coun,ion
virtually rocelvo tho bonclts from Tho
irce school system whilst tho poorer