The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-12-23

under the Jurisdiction OF the State
Board. as follows: Anderson, 2,
special tax none; Barnwell, u, special
tax 10; Berkeley. l, special tax none:
Chesterfield, 2, special tax none; Clar
endon, special tax none; Colleton,
2, special tax none; Fairfield, /, spec
ial tax / Greenville, 5, special tax 3;
Marlboro, l, special tax | Ocouee, 2,
special tax 9; Orangeburg, !, special
tax 1; York, /, spscial tax none; max
ing 2 total Of 81. with II levying q
special tsx.
Previous TO this year special school
districts had been established by the
County Boards, aud special tax
levied, under the general law author
izing the jurisdiction of the State
Board, as follows: Anderson, s,
special tax none; Barnwell, %, special
tax 9; Berkeley, 2 special tax 3; Ches-
ter, 1, special tax none; Chesterfield,
10. special tax 7; Clan endon, 2, special
tax 2; Colletou - special tax none
Darlington, 3 special tax none; Edge
field 10, special tax /; Fairfield, 16,
special tax 10; Florence, T, special tax
none; Greenville. l, special tax /
Hampton, 3, special tax l; Kershaw,
7, special tax I; Lancaster, l, special
tax / Marion, /, special tax 2; Marl-
boro, /, gecial tax / ewberry, 7,spec-
ial tax 7; Orangeburg, II, special. tax
II; Pickens, 3, special tax 2; Sumter,
l, special tax l; Union, l, special tax
l; York, 4, special tax l; making to-
tai of 137 districts, with 66 levying a
special tax
In addition to the foregoing the
Legislature has created, by special
legislation, 80 special school districts.
most OF which are still IN existence
and levy a special tax, which districts
are net under the Jurisdiction of the
State Board.
There are eighty nine public schools
in the State, as shown oy the School
Commissioners reports, in which the
public funds are supplemented by
private subscriptions In sone OF the
counties, reports not included in the
above, the School Commissioners say
many" nearly all, " ''one-fourth to
one third" etc.
The School Go nmissioners' reports
show eighty-fve academies and high
schools in operation this year.
The State colleges, male and female
have had posperous year. R efer-
ercei is nero directed to their several
special reports and to their separate
mention in the body of this report,
that you may have full and clear
conception cf the condition of each OF
them. All the private colleges, male
and female, have been well attended
and appear to be in most prosperous
condition.
1t is indeed gratifying to note that
all the institutions of higher learning,
State and private, as well as the pub
lie and graded schools, have been well
patronized and that the educational
spirit in toe State seems to increase
year by year. But the contention
over free tuition in the State colleges
still continues.
The boards OF trustees Of the State
institutions Of higher learning in this
State are too large, thereby entailing
a greater ex xoense than is necessary to
secure their proper supervision. Al
least two meetings Of each board IS
Z Necessity vs7-7 year aEd SECURE the
same involves a heavy cost On tde~In-
stitution.
The vexei question OF free tuition
in State colleges should be settled and
put to rest. For many years it has
been subject OF dissatisfaction and
complaint on the part of the friends
of the other colleges in the States, and
thus has worked injury to all the in
terests of education. That such dis
satisfaction should exist is not sur.
prising, in the absence of ali uniform
law or practice on the subject, in the
several State colleges. The private
and UNCONVENTIONAL colleges are de
pendent largely upon their tuition
fees, and their friends complain Of
what they consider want Of due re-
gard FOR their interests and rights.
Under such circumstances, and for
sake Of all the interests concerned, it
is very desirable that some equitable
and permanent settlement Of the ques-
ton should be reached, which would
be uniform in its application to all the
State colleges, and just alike to the in
terests of the State and of the private
colleges. So long as the question re.
mains open, the agitation and the
harm resultin g from it will continue,
and the failure of each successive Leg
islature to settle it only increases the
irritation and danger. In the hope
of reaching such a settlement, and OF
thus harmonizing so far as possible all
the interests of higher education in
the State, I recommend that q! az
early day in the session the Commit
tee on Education invite conference
of the presidents or superintendents Of
all the colleges Of the State, and OF
the State Board OF education, with tne
view of agreeing upon general
scheme which may then be enacted
into law, and henceforth enforced IN
all the State colleges. l feel sure that
such conference would meet IN the
spirit of compromise and with an in.
telligent desire to advance all the in.
terests of education in the State. OF
course the special scholarships, Tor
normal or other purposes, should be
protected, but the general question OF
tuition fees might be settled upon
Just and uniform plan, with which
plan the private colleges would douo:-
less cooperate. l beg leave to com
mend this suggestion to early consid'
Grafton. w. u. MAYFIELD,
Superintendent Of Education.
Could Not Catch the Fiiibuster.
KEY WEST, Fla, Dec. 1.-THE
cruisers Newark and Raleigh returned