The news & observer., 1898-08-30
SUPT. MEBANt'S REPORT
RECOMMENDS THAT EACH RACE
CONTROL IT'S SCHOOLS.
SUPERVISORS POWERS TO BE ENLARGED
The Township System, Mr.. Mebane Says
SouId be Maintained, as ii is the Only
Means Voluntary Taxation SyS-
tenn Can be Maintained.

Negro government of white schools is
a failure. The next Legislature will
change it, for that Legislature will be
Democratic.
Even State Superintendent Mebane, n
Republican, acknowledges that it is Il
failure and hurtful to the interests of the
school. For these reasons he advises
that it be changed.
In his Forthcoming biennial report Mr..
Mebane will say, touching this outrage
put upon the white children of North
Carolina by the last General Assembly.
Il think we should have an amend
ment in regard to the township com
mittee. Instead of having five men as
we now have, who have charge of all
the public schools of the township, |
think it better to have six men-three
white men for the white schools ana
three colored men for the coiored schools
of the township.
1--WE must do all we can to avoid
race prejudice. The mixed committees
give the enemies of pubi1c schools and
others something to object to. We must
remove all the objection we possibly
can in operating our public schools.
"We have two distinct races and
must have two distinct systems of public
schools, as far as possible without in
jury to the general system of the STATE. !"
The superintendent then goes on TO
advise that we hold on to thA township
system, and that the unity of the town
ship be more and more emphasized. This
he considers absolutely necessary for the
operation of the voluntary taxation sys-
lem recently inaugurated.
''The most important reason why we
should hold to the townshirp system is
that we may have local taxation. IL
our rural districts. if we wish TO increase
our school fund by special tax, We must
do it by the township, as no territory
less than this can vote a special tax. ex-
cept Incorporated towns and cities by
special acts of the Legislature.
I'm 1897 eleven townships voted Il s2e-
oial tax upon themselves. This number.
we hope, is only beginning of bright
er day for the public schools IN the
rural districts of our State"
He also fayors an enlargement of the
powers OF the county supervisor
LET it be his duty to meet the six
committeeman in joint session and ap-
portion the township fund to the two
races. with a view to having the same
length of term, as far as practicable, for
beth races of the township. The count,
supervisor should be the presiding Off
Ger of these joint meetings of the town
ship committee. An appeal from this
joint committees action 20 the County
Board of EDUCATION should be provided
fer.
1T should also be the duty OF tl
county supervisor to meet one day with
each of these three township committees
and assist them in employing teachers
and apportioning the money 10 the re-
spective schools of the township.
This means three days service from
the county supervisor to each township.
If the county supervisor is the wise, pru-
dent man he should be, II te knows
the teachers of his county and Knows
their qualifications and ability as teach
ers as he should know them, il he Knows
tne people of his county and knows their
peculiar needs and conditions as he
should know them, then indeed these
three days expense, which means about
Sc for a whole township, will prove the
greatest blessing to the public school
fund ever spent for so much territory.
'Too much power, some say, to give
to the supervisor. The supervisor must
be man of power, and must know how
to use his power in order to advance
in this great work"