The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-03-22
running THE STATE.
Sca2ol Supplies Detract TOO
Much from Educational Fund.
SOMEASTONlSAlNG FIGURES

Stare Superintendent OF Educa-
ton McMahan Makes a State
oent in Regard to the
Situation.
When Hoa. J. J. NcNahan entered
the Office of state superintendent Of
education, he began TO investigate
rumors that the State was being flooded
with maps and charts sold at an ex-
traragant price. and in large quantities
There was one chart in particular which
ranresented the cost Of $3.50, equival-
ent TO the ordinary salary Of q public
school teacher for mouth and halt
His investigation led him to write the
county boards, urging them to check
the sale of these charts. As the teach
ers associations Of Saluda and hershaW
counties have recently adopted resoIu-
tons disapproving Of buying these
charts in such graf quantities, Mr.. NC
Mahan was Wednesday approached IN
regard to the matter. -,
In February communication IN 1he
State from Yorkrille called attention to
the indiscriminate purchase Of charts IN
York county, and that Mr.. McMahan IN
endeavoring to check the sale las at
ter Mr.. Mayfeld Mr.. McNahan at
rho time denied that he was after Mr..
Mayfeld, and stated in card IN The
State that he was trying to prevent
further purchases. He has since been
making inquiry and compiling figures
from the several counties Of the State.
He said in his statement, that from the
reports Of the county superlHtencents
of education Of the majority OF the
counties of the State, and from lncom-
plete reports appearing IN the last an
nual report of the state superintendent
of education, it appears that between
So, 900 and S5S, 600 Of public money
has been invested in charts, and IKE ap-
paraus, chiefly the mathematical charts
sold by the r. @. Evans Co OF Chicago.
The chart sells for S37 so, and conse-
Quently cuts of at least a month $
teaching in the school IN which 1t Is
purchased.
To indicate the extravaganza OF the
principle in some counties, It may be
noted that in Sumter county this item
is reported as about 81, 200; IN Florence
about 81. coo: the proceeds Of the thee
mill tax in the latter county being be-
tween Sl0,0 and Sl1, 900. In one
distric, in Florence where there were
four schools, the county superintendent
reports that the total school fund ap.
oortioned was $3.50, go, and that Of this
1916 was spent for charts, leaving 81. 60
to run the schools. In another district
the expenditure is reported as exceeding
the appointment.
In Horny county where the three
mill tax raises something between
1000 and s.. 900, theamount spent for
charts according to the item IN the state
superintendent's annual report Is over
$4,000, and it is currently reported to
nave exceeded s.. Gee. This is more than
was paid for the employment OF teach
ers, and their school would have been
closed but fer the d;spcnsary supple
mentarv fund. The counties that
bought. spent usually about $1,000 for
these charts, the expenditure ranging
from about 81 900 to s., 900. In Fair
field no permission to canvass was
granted; likewise in Chester, Superli-
tendent ". b. Knox saying that they
had had experience Gf he danger OF
turning loose agents uro" the sch""!
trustees.
Mr.. McMahan learGi,1g of the dam
age being done, exertcd himself to step
further purchases The county board
u -Abbeyille reported tha. they were
in session considering tic question
when they received his letter Of warn
ing and they refused to permit the
agents to canvass the county. Anaer,
son county has also jus. been reached
by the agents, and permission was re-
fused. In Sparranburg and Greenrl!le
the canvass had begun bat the express
siopsof the state superintendent had
known in the county, and the
agents had become Unab!e TO sell and
abandoned the field La Lancaster per-
mission was granted after the warning
Mr.. McMahan stated that he thought
the cost Of the chart was eztravagant,
and that he was sustained in this opln-
ion By a number Of educators. He had
had teachers TO tell him that the chart
would do very we'll in the hands OF a
capable teacher but not otherwise. He
stated further that in some counties
the agents had received permission to
canvass. Whether or net this would
render the contracts invalid, he could
not say, and the attorney general has
not yet expressed an opinion. The
charts were sold on contracts to be
made payable upon deliver ofthe goods.
These contracts were, as rule. nego-
tiated and discounted Immediately upon
their being accepted.
He was asked if he censured the state
board of education for giving the agents
permission to canvass the State. dc
said that he felt dihdent in regard to
passing judgment upon those who were
in measure his superiors in Office, but
he thought that they had acted unwise-
ly in permitting the agents to come into
the State and market the chart at such
price. Hirdsight is better than
oresight. and the state board prob
ably had no idea to what extent the
charts would find sale He then ex-
rlained the connection of the state
BOARD with the matter When con.
cern Of this kiud desires TO come into
the State, it must obtain permission
from the state board; then the agents
can enter no county without permission
from the county board. These grants