Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1900-02-02
THE TROUBLE
LIES DEEPER
The Parents are Not to
Blame.
THE SYSTEM is ALL WR0NG
The Increase Of Taxes Not Ne
cessary to Longer School
Term-Reduce Number of
Schools.

Schools.
Mr.. Editor:-The discussion OF
the school questions in recent is
sues of the NEWS have been inter
esting, and will, no doubt be prof
table. The indifference of the pa
irons, due to a lack of appreciation
OF the necessity of education, is
beyond question, one cause of poor
a tendance, as stated by your Ce-
dar Bluff writer. Prof. Williams \
has a laudable ambition to increase
the efficiency of the schools by
giving longer terms and better
schools and propose an increase of
taxes TO raise an additional amount t
to be used in lengthening the
school term. am in favor of a
longer term, as every patron should
be, out do not think all increase
OF taxes necessary. 1t does seem
that nothing Can be done without
taxing the people. The very frs
thing is to put Your hand IN the
peoples pocket every time any
change is proposed in anything.
| want to call attention 10 sew.
eral things which would help Mir.
Williams out of his trouble, par
italy, at least, aud not increase
take. either. There is a lot Of the
peoples money wasted every year
on reads and schools SYSTEMATICALLY
wasted, which should be used TO
advantage. believe the number
of schools should be reduced. For
example: Standing on hill near
North Tazewell you can see three
school houses-one at the depot.
one near 10. Howards and one near
Five Oaks. No two of these houses
are more than one and a half miles
apart. Over on Dicks Creek and
Dry Fork there are sovcn school
houses within about eight niles.
In all these places you will find
teaohers doing the best they know
how in poorly equipped houses,
with poorly attended schools. The
same is true of other sections of
the county, Now, here is y waste
of money, and a waste probably, of
other things more valuable. Abol-
Ish about one half these schools
and you have q saving of hundreds
of dollars every month, to be used
in lengthening the term of the
other half, and better, larger and
more interesting schools will be
the result.
But" says one, "you will have
the schools so far apart that the ht-
tie children Cannot attend" Right
here is the trouble. Every mau wants
school house at his door, and if he
don't get it he ''kicks" and threatens
to vote against somebody, at forth
coming election, and that settles it.
Years ago 1T WAS not thought a
hardship to send children two and
even four miles to school. Very
"llttle children have no business in
the Oh binary free schools, anyway.
until they are eight or ten years old
Ii they must attend let the parents
send them on horseback, or in any
old buggy. Here comes in the in
differsnca of the pare t, which You
talk about. There are children at
tending school n town from the
country for several miles Their
parents are Interested, ami they pro
vide to send them. During the win
ter months borses and wagons are
not busy In some States tLey have
abolished the small school altogeth
er, and pay man aud furnish team
to take the children to school and
bring them home in the afternoon.
lcere are too many small schools
We are scattering our energies and
money over too large territory.
| L notice also, in. Prof. Williams
pnbh~hed report an item of about
$500 paid treasurer for receising th =
-cho j funds of the 60 nty. l don't
know how much work is attached to
it, but it looks like a pretty good
slice out of the pie. 1t might be
and probabl ought to be possible %
save a few hundred dollars at this
leak.
| II