The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-03-06
COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE
ON SCHOOLS IN RALEIGH
Superintendent Moses an
Amendment to Charter Of the City.
Az ANCIENT OFFICIAL REPORT THAT'S NEW

, in Raleigh are favorable. and that an
| amendment to our charter. authorizing
the School Committee to enforce. in its
judgment. attendance upOn some school.
| public or private. Of all children bet ween
the ages Of six and thirteen for one
hundred days III the year, would great,
enlarge the usefulness OF the schools
in your charge. and the highest and best
interests Of this city in this generation
and in those TO come after us. Such d
law would not only bring into the schools
many who never enter 4 school house.
but it would make affective the work
Of Very many who now come with no
serious purpose and with no apprcciablc
benefit. Under present conditions We
have no power oycr the attendance OF
any child except to say II he will not
attend regularly. he shall not attend az
all. The enforcement OF such u rule
defeats the very end we seek, for hal
q loaf is better than no bread. In every
home, attendance on school should be
considered the only serious business o.
childhood. and Yet going TO school is lit
tie more than Il farce i'll many families
and d mere pastimc with many children
In one Of our white schools during tn,
past year. out Of an enrolment of 81
lily 4 II as il as 1'F
days: 81, or more than one-thiru the
whole number. attended less than I'll
days; IS, OF more han one-tifth the mum
Der. attend less than p days. One
child attended two days, another foul
days, another five days: two attended
seven days. one eight days. and one at
tended nine days. These eight children.
or about ten Per cent, of the whole nun
Der in that room, attended, OH an aver
age. six days during the year.
In enc Of the colored schools. four
fifths Of the children enrolled failed tC
attend as many as 100 days. Only about
one-haif ttended rs many as 60 days:
and ont-tifth Of those enrolled attended
on an average of 10 days.
RALEIGH,S PLAGUE SPOT.
| have often called public attention
in general terms to this crying evil. AT
least. ] have conceived il 10 be my duty
to be specific and. perhaps tiresome III
my statements. that | might lay bare
before YOU what seems to be 20 be the
plagup-Spot in the schools of Raleigh
The teachers have laborcd increasingly
and unSelfshly in vain efforts to eradi
cate it. There seems to be no remedy
to apply but the knife. 1t is said that
the traveller in Switzerland is told. a
he journeys from canton to canton. that
he will not be able to find an illiterat.
person in all the beautiful land. l pray
that the day will come when. in this
beautiful city, we may make the same
boast. lrut we can never do so until We
shall Ia had the use of the only
weapon ever forged by man that could
destroy the monster Of iliiteracy any
where. and the weapon IS the law Of COM
pulsory school attendance.
\ CITY FARM.
The question of dumping grounds is
another matter Of great Importance
which should claim the attention Of the
Board of Aldermen. 1t has been eXpcd-
lent, and in many instance wise for the
city to use some of the low grounds, al
old %ravine> for dumping ashes. cinders,
and such refuse. The careless mixture
Of garbage. and various animal and veg
ctable debris. has led to their abuse. As
a result we have had Il numbcr Of ON
paints with reference to unpleasant
odorS arising from these dumps. and cs>
p~ecialy during the slnnme months. In
many instances they have been well
founded. and we think that some steps
should be taken to abate this form OF
nuisance. The city is growing ana
spreading out III every direction and
these complaints will continue unless We
find some other place better adapted
for dumping the cityS refuge. While
| believe that the best method of liSpoS-
ing OF garbage is by crenation: yet |
do not think this practicable at present.
| think the plan more suitable to ouT
condition would be the purchase Of a
farm near the city to be used as Il dump
ing ground. and of sufficient size. to car
! ~ Oh small farming operations. | believe
III this Way We could make it pay for it
self i'll the way of feed for horses: be-
side paying the expense of operating
same. And should the city in the future
aleslre to put III 4 crcmatory. they could
dispose of the farm for more than the
purchase price. However, | believe
that the farm once tried would prove
4 success, and there would be no need
for changing for at least fifty years"
REN HOSPITAL.
Report of the Matron of Rex Hospital
is as follows: From March 1, 1898, to
February Is. 1899, there have been ad-
| mittcd three hundred and six patients.
OF this number there were white males.
lO6: white females 76; colored males,
6: colorcd females. IS. There We're
white charity patients. %; colorcd char
lty patients. H.. There We're white
pay patients. 81; colorcd. II. The reve-
nue. derived from pay patients was
S2.Oo1.4O. There were nineteen Deaths
white, 3; colored. 10. There were
births. Il: surgical operations. &c.
Perhaps one Of the most important
recommendations contained in the re-
port is that made by Superintendent
Moses. aSkin" for an amendment to the
charter. making attendance upon some
school compulsory for all children. age
between 8 and Is years.
Discussing the advicc> made in the
methods Of teaching and the higher
grade Of scholarship and equipment now
required. Mr.. Moses adds:
Il recommend that all teachers be cx-
amincd every three ycars-rc.ular at
tendance upon the work Of Il summer