The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-01-10
Office of the Board of
SCHOOL IO1nInl SS1Onl
REI AIp Innnnrnr = 1NI


BEL AIR, January 8, 1902.
To THE -EGIS:
Acting upon your suggestion that it
would be interesting to the public to have
a few words from this office concerning
the Governors recommendation in his
recent message to our Legislature that a
reduction of $25, 900 be made in the Free
Book Fund, it gives me pleasure to con-
tribute the following:
In 1896 the sum of $15O,000 was ap-
propriated by the State for the supply of
free textbooks to the pupils in the public
schools. This amount the Comptroller
apportions among the several counties
their respective populations between the
books have thus been furnished since the
passage of this law, "to the several grades
successfully, beginning with the first
has enabled the Board to do away with
all fees to and including the seventh
grade, and it has been their hope that in
the not too far distant future, books
could be furnished free to all. Should
the Governors recommendation receive
the approval of the Legislature and be-
AOIiiS law Jul &ouhIl with ohhSlS
particularly those of the northern and
western parts of the State, will be seri-
ously handicapped in equipping the
schools for the best service.
1t is not from a partisan standpoint
that much has been written and said,
urging no retrenchment in this direction.
Conservative papers of all political par
ties are interested in the matter from a
purely educational standpoint, and while
taxpayers generally would welcome any
and every felief from an unnecessary ex-
pense, it has not yet been sufficiently
demonstrated that it is the part of wis
dom to call money thus expended I'M
necessary.
In all probability. the Governor was
guided in making his recommendation by
the surplus which has accumulated in
many of the counties as the result OF un-
expended balance at the close of each
year. From the State report for the
year ending July 81, 1900 (thelates one
accessible) statistics show that the
counties of Anne Arundel, Charles,
Dorchester, Kent, Prince Georges, ST.
Mary's Somerset, Talbot and Wicomico,
were in possession of balances from the
Free Book Fund ranging from $3.50 Tin
Charles) to $3.50 lin Prince Georges In
contrast with these, some of the counties
succeed in barely making the appropria-
ton suffice, while others are forced to
borrow from the general fund.
The principal factors that determine
the outlay for books are Q the number
of students in the schools, (2) the length
Of the school year and (3) the kind OF work
the students are doing as shown by the
grades i'll which they are studying.
Marked differences in any or all of these
items between t he counties will have their
effect upon the Free Book account.
Since the income to this fund is pro-
portioncd according to the school popu-
lation, item o. is eliminated from the
discussion as to why the outlay in one
county exceeds its appropriation while i'll
another there remains a balance. Item
(2) is easily understood as costs less to
keep books in serviccahle condition for a
seven and one half month schoo, year
than for one of ten months.
Item (3) is the one in which the differ
ence is most noticeable and the one that
accounts for the fact that Charles county
with an appropriation of $3492 can
have balance of 81 $40, while Wash
ington with an appropriation of ST. 1898
is forced to borrow $3.50 from other
| sources. AS much money is appropriated