The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-11-19

ELY BROTHERS. So Warren Streass ieW TOTE
flood of ignorance which like blacN
nall oppresses us and makes more
weighty the burden which must be Dofhe
by your Excellency and others who are
striving to arouse and sustain a puDllc
sentiment in favor of universal educa>
tior
1--WE next note that since the exclusion
of girls the number of boys enrolled as
students has somewhat increased untll
now it is said to be as many as ninety
five. Feeling that the true test OF
school is not in it's enrolment, SO much
as in its actual average attendance we
have tried to arrive at this, but nave
not been BILE to do so with certainty pc
cause no books have been kept from which
it can be ascertained. We have heard re-
ports that il was as low as forty and as
high as fifty; we hope either is an under
estimate, and that it is safe to place u
at sixty, therefore dividing the expense
of maintenance taken from the financial
statement, $27,677.31 by 60, gives per
capita cost of maintenance of $46128 for
a term of sixteen months. This we GER
tainly consider excessive, and indicating
an unnecessary expenditure of money.
1--WE next tried to determine where the
mistake was which produced so enormous
a per capita; we conclude that it was
most unwise to spend money in a col
lege intended for the negro, for the pur-
chase of apparatus and appliances of so
costly character and providing education
of so scientific a quality, as would call for
such appliances. 1t is we'll known that
there is no probability that any large
proportion of these young students will
ever see after leaving this college, any
other than the most simple and mex
pensive implements, either mechanical
or agricultural.
The recommendations are: eve advise
that the higher scientific educate of the
coIored people of North Carolina be left
in the hands of the Federal Government,
and of such persons as may differ with
our conclusions, and that our State make
no further appropriations to it until it is
shown by experience that this kind of
teaching is calculated to promote the best
interests of the great mass Of our needy
people"
The financial statement shows $11 .003 q
spent from June l, 1901, to October /,
to each student S1S3.3S; amount expended
on the farm s10,052.SS. and receipts there
from 81, 24030; amount expended on brick
yard s8.25223, and receipts therefrom
s244S.15. AS to this the examiners saw:
I'VE would prefer that an industrial
school should teach how a farm and
brick yard can be run with profit"
SLATER INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.
The Slater Industrial and State Nor
NAL School at Winston comes in 70,
much praise by the examiners who say,
among other nice things about the dircc-
tors of this institutions 1.-THE service
which they have rendered in providins
an answer to the most aggravating ques-
tion of our day, negro education, and in
meeting the objections of those who OPP
rose the expenditure of money collected
from the whites for the education of the
colored, is beyond estimate"
One of the good results accomplished
by this school is the building Of a hos
pital nearby, for which the directors,
their friends, the teachers and the schol-
ars raised $4,000 to meet a gift OF 5000
from one of the most successful bust
ness men of the State. The work or
constructing the building was done by
the students
The influence of the school is seen in
the many modest cottaes, owned by
graduates; a fine object lesson.
COLORED NORMAL. GOLDSBORO.
Another roast. The board says: Here
we find another case of a board of direc-
tors who do not direct. The five mem
bers of this board are white men of de-
servedly high character in their COM
munity, but those of them that we met
stated plainly that they knew nothing
of the institution that they had under
taken to manage, and the inVariable re-
suit follows. to-wit: a waste of the
States money. At the time of our visit
there were % students, taught by four
professors at monthly cost aggregating
$40; in other words the tuition of each
student was costing the State more than
$500 per month. This school
has no building and scarcely any equip
ment."
ELIZABETH CITY NORMAL.
The board commends the Elizabeth
City State Normal, saying that it's direc-
tors direct, that the people of the COM
munity are pleased with it and that its
superintendent and four assistants do
good work P. w. Moore, superintendent,
they commend for obtaining private aid
for an industrial department. the extern
sion of which demands more and better
accommodations. They say that if all
colored schools were managed and
directed as is this they would be doing
splendid work.
COLORED NORMAL AT PLYMOUTH.
Roast No 8. The board says: ut is