The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-04-11

has increased from $4,000
to $4,000. At that time it was the
regret of the Board that "the low
salaries paid to the teachers and the
short school year make it hard to
hold the corps together, since the
neighboring counties offer far more
advantageous terms" As the levy
Tor school purposes was gradually
the salaries of the teachers
have been raised and the school term
until the complaint, that
the teachers will not stay here, is
heard no more.
During the year ending July 31st,
1901, the State spent $2,6OO,OOO
in educating its children, the average
cost for each child being $12. As
the average length of the scholastic
year throughout the State was nine
and one-half months, the expenses
of educating each child was at the
rate of 81. &c per month. In Har-
ford county the average cost was
but $1.O6, which is twenty cents less
than the average elsewhere. The
memorial then goes on to state that
the theory held by educators and the
public generally is that the tendency
of education is to prevent crime.
were also shown, which
stand in marked contrast, illustrat-
ing the wisdom of educating the
child aright',in order to make him a
better citizen.
The report then quotes from one of
the county papers "about all the
benefit derived by the average tax
payer from the county government
is what is expended on the public
schools and the county roads," and
while the Commissioners are not
blind to the fact that as a Board
they are entirely responsible for the
details of the school administration
which brings about success or failure,
yet they are especially cognizant of
the very important part which the
County Commissioners play in pro-
noting this cause. Without your
intelligent appreciation of the neces-
sity for good schools it is altogether
likely that instead of having a sys-
tenn of schools of which we are justly
proud we should have been compelled,
through lack of the necessary fnan-
cial aid which you alone could give,
to look with shame upon"
The memorial then concludes with
statement that $55, 500 will be re-
quired for teachers salaries Due to
the addition of new books to the list
or the replacing of old ones, the
book account varies. The new
course of study adopted by the State
Board of Education requires the use
of some text books, which are not at
present on the list, the supply willin-
crease the book account to $4,000.
During the past year the Board has
built three new houses, one at Abing-
don to replace the delapidated church
building which was being used; one
at High Point, which had been de-
stroyed by fire, and one below Tay-
lor, creating thereby new district.
Patrons have made it plain that as
sistance will be needed at 54, the
one room at Rutledge being crowded
to such an extent that it is inpossi-
BILE for the two teachers to reap sat
isfactory results, and an additional
room to be built. The two-story
building at Jarrettsville, 81, is in
such shape that it is only question
of time when it will be necessary, in
order to use the recent appropriation
made by the Legislature, to have a
third room built to the building. At
Mt. Pleasant school near Ady, lis,
a new building is necessary. A new
coiored school house should also be
built at Muttonsburg, it being inn
possible to secure a suitable lot, no
building has been erected. The pa
irons of the Fountain Green school,
1913, have petitioned that an addi-
ton be made to their house; two
teachers being engaged the greater
part of the year in one room. All OF
these petitions have been accom-
panied with material offers of assist
ance. There are also at least dozen
houses which are in need of paint,
which would probably cost about
$500. The estimate in detail is as
follows:
Salaries. ......................Soo ,oUU
Books. ................. 5000
Administration. .................... 1850
Fuel. ................................... $500