The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-11-18
STATE CONFERENCE
HAS CONNIE need
A Great Meeting of County
Superintendent.
SUPT. JOYNER'S ADDRESS
Interesting Discussions on Cor soIidation, Loca-
ton ard PIars of <chcol Houses, Equ;p-
ment. School Map, Local Tax
ation, etc.

ation, etc.
(From Thursdays News and Observer.)
Yesterday began a great epoch in the
irresistible trend Of the feeling for bet
ter ard more education in North Caro-
lima.
The State Conference of County Super
~intendcnts with the State Su~perintend-
ent held its first session, and the situa-
tion as regards the rural schools in the
State was discussed in a practical, bust
ness-like way that bodied i'll for the old
state of affairs.
There were over seventy county su-
Derintendents present, and they were all
Drimfll of ommon-sense ideas on the
subjects Of consolidation OF small dis
t~ricts, plans for new school-houscs and
grounds, better equipments, ways and
means Of raising money, necessity for
county school maps, and last but perhaps
most important of all, local taxation.
1t was shortly after eleven O'Clock
when State superintendent j. Y. Joyner
called to order the State Conference CT
County Superintendent in the hall Of
the House of Representatives, and asked
Rev. j.. A. Smith, chairman of the
Board of Education of Columbus county,
TO make the opening prayer, which he
did very ferVently and beautifully.
.Supt. Joyner then delivered the open
ing address.
After an appropriate Introduction and
some words of greeting, Supt. Joyner
said that one of the first purposes of the
meeting and one of the first steps in the
direction Of a more efficient public school
system was a thorough organization Of
the men that direct this system in the
81 counties Of the State. There should
DC each year at least one general CON
ference of the county su~printendents
with the State Superintendent.
Among the questions to be discussed,
Supt. Joyner mentioned consolidation Of
districts. Improvement of school houses
and grounds, local taxation and super
vision.
On the subject of consolidation the
speaker, after showing that 50 per cent.
Of the white districts of the State and
60 per cent. of the colored districts con-
tain less than 60 children, the minimum
fixed by law, said in part;
lis it not q simple business PROPOSE
tiCn that with a given fund to be divid-
cd among a number OF districts and
schools the smaller the number of dis
tricts and schools the larger the amount
of money for each district and school,
the larger the number of districts and
schools the smaller the amount of money
for each district and school? Is not this
proposition as plain as the simple prin-
ciplc of division, that with a given
dividend the larger the diVisor the small
Ter the GuOtiCnt, the smaller the divisor
the larger the quOtient? Is it not equally
plain that the larger the amount of
money for each district or school the
better the house, the better the teacher,
the longer the term It can have? If this
be true, does not every principle OF
cc0nOmy and common GcnSe dictate the
reduction by reasonable consolidation Of
the number OF districts or schools in
each count to the smallest possible
number consistent with the right OF
every child TO be within reasonable
reach of some school. Consolidation be
comes then a question of wise and ono
miCal administration and it is right and
proper that we should discuss it, in
quire into the facts, listen to the evil
dcncc of those who have tried it and
then do what our duty as sworn officers
Dictates"
On the question of the school-house
the place where the sacred work of cdu-
cation is to be carried On, the State SUI
perintendent, after very graphically COM
pairing two kinds of school-house
gave figures as follows;
In North Carolina there are $50, SIS
white, 2G5 cOlored districts without
houses, in other words, without fixed
places of business, without school homes
for the children. Eight hundred and
twenty-nine districts still have rude log
~hOuscs-White 484, cOlored 545. The aver
age value of school houses for the State
is $40. In one county last winter four
teen schools had to be closed because the
children could not be kept warm in them,
III other words. because they were not
habitahlo in the winter in a temperate
climate. In one of the richest counties
of the State about fifteen houses wero
reported valued, houses, equipment and
land at less than $50 each"
Tho necessity of a county school man
was urged, as well as the serious con
sideraticn of the best and most cconomi-
cal plans for school buildings.
Tho speaker dwelt very strongly upon
local taxation, saying in part:
'SiXty-ninc per cent Of all the money