The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-27
SENTIMENT GROWING
Consolidation and Local Taxa
ton Gaining.
The Effect Of an Attractive School House and a
Good Teacher on Poor Children. What
the Counties Are Doing.

The full text of the circular letter sent
out by Secretary E. C. Brooks, of the
Educational Board, to the county papers
on the growing sentiment in favor OF
consolidation and local taxation is as
follows:
THE Partially to numerous small
schools, with only a few pupils to each,
has become strong from long continuous
custom. This obstacle has stood in the
way of this Improvement by consolidation
in every county where it has been at
tempted and effected; but when once Sc
cured, its advantages become so great
that a return to the old system would
be almost impossible. Several counties
in the State have notified the State Su-
perintendent that the sentiment of the
people is almost unanimous for taking
another advanced step in the way of i'm
proving the school buildings, employing
better teachers, and increasing the length
of the school term. The county super
intendents in most of the counties are
doing excellent work; and this evidence,
that about one-fifth of the counties are
about prepared to vote on the question
OF local taxation with an assurance that
one or more consolidated districts will
vote local tax, is most gratifying
result. 1t means more than appears on
the surface. 1t is this feeling that some
thing more must be done for the children
Of North Carolina than has yet been
done, that has caused about one hun
dred districts, in every section of the
State to ask the educational board to
send speakers in their midst to discuss
this question with the people
In one of the western counties three
small school districts were consolidated
and new school building with two
rooms well-lighted and ventilated, was
built at cost Of 5000. Heretofore these
three districts had been running from two
and a half to three months with one
teacher in each Last year the three
combined, taught by two teachers, ran
four and half months. At the Teachers
Institute this summer there was an hon
est but ignorant old farmer present and
he was the most enthusiastic man in at
tendance. He said that until the past
year his children never attended school.
that they didn't care to go, they pre-
ferred to work in the field, and he never
made them go: but two weeks before
the school began last year the teachers
spent few hours at his house and talked
with the family. The result was that
the children started to school, and he
added: Ny little boys think these are
the greatest teachers in the world. Why
every night they would get their books,
and until they went to bed they talked
of nothing but what the teachers had
told them at school. They never wanted
TO go 10 school before and they never
went; but they never grow tired now, and
/ am here today to see If we can't make
the term longer AS this honest old man
spoke these words there was an express
sion of JOY and pride in his rugged coun-
tenance that would have answered any
argument against the Improvement Of
the public schools. His children had been
won by two faithful women, and what
these have done can be done in every
county in the State. Attractive school
houses and entertaining teachers will
draw half the children who now have no
desire to attend school.
''The closing days of the Teachers
Institute at Carthage were full of en-
thusiasm. The teachers pledged them
selves to a greater interest in all school
affairs. vigorous campaign for better
school houses, local taxation, and higher
attainments among the teachers will be
carried on this fall. In Durham County
superintendent Massey says the average
length of white schools is 81 weeks, an
increase of one week over last year.
Every white school in the county has a
library the total number of books be-
ing ABB The board of education has
decided to establish a central graded
or high school in each district; one of
these has already been established in
Mangum township. The people OF Lu-
CANA, Wilson county, have raised $1,000
for a new public school building"