The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1903-03-06

tile ClcIiCaI WOIk WQlle MS COL
leagues who don't draw any salary
trade and barter with each other
to suppfant the lucky secretary
who fills soft snap with the sal
airy limit removed"
By thus making two offices out
of one and placing no limit on sal
aries, this Committee of Ten be-
lieves that rural school supervision
may be made to approach that
standard of excellence assumed for
the city schools. In comparing the
two it is but just to say that from
three to six times as much money
is expended per capita average at
tendance in the city schools as is
spent in like manner for pupils in
the country, and the town term in
most places is but % per cent.
longer. A fair comparison of re-
suits will disclose that the rural
schools have advanced more rapid
ly in teaching ability and general
excellence. considering the i'm
mensely less cost of maintaining
them, than the city schools have
done, and if the State Teachers
Association had committee of
ten, composed of well posted rural
school teachers. they would make
such a report and could prove ev-
cry item of the statement. 1t is
not the aim of this article to dis
credit any progress that has been
made in the town schools, but to
defend the rural schools against
the insinuatiOns OF those who have
assumed superiority and who have
arrogated the right of criticism. be-
ing not intact against similar Oh
slaught themselves. 1t wou.4 DE
notifying to some of these para
CONS to learn that an expenditure
of two dollars in the country
schools has accomplished as good
results as the outlay of six times
that amount has done in some of
their intense town institutions.
Reverting to thu matter IN hand,
it is claimed that tl.e appointment
of the county superintendent by
this dual political board won,l take
the public school syston out of
politics and thereby promote the
general excellence of the rural
schools OF the two methods APP
pointment by the State Board of
Education would be much prefer
able, because the State Board is
further removed from local polit-
ical influences and would be actu-
ated in their appointments by less
personal motives. But the State
Board has exercised this power and
the people have wrested it out of
their hands by petitions to the leg
islature. 1t is thus obvious that
the people will have none of this
double political appointment of
their county superintendent, but
will reserve the right of electing
him themselves. II they are moi
intelligent enough to elect good
one, they can, at least, retain the
right TO turn him out office when
his service is not satisfactory. :
The committee, doubtless, rec
commended the above method of
selecting county superintendents
because teachers of city schools
are chosen in that way, and being
impressed with the superiority of
that branch of the profession, lost
sight of the true inducement that
attracted them to that field of the
work. In other words. the com
ulItttt uiu ilOt COIistQtI tifc OttttT
pay of city teachers. nor their su-
perior environments, but assumed
the difference as due to the man.
ner in which they are elected, and
reached conclusion without insti-
tuting any comparison of financial
inducement whatever. The fact
is that the people have elected as
good men for their superintend-
ents as the salary and dignity of
the Office have invited, and are
more competent to choose a man
to supervise their schools than any
committee appointed by any po-
\ litical board can do.
Further, they will insist on elect
ing them, and wherever the office
is now appointive in the State they
are demanding that it be made
! 4 I L r