The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-07
DANGEROUS OUTSIDE MONEY.

education, in communities accepting out
side aid for education. Charlotte and
Raleigh and nearly every other town in
the State that has a graded school was
fund when their schools were started. The
dangerous money helped to pay the
teachers over the period of taking the
first steps. Then the Peabody trustees
withdrew the money and helped some
other town start graded school. What
is the result? This dangerous outside
money has helped to plant a graded
school in every progressive town in North
Carolina.
The same evils that have come to the
towns from accepting outside aid for
education will come to the rural dis
tricts. Four thousand dollars of this
money, together with an equal amount
from Greensboro contributors, is to be
sent into the rural districts of GuilfOrd
to carry the dread influences of better
school houses and longer terms of public
schools An equal amount is to endan-
ger the liberty of the people of Neck
lenburg and Henderson counties.
The 5000, 900 of Outside money" which
the State Board of Education is going
to loan to weak districts to erect better
school houses will also tend to spread
the epidemic of better educational facili-
ties by enabling the people of the
rural districts to have as comfortable
school houses as the progressive towns
have constructed. Horrible thought!
Dangerous invasion!
We are not fond of publishing statis-
tics showing the sore need of lettering
the public schools and building better
school houses. All these statistics are at
least three years old and there has
been great Improvement in those thirty
six months. But there is still crying
need for better school houses, as the
following from the Educational Journal
shows:
Twenty out of every 100 of the 1858
white school districts in North Carolina
have rude log school house or no public
school house at ALL Think of it! In
other words, there are 4S4 log school
houses in as many districts with no pub
lie school houses whatever; in all, H. 1903
district out of 5,635. But this does not
tell half the sad story. During the past
winter 20 white schools in one county
were closed because the miserable school
houses could not be made comfortable
In one of the richest counties in the
State, fifteen white schools were re-
ported whose lands, house, and equip
ment were valued at less than $50 each.
In one of the counties of Piedmont North
Carolina, there are 80 out of 80 white
school houses which have no desks. If
the children write at all, they must place
the materials on their knees. In an
other Piedmont county, whose total
school fund is something more than
$25. 000 there are % out of 80 white school
houses which are worth little more than
$50 each, located in out-of-way places
and amid surroundings anything but ele-
waiting. 1t would be an cas- matter to
multiply facts like these.
THE existence of poor school houses
is not wholly due to the poverty Of the
people. The average value of a North
Carolina church house is $1,0S7. The
average value of the school house along
side of these churches is only $1S3."
For the education of its people, in pub
lie school, in colleges and universities
this State is depending upon it's own peo-
pie. 1t asks aims of none. 1t will be
patronized by none. 1t will accept no
gift for it's public schools accompanied
even by a suggestion from the donors as
to change the we'll settled educational
policy. If there are men living to-day
like the noble Peabody, who are willing
to give of their means to help the South
solve it's problem, the South will well
come their cooperation in the
difficult task. In this position, there is
neither abasement nor begging. Until
Charlotte and Raleigh return the money
given by Peabody to help conduct their
graded schools twenty years ago, tney
are estopped from crying out against
outside aid.