The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-02-17
NO STEP BACKWARD.

ted by the last Legislature for public
scboors ought TO have been paid before
any other appropriation. one hundred
thousand dollars has been paid. The
school authorities OF cyc-y county in the
state have already made provisions that
call for the payment OF the additional
500. coo. Provision for it should be made
In response TO inquiries, state superln-
tcndcnt Joyner has written the following
letter. every word Of which We endorse;
Dear Sir: In answer to your ques-
tion abont the second hundred thous2ni
dollars desire to saw that it Is ny
earnest hope and belief that the Legisl9-
ture will make provision for lis payment.
It will be nothing less than a calamity
to the school interest OF the state II the
General Assembly should fail 10 do TINS
The reports that | have been receiving
from the County Superintendent IN re-
gard to their schools this winter Incl
cate that the public schools arc IN bel
ter condition than ever before, and the
TeoIle are taking more interest IN tiem
and that the attendance is better than
at any previous time in their history.
| have rot, of course, received reports
from all counties. but this is the tcsti-
yrmony Ct a lumber Of the superintendent
and teachers in many counties. from
whom | have heard from time TO time
through personal and official letters.
After all the promises made to the peo-
plc during the last campaign that they
should have a four months school, / do
not think tia the Legislature can afford
# tEc1, fret mNntinp after the election
tc permit these promises to be broken.
The people have acted upon the faith OF
the promises of the party that they have
learned to trust. and that has establish
ed in North Carolina a reputation as a
fledge-keeping party.
I'm many counties all the range
ments for conducting their schools four
months AVE been made, and in some
counties the teachers in many of the
weak districts have already taught out
more than the county apportionment
under the advice of the County Superin-
tendent and County Board of Education
that the second hundred thousand dol
lars from the State would probably be
available. and that it was better to have
a continuous term of the schools than
to close them and allow them to become
disorganiZed and begin later in case they
should get their part of the State APP
proFriation. If this money should fail
to be provided now it would complicate
greatly school affairs in many counties,
would cause a number of county deficits
instead of one State deficit, and would
have a tendency to retard educational
progress and dampen the educational en-
thusiasm. 1t would weaken the faith OF
the people in the promises of the State
and Of the party. 1t would, as is usually
the case in all school troubles, strike
the poor, innocent teacher hardest ana
probably result in the loss of a part o.
their hard earnings to many of these
poorly paid teachers. The failure to pro-
vide this money now would work a hard
ship to more people than the failure to
the last Legislature.
This second hundred thousand dollars
was appropriated by the Legislature of
1901 for this purpose. 1T is as binding as
any other appropriation made by that
Legislature. 1t effects more vitality the
educational interest of the great masses
0 fthe people of North Carolina than any
other appropriation made by that LET
islature. If the other appropriations
made by that Legislature are provided
for, and many of them have been paid
in full to date already, then this appro-
p%riation made for the benefit of the lit
tie children of North Carolina must be
provided for. If there should not be
enough money to pay all the appropria-
tons made by the last Legislature, then
as State superintendent of Public In
struction and the legal representative of
the educational interest of the children
or the State, ! shall insist that all an
preparations shall be scaled and that
this Appropriation shall be put upon the
same footing with all others and that
the same per cent of this shall be paid
IN other words. if we have not money
enough to pay all then | shall insist that
all al ropriations made by the preceding
Legislature shall be p~ro-ratcd. 1t would
not be talr or just to allow all the deficit
or the largest part thereof to fall upon
tne appropriation for the public schools
ard the little children. l am confident.
however, that this General Assembly.
composed of many of the States able
patriotic and just representatives. viii
see the wisdom and the Justice in pro
vldlng the means TO keep the States
pledge to its little children.
Very truly,
j. Y. JOINER.