The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-24

force.
6. That appropriation for rural
school libraries and supplementary
libraries shall be continued and that
the rural school library law shall be
so amended as to take the appropria-
ton of ten dollars for the rural lib
rary and five dollars for the supple
mentary library from the county
school fun instead of the district
fund. This small part of the State
appropriation for the public schools
cannot in my opinion be more wisely
used. Through the continuation of
this comparatively small biennial
state appropriation for rural libraries.
every public school in the State can
be supplied with a rural library in
about ten years
Z, That an annual appropriation of
five thousand dollars be made for a
permanent plant and proper equip
ment for the State Colored Normal
Schools.
8. That the ACCESSIBILITY of a reason
able appropriation for State District
Summer Schools be carefully consid-
cred
Without exaggeration, / have en-
deavored to lay before your excellency
q plain statement Of the work done
and the progress made in public edu-
cation in North Carolina during the
be revealed by facts and figures CLEAN
ed from the reports of the county
superintendent and from Il study OF
the educational conditions as | have
observed them in my visits to all sec
tons of the State. The record shows
an increase in enrolment and attend
ance, in receipts and proper eXpendi-
lures for schools: progress in CONSOLE
dation and local taxation, in organi~
cation and direction of the educa-
tional forces, in graduation and sVsteu~
atiZation of the course of study, IN
classification, in methods of managing
the finances, keeping the records and
making the reports of the work, UNI
precendented increase in the number
of new school houses built, marked
improvement in the character and
equipment of the houses. in their
adaptness to their purpose. in county
supervision and in the interest. zeal
and enthusiasm of county superin-
tendents and teachers and all s.hool
officers for their work, growth in pub
lie sentiment and public confidence in
the public schools. In this record may
be found, / think, reasonable cause
for gratitude and announcement.
Without f1atterv | have endeavored
also to make in this report an honest
presentation of some of the defects
and needs of the public school sys-
tenn, of some of the difficulties of The
work that lies before us. and of the
relative position of the State in the
column of educational progress, so far
as this position may be revealed In
statistics from the reports of the edu-
cational work of other states. 1t is
painfully manifest that our public
schools, the only hope for the educa
ton of the peoples children. are still
unequal to the education demands of
this century of education and inferior
in most respects to the public schools
of most other sections of our common
country, and they are still sadly in
adequate to their stupendous task in
houses and equipment, in teachers and
length of school term. in supervision
and in available school funds. AS
long as the average length of the pub
lie school term in North Carolina is
only S5 days, while the average length
of the public school term III the
Southern States is SO days the aver
age length of the public school term
in the North Atlantic States 1913,
and the average length of the public
school term in the United States las
days; as long as North Carolina spends
but $1.14 for every man. woman anc
child of its population, while the aver
age spent in the United States is $2.99;
as long as she spends but $4.39 for
every pupil enrolled in her public
schools while the average spent IN
the Southern States is $685. and the
average spent in the United States
is $20.29; as long as she pends FOR
every child of school age within her
borders but $3.12, while the average
spent in the Southern States is $4.05
and the average spent in the United
States is $10.57; as long as she aver
age monthly salary of white teachers
in North Carolina is but $29.05 While
in the Southern States it is $3.50 for
men and $30.47 for women, and il: he
United States $4,000 for men a.
$4,000 for women, no true friend Of
education, no true lover of his State.
can afford to relax any effort for the
Improvement of her public schools.
When l remember the past. how
through social and political revolu-
ton, through destruction and recon-
struction, through poverty and mis-
rule, these sturdy North Carolina peo-
pie have, with heroic courage, fought
their way to the threshold of a new
and glorious era of industrial ana
educational development. l am filled
with hope for the future. Ours are
q conservative people. They move
SLOWLY at first because they move only
from conviction, but it is their history
that they take no backward step in
any great movement for good once be-
>.
No human power can stay mighty
movement for enlightenment and civil
liZation such as this e EDUCATIONAL move
ment when once begun among a peo-
pie such as ours. I have no fear but
that the movement will gather momen-
tum with the passing years. Dema-
gogues and enemies of Democracy in
it's broadest sense may interpose their
puny obstacles against its onrushing
tide, but they can do no more than
cause temporary eddies in its current.
They cannot stop or change its mighty
onward course. Back of it is a power
mightier than mans.
Gratitude to Governor.
I beg, in closing this last report to
your Excellency. to express to you my
deep sense of gratitude and lasting OBJ
legation for your loyal support and
wise counsel in all my work and for
the conspicuous service that YOU nave
rendered the State and her children
by your courageous championship or
every progressive educational move
ment.
Very truly YOURS,
j. Y. JOINER.
Supt. Public instruction.
CHRISTMAS SERVICE TOMORROW.