The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1904-04-08

errors signature. This is One of the
most foremost steps that has been
taken in the cause OF public education
since the establishment OF free schools
years ago 1t is intended to enable
the school commissioners of the dit
ferent counties to employ a better
grade of teachers, as the salaries will
be raised to the same basis rs other
employments' of a like nature. The
School Commissioners of Hartford
county recently issued statement,
through their examiner, Mr.. Charles
T. Wright, which called attention to
the fact that the ranks of the teach
ers were being steadily depleted, and
ifthe present state ofsffairs continued
it would only be a short while before
some of the schools would have to
close on account of the lack of teach
ers. The reason given for this is that
other avenues which afford better
pay than school teaching are now
being opened, and many OF our young
women are taking advantage of this
new order Of things. Many offices
now employ female labor, and the
standard of intelligence required for
this is no more than what must be
possessed by any first-grade school
teacher. The salary paid by our To-
cal board is fixed on a scale of SIS
as minimum for the first grade and
$6o for the second grade. Attend
ance may increase the compensation
to 500 for the first grade and to
SO for the second grade. Quite
number of teachers in the county re-
ceive the maximum Of $500 per year,
but those receiving less are in the
majority. The new bill fixes a mini
mum at $500 a year, which would
mean SO per term. This is $40
more than the present minimum, and
if we understand the law correctly
the schedule of salaries will have to
be revised.
The new bill Increases the tax rate
~ cents, and tits supposed that this
will raise about $25O,OOO in addi-
ton to what is now already being
allowed to the public schools. This
will be distributed throughout the
counties and Baltimore City in pro-
portion to the total number of pu-
pills. Under the provisions of the new
law Hartford will get several thou
sand in addition, and should the
County Commissioners continue to
levy the same sum as heretofore,
which has generally been from
$45, 900 to $4,000, our local school
board will be able to raise its sala-
ries, thereby attracting better teach
ers, and also inducing some to stay
who may otherwise be attracted to
other counties that pay higher wages.
During the past two years a number
of our best teachers have gone to
Baltimore county for this one rea-
son, and it is probable that more
will follow unless additional induce
ments are offered. The last state
ment of the School Commissioners of
Hartford county shows a decrease of
nearly So, OO0in the amount received
from the State when compared with
the year 19OO-1. This is due to adif-
ferent apportionment of the school
money, and it is apparent that the
loss falls especially hard since it is
not made up in any other manner.
This is equivalent to over two cents
of the whole tax rate of the county,
and assuming that we will get back
as much school tax as we pay in, it
will be seen that the net gain to our
local board is only about 212 cents.
Wewill later publish in full the pro-
visions of the new law, as it makes
number of changes, all of which are
calculated to better the situation
throughout the State. Striking
among these is the consolidation of
rural schools, a question now much
agitated, and will probably require
an experiment to prove its efficiency.
nUcGrn DIR