The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1904-11-24
EXPENSIVE EDUCATION.
IL Cost thi. state Over $1,000
More Each Day IA fssan
Public schools Ina
1900 Fhau i'm
1898
IN EXPLANATION REQUIRED.
Fewer school Houses Bsiis and r1w~r
schools Taught In 1904 Tk.n in
isoJ-seariy 100000 Of
school Fund Nox Ae-


~gnO0a FuGd SUS Ae~
counted For.
1t Is source Of regret that the Re-
port Of the State Superintendent OF
Public instruction tor 1904 Was not
made public before the election. Ii
would have furnished Governor
Aycock, who is 20 enthusiastic on
the question of public education,
food for thought, and the people OF
the State as well. The information
We get from this report is rather
astounding. We do not intend, by
this article, To reflect upon Superin-
tendent Joyner, for We think he il
industrious and sincere i'm his work,
but the facts obtained from this re-
port require some explanation.
In 1895, 1895, 1897, 1898 and
1899 it cost the State of North
Carolina about $4,000 to run the
public schools one day. In 1902 it
cost 8,561.50. In 1902 ii cost
$40, 123.1O, and in 1904 it cost
$22,367.75 to run the public schools
in North Carolina one day. In
other words, it cost the State of
North Carolina about S8,367.75
more each day to run the public
schools in 1904 than it did in 1898.
Listen again In 1903 the report
shows that we had II weeks school
term, and in 1903 we had 1870
weeks, making a gain OF only Ii
days from 1903 to 1904. Now let
us see what this IL days increase
cost the State. In 1903 the total
fund for schools was 81 ,584,222.13
and in 1904 it was $1,9O1 ,237. 20,
making the increase in school funds
1917, 015.16, and since this increase
in funds did not give us but l ! days
more school term, it will be seen
that the cost of one day increase
was $211, 343. "A. The report shows
also that there were fewer school
houses built and fewer schools taught
in 1904 than in 1903. The teachers
did not get this extra sum, for the
report shows that the teachers in
1904 were paid only $l5, 900 more
than in 1903.
The query is, what became of this
extra $317,O15.16 that went into
the schools OF 1904. 1t cannot be
said that it went to increase the
school term, for the term was not
increased but II days and that
should not have cost but $4,000,
and that would leave nearly $780,
100000 not accounted for, unless we
say it went into the general expense
account for the machinery for rum
ming the schools. Now what does
this machinery cost per year?
The total expense, including
salary of County Superintendent,
County Institutes, Treasurer's Com
Boards of Education, and |
other purposes in 1898 was less than
$40, 100000. These expenses in 1903
were $l68, 84O.21, and these same
expenses in 1904 were $l94,OO7 "a.
In other words, the running expen-
YES, money which does not 90 into
he schools, was over, $1O4,OOO.OO
more in 1904 than it was in 1898,
md more than $25, 200. 90 more than
n 1903. The items that go to make
Up this increase can be seen by re-
ering to the last report of the State
superintendent.
This article is not written for
ampaign purposes, for it would not
erve that purpose at this time, but
hese are facts tor all friends of
'ublic education to ponder, and it
aay be incidently interesting to
he Taxpayers Of the State. l do
OF mean to discourage public educa-
ion, or strive to lessen the appro-l
riations for that purpose, for my
est efforts in the past have been to
etter the educational facilities of
he children Of the State, and for
nat purpose now, I have written
his article and made public these
'cts. GEO. E. BUTLER.