The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-13

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laws of 1901 and 1903 account for tn
increase IN this ilem of expense. |
the present educational progress is
worth while, some of it may be at
tributed to these boards. They, in no
event, could be expected to work for
nothing. They must now meet often
en- in many counties several times Of
tener than in 1898. These expenses
have been increased, too, because of
the work the county superintendent
arc doing, In 1895, many OF the su-
perintendents had no Offices Now
most of them have offices. Very little
postage was needed in 1898. Now an
effort is being made to reach the
teachers and others in hundreds of
ways, through printed matter and cir
cular letters, and all this takes mon
ey In the face of tho progress we
are making this small increase in the
| expenditures and for the reasons stat
ed above ought not unduly to agitate
any political or educational reformer
/ yet awhile.
| Finally, Other Expenses in 1898
we're $49,501.1S. In 100000 the same
item was $S8,SS1.20. In 1885 there
were very few rural schools with de-
! cent desks, ana none had libraries.
! These two items, school furniture and
! liDrar es, account largely for this in
| crease. The increase is still further
accounted for by the fact that there
are fewer schools now than six years
| ago, which can get along without
| winter wood bill. Then the Wonans
| Associat ton has done much toward in
creasng this item In many COM
munties more interest in the little but
lmportant things about school houses
is taken. A cake Of soap, hrooms, wash
! pans, few towels, al repairs on
| houses, a -W0odshed, an clubhouse,
decent well are now necessities at
hundreds of schools. They were not
| in 1898. In Pitt county, for illustra-
ton, two years ago the county board
had a pump and driven well pro-
vided for each white and colored
school in the county. In Rowan the
county hoard spent $50 last year for
d county map of the school districts,
etc, a thing which will soon be ne
Cessity everywhere. These are only
I few of the reasons for the large m
crease in "other expenses" in SIX years.
| AIR Butler also calls attention to the
increase of only one and a half days
in the school term for the year 1903
-O4 over the year 1902-'03, although
the school fund for 10000 was
! larger by 1915, 015.16 than in lsO2-Oo,
and desires to know where this m
crease went. What has been said al
ready fully answers MI Buffers m
quiry.
j The school fund on which he based
his calculations was not the rural
school fund of 10000, as any one
who takes the trouble TO read the
above explanation win understand.
Finally. it should be clearly under
stood that the city school tund IS nor
! included in the above calculallohs' hol
/ WAS that fund included in the fund on
| which Mr. Butler based his calcula-
t1ons for lS98-1S99. The reports OF
rsceipts OF city schools were first N
! Guided III the State superintendent
/ repor+ 1901-'02, and hence the longer
terms Of the city schools We're not
| Included in the school term OF 1875
%. Ana. then il should be renlem-
/ hared that the growth IN the number
7f Dublic school children to be taught
me increase of teachers necessary 10
! teach the larger number of children
NOW attending the schools. the lncreaS-
cd salaries necessary to growing
| school system, the increase IN neceS-
/ sa1.v expenses for administration OF
! larger fund the increased cost OF
building, charging, repairing ana
ecuipping school houses commehsu-
rate with the dignity of~childhood ana
| the growth of the State in wealth. ahc
prosperity, while not as large as lheS
| should be to make them emo. enl' nave
| heen due TO higher ideals ana desire
| for better things for the children ana
! cannot D6 Gltl ibbtS~NA ~ ~-~
The following excellent letter from
the efficient chairman of the County
| Board of Education of Guilford coun-
tv emphasizes the explanation OF the
| increased expenditures for schools set
j forth in this answer to Mr.. Buffers
article:
i Hon J. Y Joyner.- Raleigh, \. c.
Dear Sir:-Referring to the strlc-
4 lures of Mr.. Geo. E. Butler in The
4 Union Republican / may say THAI one
/ cause of the failure to increase the
+ length OF term in Guilford county has
Il been the fact that the people have
/ demanded a better grade of teachers
and it has required more money 70
Il get them In fact it has been hard
to procure them at the advanced
prices even In addition to this
great deal of money is being spent
4 to improve school property N THIS
! county Whole townships in Guilford
county have had new school houses
! built and while formerly $500 would
i have bought all the four or five schooI
houses there have been buildings
i erected averaging $500 each and some
i rural school houses have been hul.t
since consolidation costing $l,0o0 10
i $500.
! very truly yours.
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