The news & observer., 1905-08-13

the leaders that met in that confer
ence in Raleigh took counsel together
and pledged anew their support to the
great work in hand. There was a for
tunate combination of circumstances
and who shall say that it was not
proVidential, that rendered possible the
beginning of a new era in public edu-
cation in North Carolina? Since that
time an active and aggressive cam
paign has been made from mountains
to sea, participated in by teachers and
school officers, public and private citi
Zens of every calling and profession.
Responsive to awakened public Senti-
ment. the representatives of the people
in the General Assembly have coop
Grated by enacting much favora BILE
and progressive legislation.
1 have time in this article to trace
in brief outline only the educational
progress OF the period of my brief adj
miniStration as Superintendent of Pub
lie Instruction. This progress has
been mainly along the following lines:
L. In local taxation.
2. In consolidation of small dis
tricts.
8. In building, improving and
equipping public school houses.
4. In the establishment of rural Ii
braries in public schools.
s. In county supervision.
6. In the organization of the teach
ers and educational forces and sys-
tematization of the school work by
the application of better business prin-
ciDles from top to bottom
Z. In the growth, interest and pub
lie sentiment.
8. In enrolment and attendance.
y. improvement OF teachers,
Local Taxation.
In 1900 there was only 80 local
caA ulstrlcCs in North Carolina, all in
towns or cities. In 1905 there are 296
local tax districts, 234 of which are
rural. In 1894 $335,S75.65 was raised
by local taxation for public schools.
$104, 1852 more than was raised from
the same source during the preced
ing year and four times the amount
raised from this source in 1900. There
are now local tax districts in 81
counties of the State extending from
Dare to Cherokee, siXty-siX local
tax districts have been established by
vote of the people since Jan. 1st.,
1905 and a number of elections on the
subject are now pending in different
sections of the State. Scarcely more
than five per cent. of the elections
held on this question have been lost.
Consolidation of Districts.
During the past four years there has
been by consolidation a de-
crease of 759 in the number of
school districts. AS every consolida-
ton represents the abolition of two or
more little districts, at least 1900
little districts must have been abol-
ished for larger ones during this pc
rod.
Improvement in Public School Houses.
During the past four years 1,154 new
school houses have been built, 694 of
these were built during the past two
years, more than one new school house
day for every working day in the
four wears. I'm 1900 only $40,711.00
was reported as spent for building and
improving public school houses. Dur
ing the two years ending June goth,
1899, $l45,751.S3 was spent for build
ing and repairing school houses. Dur
ing the to years ending June goth,
$319.576.S6 was spent for these pur-
poses making u total of $465, 32S.69 in
the expenditures for building and inn
proving houses during the four years
and an increase of $163. S25.03 in the
expenditures for those purposes dur
ing the past two years The value of
public school property in 1904 was $l,-
16S,S25. Since the amendment to the
PuDllc ScnOOl Law by the Gelefal AS
sembly OF 1903, placing the building
of new school houses under the con-
troll of the County Board of Education
and forbidding the investment of any
money in any new house not built
in accordance with the plans approv-
ed by the State superintendent of Pub
lie instruction and the county Board
of Education there has been much
Improvement in the character of the
public school houses and but little
money has been wasted in ugly, cheap,
boX-like, uncomfortable, improperly
lighted and poorly ventilated school
houses. Most of these houses have
been constructed in accordance with