The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-03-31

I voiced III petition OF the count,
school board Of Prince Edward re
! questing the State Board 10 select tn,
I textbooks for the counties. If tn,
: Board had granted this request, and 1
! similar one passed by an almost un
+ animous vote Of the General Assembly
the patrons Of our public schools
: would not now he paying, in the in,
creased price Of school books, the tray.
cling expenses, salaries and board
bill, of a multitude of agents, the fees
Of a host of local attorneys, the cost
Of Thousands. of sample books sent to
the local committees, and other ex-
penses incident To the scramble Of pub
fishers for business. 1t is oppressive
on the poor, a hardship on the average
wage-earner, and an injustice to rich
and poor alike that they should be
forced To pay from - to 80 per cent.
more for the same school books than
the people Of other STATES.
WASTE Of SCHOOL MONEYS.
The school law provides that the
state Superintendent "shall prepare
suitable registers, blank forms. and
regulations for making all reports and
carrying on all the necessary business
under the school law" My construc-
ton of this law, in direct contrast to
that Of the Department OF Public In
struclion, is that whenever school
moneys can be saved thereby. il is the
duty of this Department to prepare all
registers, blank forms and regulations.
and TO have these printed for and fur
nished To-. the schools at the lowest
possible price. Take, for example. the
school registers. Ii is an easy matter
to make register. One fully equal.
If not superior, to the New Virginia
School Register, can be printed and
delivered into the hands of every dis
trict clerk for y cents copy. The
Virginia School Register is sold TO the
school districts for - cents a copy. f.
o. b. Richmond, although il can be
sold, without reducing the present
profit of the printer, for considerably
less than one-half Of this amount. No
other register can be used at present
IN this State, as this one is an exclu-
'ive and compulsory single-list adop- ,
ion-at a multiple-list price. There
IRE over 5000 teachers i'm our public ,
schools. each Of whom must have a
eglster, and this enormous profit on
'ach register has been paid out of the !;
district funds for at least Is or 20 years. ;.
KS another example take the war
ant books used by the clerks of the
chool districts TO pay teachers and
istrict expenses. Notwithstanding .
he law quoted above, the district -
Jerks are now compelled to pay from
ne 10 two dollars for each book Of POO
heels Warrant books Of the same 81
ze' and with equally good paper and
hiding, can be printed aud sold for 81
cents a copy. This also has been
'lng on for an indefinite period. 1t -.
not necessary at present to mention "
her instances. ~
The cry goes up that we must have
'tter schoolhouses, longer terms. bet oe
teachers, high schools in every III
unity, expert supervision, and school
'raries. How deplorable that these as
lprovements are delayed from year be
year because the money which the =
ople might provide is consumed in |
ylng excessive prices for school
Oks' and because steady stream Of
'uSands Of dollars already provided
yer reaches the schools ! Is this one
Tie reasons why our school atten-
nee is so appallingly low? 1t is
d by many Of our educators that an
rease Of local tax for schools is ne
sary for most Of these improve
MS; but the people will be slow TO
rease the school taxes in the future
ess they are convinced ola decrease
y aste in the present
SALARIES or TEACHERS.
should be the chief BUSH
5 Of State, and it is not economy. r
extravaganza, to pay inadequate | |
,es i'm the conduct Of "A business that
lires tact and trained talent. The
rage monthly salary of male teach
IN Virginia has increased only a n
over one dollar in thirty-three a L
:, while that Of female teachers
increased less than one dollar.
n including the higher salaries r
III the cities the average salary Of
lie teachers is only twenty-seven ~ !
'rs month fora six months term. r.
the standard Of requirements n
& and the costofliving increasing.
lers' salaries should be advanced. q
HIGH SCHOOLS.
c gap between our high schools
The colleges is a broad one and
'heS through nearly every county
state. favor law similar TO
ne introduced in the last Legisla-
which provided that the State
d supplement local funds raised
re purpose of conducting high
Is. The law should be so framed IS,
protect the cities and the larger
lore populous connties, and vet ACT
these schools within the reach of "a - -
md sparsely settled communities.
AND TRANsPORTA-
TON.
re has been a steady growth of -
lent toward consolidating small. - y
schools into stronger ones. Where
not work a hardship on the n,