The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-03-30

school law Ny construction Of this
law, In direct contrast to that OF tho De-,
gpartn,cnt of Public INSTRUCTION, fs s tina t
whenever school moneys can be saved
thereby, 1t is the duty of this department
to prepare all registers. blank forms and
regulations, and to, have these printed
for and furnished to, tho schools t!
the lowest possible price. Take for ex-
ample, the school registers. 1t ts an
easy matter to make a register. One fully
equal, III not. superior, to the New Nir-l
gina School Register, can be printed and
delivered into the hands OF every dis;
#trict clery for twenty-five cents q
copy. The Virginia School Register us
sold to the school districts for seventy
five cents copy I. o. b. Richmond, al;
though 1t can be sold. without reducing
the present profit Of the printer, for con-3
Fsidernbly less than one-half of this
amount. h No other;Teg.ster can. be used
mt present In this State. as this one lis
an exclusive and compulsory single list
gadoptfon--at a 1nulu ple ! list prices There
are over nine thousand teachers in our
public schools. each OF whom must have
register, and this enormous profit on
each register has been paid out. OF the.
district fund for at least fifteen or twenty
years N s -a35s II 81
Z
books used by the clerks OF the school
districts to pay achers and district ex-$
spenses. Notwithstanding the law quoted
above. the district clerks are now com
RELIED to pay from nne3 to, two i dollars
for each book of 200 Hsheets Warrant
books OF the same size, and with equally
good PAPER and binding, can bo1printed
and sold for twenty cents q copy. This
also has been going on for. an indefinite
period i t is not necessary at present
10 mention other instances q
THE cry goes up that we must have
better schoolh ouses. longer terms, better
teachers, high schools in eyeryscounty.
expert supervision, and school libraries
sHowsdeplorable that these improvemen
are delayed from year to year because
the money which the people might pro-
vide Is consumed in paying excessive
prices for scho COL books and because a.
steady stream OF thousands of i; dollars
already provided never rea ches the sch ols 4
Z is this one OF the reasons VIII our school.
attendance is so appallingly lowt2ss It Is
said by many OF our educator that an
Increase Of local taxes for schools is me-
4ct ssary for most Of these improvem ents: !.
but tie people will be sowto Increase the
school taxes In the future unless they
&aie convinced sof a decrease q waste
in the present.
SALARIES OF TEACHER
Education should be The chief bus-s
ness of State, and tits not economy,
bit extravaganza, i to pay inadequate
wages In the conduct OF a business that
requires tact and trained talent. The
average monthly salary Of male tea chers
In Virginia has increased only a little
over one dollar In thirty-three years
while that OF female teachers has In;
creased less than one lollar. Even In!
Guiding the higher saihries paid in, the.
cities, the average salary ofpfemale
teachers Is only twenty-seven dollars a
month for II six months term. With
the standard OF requirements rising and
tho cost OF living increasing, teachers
salaries should be advanced.
HIGH SCHOOLS. 49,
1.-THE gap between our high schools and
the colleges is a broad one and stretches