The news & observer., 1905-12-14
County Superintendents
in Session.
THE NEGRO PROBLEM
Injected into Discussion Last Night
and Ruled Out by President
Ioyner. Apportio1ment of the
First Hundred Thousand
Dollars.

Nearly Seventy-five of one of the
hardest worked class of men in the
State, the county superintendent of
public schools. attended the three
sessions of the State Association of
County Superintendents yesterday. and
about one hundred are expected to at
tend the sessions today.
The first session of the Association
was held yesterday morning at II
o'clock in the Hall of Representatives.
and after the opening remarks of
President J. Y. JOINER, State Superin-
tendent. and organization. the reports
from the various counties. by the
superintendent were made. These
consumed the afternoon session. and
were then discontinued. as the twenty
two reports received probably repre-
sented the educational conditions
throughout the entire State. With
few exceptions all the counties re-
ported unprecedented progress during
the past year. There is deep earnest
ness and glowing enthusiasm every
where. Local tax districts. consolida-
,tions, new schoo! houses and rural
libraries are being established every
where.
The reports put significant and dis
tinct forces before the co-workerS. and
neither those which discourage nor
those which did not place a county in
the average standard. were omitted.
Perhaps the most notable need, in
dicated by the reports. in the public
schools, IS more com cetent teachers,
men and women with cultured brain,
and the greatest obstacle to educa-
tional progress in the majority of
counties. il was alleged. is the under
payment of instructors, giving no at
traction for educated men and women
to select teaching as profession
\ suggestion was made by Superin-
tendent b. r. Mcbride, Of Cumberland
county which. if acted favorably upon,
may remedy an evil which is said to
have worked considerable damage to
some schools as WEI as annoyed I'M
mensely the Boards OF Education of
some counties. Mr.. Mcbride gave
three examples ofrit There We're. three
teachers who contracted to teach in
the Cumberland, county schools, but
Just before scho& opened they broke,
or Jumped their contract. which was
written and signed, and went to other
counties in the State, where they are
now teaching in the public schools.
Mr.. Mcbride asked that ruling be
made which would out such teachers
on a "black list making it impossl-
BILE for any man or woman, after con-
tracing TO teach in one county to
teach in the public schools of an
other county. until his or her contract
shall have been fulfilled.
Last nights session was given up to
the interesting discussions of vital
school problems.
This morning at 10 o'clock State
SUPERINTENDENT Joyner. President OF
the Association viii. deliver his an
nual address.
After the address important school
matters will be discussed.
The amount of money each county
is TO receive from the apportionmen
of tho first 100000 which is TO be
made i'm January. was announced yes
terday, and the report approved
Morning Session.
state Superintendent JOINER caned
the association to order at / o'clock.
and prayer was made by Rev. Pope,
of Raleigh.
After the reading of the minutes,
Superintendent Joyner welcomed the
County Superintendents, and to those
who had joined the ranks since last
year he extended an especial welcome.
He said the only badge of entrance
was the consecrated work or the 3D.
perintendents, and there was no haz-
ing or riding of goats He explained
the object of the association, and
said it was rather for work than for
amusement.
The president, after his opening re-
marks. called for the 10 minutes re-
ports of the various counties.
Supt A. f. Sharp. of Alexander
county. reported progress in the erec-
tion of new schools; the total value
of school property in the county is
$4,359. The land is unimproved.
The committeeman in Alexander coun-
ty. he said. fail to do their duty, and
seldom make out reports. The parents
and children and teachers are more
interested than formerly in public in
struction. and more pupils are at
tending than ever before. This coun-
ty held an institute the past summer,
the first in Is years. The trouble
with Alexander he said, is that it is
almost beggarly. There are no large
towns or manufacturing interests.
There are only miles of railroad;
the best teachers have gone out OF
business because of the insignificant
salaries. There are no special tax
districts. There are six rural libra
rios.
Supt c. j. Taylor. of Allegheny.
said he had nothing encourag ging to
report. except this county had plen-
~ of children. A want of money
to hold the best men in the schools,
he said. was the greatest trouble with
his county schools. The best teachers
go to better paying counties. The
county is poor. and the property is
not very valuable. The county is very
productive of children, but few make
their appearance in the schools.
Teachers meetings have been held in
every township. and all said irregular
attendance and absence of children
was the greatest evil, and the best
remedy they agreed, was compulsory
education for Allegheny. Several