The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1905-05-25
10 Increase in tho Fund Necessary,
Says Mr.. Butier-Charge That Too
Much is Now Expended For School
machinery and For "Other Pur.
poses"
SPECIAL to The Caucasian.

SPECIAL to The Caucasian.
The people of North Carolina are
pledged, through their State Constitu-
tion, to four-months' public school
tsrm, and they are willing to be taxed
without stint for that purpose. but they
want these taxes equitably and eco
n0mically expended. The public school
fund now amounts TO nearly two mill
Eon dollars annually, which is by far
the largest fund which the people are
required to pay for any one purpose in
the State, and they are especially de-
airOus that this vast sum shall be so
expended as to give us the longest
school term possible in order that the
children Of the State may be the CHIEF
tencdciaries of the peoples taxes,
and not the numerous school officials
who dispense this fund.
II Is necessary to have proper su-
pervision of our schools. and these Off
GERS should be paid an amount COM
mensurate with their work, but the
expenditures for this purpose should
not Increase year after year faster
than tic school term increases, for the
children, and not the distributors of
the school fund, are the special OBJ
JectS or which these taxes and appro-
pria tions are procured.
I'Co much money has been spent in
the recent past in our State, in the
name Of public education under the
list other purposes" and not enough
has ben expended directly for the ed
nca'.on OF our school children.
The money now being expended an
nually for our public schools, includ-
ing State and local taxes and the $780,
600 appropriation, should in my judg-
mcnt. give Us six months school
term over the State instead of the
seventeen weeks which we now have.
State superintendent Scarborough, in
his recommendations to the legislature
of 1895, found on the first page of his
biennial report. says: "The total re-
ceirts as reported by the county treas
nrers for schools for the school year
lS93-'9i were 's777, ,079.29. This sum as
shown by the reports Of the county
superintendent. gave for the same
year a fraction less than thirteen
weeks. This falls short Of four months
by over sixteen days. A calculation
will show that the sum of $12,5OO is
required for one day. Multiply by six
teen and we have 100000 needed to
carry the schools to eighty days" 1t
therefore appears from the estimates
made by superintendent Scarborough
in 1894. that s977 ,O79.29 was the amount
required to furnish the children of the
State fOur-mOnths' school term. In
1904. just ten years later, our school
fund was s1,90S, $500, which is about
twice the sum required in 1894 for a
four-mOnths' term, and would give us
an eight-months' school term, provided
the number of schools and the salary
Of the teachers and other expenses
not increased since that date. The re-
ports show that since 1894 the num-
ber of schools have increased less
than 10 per cent. and that the salary
of the teachers have increased less
than IS rer cent but that the school
fund has increased over $50 per cent
therefore, it appears that "other ex-
2enses" have consumed the greater
part of the increase in the school fund
since 1894.
The following information gathered
from the biennial reports of our State
superintendents will throw some light
on suggestions above, and will prove
interesting to all friends Of public edu-
cation: