The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-10-11

Published
he Observer

4 few days ago ex-senator Butler
made speech ut Beaufort, n. C.,
and also later In Goldsboro, In which
he stated that the public school fund
in North Carolina in 1898 was $685.
409.l1, which gave the children Of
the State seventy days school terms
and that in 1905 the school fund
was s2,30S,000, which gave only
eighty-five days school term, and
that therefore the school fund had
been increased since 1898 about two
and one-haif times, yet the school
term had increased only fifteen days.
And Judge Adams in q speech made
q few days ago at Mocksville, in a
comparison of the school fund nsed
by the Republicans in 1898 and the
Democrats in 1905, made a similar
statement as to the length Of the
school term in both administrations
and showed conclusively that the
school term in the State was not in
creasing liz the same ratio that the
school fund increased.
The News and Observer in its is
sue of September 25th publishes an
interview with State Superinten-
dent Joyner, which interview is
headed "Butler's Figures False to
the Core" and in that same issue
appears a two column editorial,
headed "Butler and Adams Decep
tiun as to the School Fund"
THEIR STATEMENTS VERIFIED.
In order to ascertain whether OF
not the facts and figures as given by
ex-senator Butler and Chairman
Adams in their speeches are correct,
we have gone to the official record
Of Superintendent Mebane and Su-
perintendent Joyner and have veri-
fed in every particular the state
ments which they have made and
found to be correct from the official
records.
Superintendent Joyner says:
superintendent Mebane's report
for 1898 shows that $S94,107.45 was
the amount actually spent for rural
schools that year, while in addition
to this sum q small amount Of the
general fund, s37, O75,51 was appor-
toned to the cities, their per capita
share. Ex-senator Butler says that
$98S,143 43 was spent for public
schools in 1898. He is in error
therefore, to the amount of S94,'
O35.98. 1t would be fair to say that
the statistics, compiled by a man
who does not take enough pains tc
learn that there were no city school
statistics in 1898, and who makes
the expenditures for his own admin.
istration S94,O35.9S too much, are
not very valuable for comparative
purposes"
QUOTATIONS FROM REPORTS.
In order to show that ex Senator
Butler was correct in his figures we
turn to Superintendent Mechanics re.
port for 1898, page 157, and that we
find the receipts for 1898 were
$9SS, 4O9.11. To verify this we
turn to Superintendent Joyner's re-
port for 1900, ON page 337, in which
he gives the total receipts for 1898
to be the same amount, to.wit :
1888. 4O9.11. Whether these figures
are correct or not, we do not know,
but of course they should be correct,
as they are in the official record of
boths Superintendent Mebane and
Superintendent Joyner, and there
fore Judge Adams and ex-senator
Butler were entirely justifiable in
using these figures, as no other fig
ures are obtainable for the public.
Superintendent Joyner in the
above interview states that the total
sum spent in 1898 does not include
the amount expended for city
schools, but that the figures show
ing the total school fund for 1905
does include the amount paid to city
schools. We are surprised to see the
State Superintendent make such a
statement, when he is clearly con-
tradicted by the record.
By reference to Superintendent
Mebane's report for 1898 on pages
154 and 1855, under the heading of
Summary of Disbursements" we
find this statement, spaid city
schools SAC, 356.57, and paid city
schools in 1900 s62, sos. 49," There
fore, when Superintendent Joyner
makes the statement that the
amounts paid to city schools were
not included in the total disburse-
ments prior to 1901, he is clearly
contradicted by the records in his
own office, and therefore, it was
perfectly fair and Legitimate to COM
pare the total expenditures for pub
lie schools of 189S-'99 with 1905,
as both included the amounts paid
for city schools for both of these
years, and this explanation properly
disposes Of Superintendent Joyner's
"frst error" We should further
state that the pages of Superinten-
dent Mechanics report, cited above,