The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-01-15


tion connected With this matter ]
shall recommend 10 the Legislature
that you be paid a reasonable per diem
compensation and your expenses. Fur
Their than this can not go. shall
have to ask you To serve on this un.
derstandtng. should be glad II you
will notify me at once whether you
will accept the appointment. as l
think a preliminary meeting OF the
Hcommission should be held without
much delay
While the commission was not able
to make report within the time sag-
gested. 1t is hoped now that 1t will
be ready for your consideration at the
time ofsyour meeting ] specially de-
sired that the report might be put in
print and sent to each OF you before
your arrival here, that you might have
had time and opportunity to consider
It, and also that there might be some
public discussion of the matter, in or
der to get all the tight possible upon
this very important subject.
Changes In the School Law.
While i have not the benefit OF the
report of the commission to revise the
school laws. and therefore am depriv.
ed of the benefit of their suggestions,
I desire TO submit to you some obser.
vations of my own. Tha. increase In
the amount of the dlstributable school
fund is very gratifying indeed, espe.
cially as this increase was co.incident
with the redlction of taxes on the
property Of the people. / hope TO see
this fund kept up to al least quarter
Of a million dollars and eventually to
increase to at least million. This
fund has always been distributed o..
population. think part OF 1t at least
ought to be distributed according to
need. Let It be provided In the law
that whenever the people of a district,
or Of county III you adopt the county
as a unit of taxation for the teach,
ers' fund.- levy taxes upon themselves
for the payment of teachers up to a
certain amount, then II that rate OF
taxation does not provide sufficient
money to pay the wages Of teachers
the deficiency shall be provided from
the general school fund. The present
distribution per capita goes to heir
the richer parts as well as the poorer
parts It seems to me to be more I'd
accordance with the purpose OF the
distribataB'e school fund to distribute
according to need.
The report of the State Snperin
tendent of Free Schools shows that
a large number Of the youth Of the
State are never enrolled in our schools
and low percentage Of daily attend.
enumeration. Truant laws will help
to remedy this CREST evil. no doubt;
but believe the best remedy Is tt
make every teacher a missionary, and
suggest that this be done by pro
] viding that there be added certain
percentage to the wages of the teach,
ers in each district who has the larg
:, Vse aAtShthuSe pdstu VI 'eHuHleTd
tion. and to the teacher also who has
the largest attendance based on en-
rollment: aud II the same teacher in
the district has the largest percen
tage of attendance based on enroll
ment and enumeration, let the com
bined increase Of wages go to that
teacher. Besides this. provide that
this teacher shall have a diploma oil
excellence from the hand Of the State
Superintendent OF Free Schools him
self, which diploma shall have n rea
value to the teacher as counting per
centage in the examination for teach
ers' certificates. This would encour
age the teachers 10 go out and preacf
education among the parents OF thu
children. and to gather the children
in. No one can do this work SO wei
as the teacher. especially If he have
enthusiasm for his work.
There is urgent necessity for an In
crease in the compensation of teach
ers. doubt whether the average es
ficieney OF the teachers in our pub
lie schools Is as high as 1t was TWEEN
, ty years ago. This is because thei
compensation has not kept pace will
the compensation in other lines o
r employment. This subject is dis
. cussed ably by Mr.. Miller, our eff
cient, industrious and consideration
State Superintendent. Along Will
the increase in the wages of teacher
there should be an increase in TIL
minimum school term. trust tina
you will increase 1t to six months 70
the coming term, and provide for al
increase to seven months in shor
: interval thereafter, and then to eieh
months at least within a reasonable
time. We will never be able to sc
cure proper teaching force in OH