The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1907-10-11

educatlonally, and all those who pro-
pose to make teaching their life work,
will be vitality interested in the2future
of these institutions, their equipment,
their extension, and their proper main
tenance.
LONGER TERMS FOR COMMONT
SCHOOLS. -.
In 1904. the General Assembly,
which was Democratic, increased the
school term from five to six months.
At the same time it took cents from
the Sinking Fund and III cents from
the General Fund and transferred both
to the School fund, thus raising the
School Fund from % cents to 265
cents, as remuneration for this extra
month.
SALARY-INSTITUTE WEEK.
The Democratic General Assembly
of 1906 passed an act which secures to
teachers their salaries during the week
of the institute. This act alone means
$50, O00,a year to the school teachers.
SOME OTHER INTERESTING
FACTS.
4 Kentucky, which has always been a
Democratic State except from 1896 to
1900. was the first State in the South
to establish a system of free schools
maintained by the State.
The per capita for Common Schools
thissyear is $3.4O, and the amount to
be expended on public education is
81, 600, 000s the largest per capita since
Kentucky was admitted into the I'm
ion, and the greatest amount expended
for public education by any of the
States of the Union except four, viz:
New York., New Jersey, Pennsylvania
and California. Seventy per cent. of
the negroes of Kentucky were litter
ate in 1880. In 1900, only 20 per cent
were illiterate. Of the white popula-
ton, 2l.8 per cent. were ilhterate in
1880, while only 1917 per cent were
illiterate in 1900. That is, in 20
years, there has been a decrease in
nergo illiteraey of 80 per cent and
decrease in white illiteracy of 81 per
cent and a decrease in general litter
acy of 1874 per cent. aT-,ssi u ssFssSs 90
We challenge 1those who are, for
political reasons, claiming that Ken
lucky spends naOre money for public
education and receives poorer results
from it than any other State in the
Union, to compare the above, statistics
with that of any other State in the
Union. and thea to reassert that ugly
and unjust reflection upon the work of
our public school teachers. s6S!S-..--r--s.
There are in Kentucky, nearly quar-
ter of million negroes, who pay little
of the taxes,yeb they get the same edu-
cational advantages - as the white
people. There are y anaong these
negroes "a, 728 voters. - tS9 SIssss5y
Another condition which handicaps
the educational advancement of Ken
lucky is her mountain district, which
is sparsely settled, the people remote
from railroads. and teIegraphs, school
districts large. and ;xthe people poor.
On account of the conditions above
mentioned, it is very difficult to ex
tend the blessings of public education,
but the State of Kentucky has never
shirked her duty. She has made the
more favored section of the State help
to hear the burden CT educating the
children of the mountains.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
Every teacher is vitality interested
in at least five things, viz: Better
school houses. better equipment, long
er terms, larger salaries aud a
stronger recognition of the dignity
and responsibility of the profession Of
teaching.
1t has been said that Nothing sue
ceeds like success. When the teach
ers of the State, through their organi-
cation, appeared before the Democratic
General Assembly in 1906, that As
sembly passed every educational bill
presented by them. The teachers are
now looking forward to the passage
of acts increasing the school term from
to s months, establishing a minimum
salary of not less than $40 per month,
providing for system of County High
Schools. The teachers of the noun
tain section of the State are especi
ally interested in these same meas
ures.
The securing of these results largely