Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1911-11-21
WHO is TOBLAME?
NHSOme Kentucky School Superln-
tendentS Make but ST a Day.
EVEN PAY OWN POSTAGE.

Must Put Up Bonds as High as $50.
ooO-Aversse Territory Is Hundred
Square Miles.
Does the blame for school conditions
lie at the door Of the county superin.
tendents or the people at large?
Many county superintendents receive
salaries of $500 a year, and mono Of
them receives more than $500. When
man has a salary Of $500 he is Of
necessity forced to do something else
or starve to death.
No stream osn rise higher than it's
source. No undsrpsid man osn put
energy and thought into his work. In
one Of the fertile and prosperous eoun-
ties Of Kentucky not many miles from,
Cincinnati, o., I had an interview with
county superintendent whom I knew
to be Give wire" eduestionsIiy. My
first question was;
"How responsible does the public
consider your position7"
DO you mean as measured by m b.,
salary or by the bond am asked to
give7"
"Your bond"
well, have to give a bond Of $780,
900. You see, have $4,000 to pass
through my hands annually to finance
the forty six schools that are scattered
over the county. Besides, the school
houses with their equipment are an in.
vestment Of about SB5,eeo."
"You say scattered over the county.
How much territory docs il cover"
This is rather a small county, but
my schools that am forced to visit
cover territory Of hundred square
miles, and they are on many kinds of
roads. II is quite proposition to su-
pervise the work Of sixty five teachers
in forty six schools, to say nothing of
the office work and the inspection that
is necessary for repairs and new build
ings."
! was silent for moment, thinking
of the probable salary that would be
paid manager to take charge of
business with $55,ooo in the plant
spending $4,000 a year running ex-
penses and covering a territory of
hundred square miles. smiled and
asked quietly:
"Whst salary does this county allow
you for your work az county superin-
"FivE HUNDRED AND TEN DOL
LARS"
"Do the county and state allow ysu
an adequate expense aeeount2"
Hs pulled a pocket netsbook from
his desk and smiled rather bitterly as
no said:
"They do not even pay for the stamps
or stationery in my office work. Let
me run over ttis for a moment and
show you how il goes. ! must keep a
horse and buggy or ! canno: get,
about. AS this county has never taken
over the turnpkes must pay my own
toll. II I am far from home in winter
time must stay all night at some
hotel. All this makes my expenses for
the past year $3.50. leaving me at the
end Of the year $3.50. That's LESS
THAN A DOLLAR A DAY FOR ABB
SoLUTE WORKING TIME"
"What is the highest salary paid
county superintendents in the slater"
Fifteen hundred and they are few
and far between. There are lots of
them on the $500 and $500 basis, and
II simply means that the fellow has to
do life insurance, farm little, take a
place in a store, make living in some
way and then use what time he can
spare for the schools"
1T SIMPLY MEANS THAT OUR
RURAL SCHOOLS ARE NOT MAN.
AGED AT ALL. THEY ARE MORE
MIsMANAGED.
Education for the mass Of the peo-
pIe is an investment and a business
pro position. With a carefully edu-
Gated population a state or eommu-
nifty can move forward in a desert, any
where you place them. With an H.
Iiterate population the finest country
on the globe cannot force them to
make good. Brains, trained brains, is
the insistent call Of the twentieth CEN
tury. Does kentucky hear that call?
and prosperity follow brains;
Iavslessness and poverty follow Hitter
aey. Kentucky will be out Of step with
the onward sweep Of the hurrying
twentieth century so long as she al
lows thirteen children out Of every
to grow into manhood and
womanhood robbed Of the divine right
Of being able at least to read and to
write.
In order that Kentucky may occupy
a place in the forefront in the matter
Of educ alton, a movement has been in
auaurated for the Improvement Of
county schools.
indifference due to a failure to APP
oreciats the real value OF education is
one Of tho very serious obstacles which
have confronted every movement to-
ward a higher standard Of educational
work. In the last few years greater
int.rest has been exhibited generally