The Adair County news., 1911-11-08

SHddTS WIVES.
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 year, and none of
them receives more than $500. When
man has salary of $500 he is Of
| necessity forced to do something else
or starve to death.
No stream can rise higher than it's
source. No underpaid man can put
energy and thought into his work. In
one of the fertile and tprosperous eoun-
ties of Kentucky not many miles from
Cincinnati, O., had an interview with
county superintendent whom / kne.
to be Give wire" educationally. Ny
first question was:
"How responsible does the public
consider your postion?"
"Oo you mean as measured by my
salary or by the bond l am asked to
give?"
"Your bond"
well, have to give bond of $780,
600. 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 S55,00o"
"You say scattered over the county
How much territory does it Govern"
This is rather a small county, but
my schools that ] am forced to visit
cover a territory of hundred squar
miles, and they are on many kinds
roads. 1t is quite proposition to su
pervise the work of sixty-five teacher
in forty-six schools, to say nothing o.
the office work and the inspection tina.
is necessary for repairs and new build
ings."
! was silent for moment, thinking
of the probable salary that would be
paid a manager to take charge of
business with $4,000 in the plant,
spending $4,000 a year running ex-
penses and covering territory of
hundred square miles. smiled and
asked quietly:
"What salary does this county aIIo,
you for your work as county superin.
tendent?"
"FIVE HUNDRED AND TEN DOL
LARS"
"Do the county and state allow yoC
an adequate expense ACCOUNT"
He pulled a pocket notebook from
his desk and smiled rather bitterly as
he said:
"They do not even pay for the stamps
or stationery in my office work. Let
me run over this for a moment and
show you how it goes. must keep a
horse and buggy or I canno' get
about. AS this county has never taken,
over the turnpikes must pay my own
toll. If | am far from home in winter
time 4 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 state?"
Fifteen hundred, End they are few
anu OCtWcEH' mere are lois CT
them on the S4o0 and $500 basis, and
it 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"
IT SIMPLY MEANS THAT OUR
RURAL SCHOOLS ARE NOT MA
AGED AT ALL. THEY ARE MOI
COMMONLY MiSMANAGED.
Education for the mass ~ the PSI
pie is an investment and business |
proposition. With a carefully edu-
Gated population state or commit
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
fury. Does kentucky hear that call?
Business and prosperity follow brains:
lawIessness and poverty follow litter
acy. Kentucky will be out of step with
the onward sweep of the marrying
twentieth century so long as she al
lows thirteen children out Of ever,
hundred 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
\ place in the forefront in the matter
Of education, movement has been in
augurated for the improvement Of
county schools.
indifference due to failure to app
preciate the real value of education is
,ne Of the very serious obstacles which
have confronted every5 movement to
ward higher standard Of educational
work. In the last fewk44sars greater
interest has been exhibited generally
,aer the state, indicatingfsrse decided
manner that our people were shaking
If the iethargy Of the past and were
aspiring to place the state On so6nd
progressive educational basis. y, ! :
Every citizen must rejeios ever
and all should now unit
4 continuous, earnest effort to ato1Ge
or neglect 81 the past, Il would Be =
sseIsss task, Ia view Of this growing *
1900: : a. ~ A. - 80 H. 800