The Green Forest tribune., 1912-01-19
SCHOOL PROGRESS
 IS REMARKABLE
Figures Compiled By U. S Government Shows Won
 derful Improvement.
EACH PERSON HAS INTEREST
Credit Given to State Superintendent Cook for the Growth
 of Education.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
 Washington, D. C.-That every man woman and child, white or negro, in the state of Arkansas has a $5 inter- est in the grounds, buildings and equipment given over to common school education, is the deduction from the most recent state school statistics. The figures covering the school year ending June 30, 1911, have been compiled by the United States Bureau of Education, with the cooperation of George B. Cook, state superintendent of public schools of Arkansas, and will be published by the government in report form in a few weeks.
 The extent of the mutual partner. ship which the population of Arkan. sas has in it's public school system is reached in this way: The census of 1910 is authority for placing the pop ulation of the state at 1,574,499 in- habitants, while the statistics com- piled by the Bureau show that the 6,306 public school houses in the state are valued, with their grounds, at | $6,S42,371. Add the cost of school l equipment, which comes to $1,030, ,485, divide by the total population, and the Arkansas average investment in the common school plant of the state is determined.
 To maintain this great common school system, Arkansas has a state school fund of $1 1,134,5 300, from which last year she derived an income of | $57,007, which a three mill general | property tax and receipts from other sources sWelled further to the sum of | $l,301 ASA. In addition a seven-mill maximum levy by district and munich pal taxation reelized $2,178,S56 more, so that all told the state received for the education of her youngest citizens a grand total of $3,966,177, went to pay teachers salaries, more than a | quarter of million dollars was spent in new equipment, and tidy balance of $1,144,367 was carried forward into next year.
 While in the aggregate the sum de- voted to the payment of teachers sal aries appears to be large, when it is divided among the 9,839 educators in the common schools of the state, it is found that the average salary re- ceived amounts to but $301 .63, in earn ing which each teacher had to hold | school on an average of no days.
 The pupils who received instruction numbered 404, ,760, out of a total popu- lation of school age amounting to 585,749. These figures seem to indi- cate that some S0,000 children in Ark ansas are not receiving any schooling, but it is explained by the bureau of education that for the purpose of the statistics the population of school age" includes every one between 6 and 21, with the result that many wage-earners and married women who have long since left school are count ed in. AS matter of fact, it is noted by the bureau, the Arkansas legisla- ture of 1911 brought 16 additional counties uder the provisions of the compulsory school attendance law.
 Considered separately, the whites of school age numbered All ,246, of whom 295,142 went to school, attending on an average IA days. They received their instruction from 7,S43 teachers
 The educational progress made by Arkansas in the year just closed has been truly remarkable" said Jomes c. Boykin editor of the United States bureau of education at Washington" ]" At it's last session the legislature cre- ated a state board of education, per mitted the consolation of weak schools into stronger units, and grant ed state aid to high schools Aside from these important additions to the statute law, the legislature extended the compulsory education law, reme- died the act of 1909 permitting special school districts in rural communities, allowed county superintenedents the fees of their office, thus increasing their salary, added an assistant depu- ty to the state department of educa- tion, and appropriated nearly $1,090,- 900 to the educational institutions of the state.
 'In all the negotiations leading to these remarkable achievements, Supt George B. Cook, the able and ener- getic state superintendent of educa- ton was a great factor.