The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-06
Mr.. Stearnes' Reply

The world-News today publishes a statement
from Superintendent OF. Public instruction
Stearnes relative to interview with Attorney
General Williams published in the Richmond
Evening journal, and reproduced in this paper.
The attorney general speaking OF summer nor
NAL schools in Virginia, said that he proposed
to find ont all the facts concerning their fnan-
cial management, how much money teachers are
required to pay, to whom they pay IT, and for
what they pay it Referring to teachers who re-
ceive the smaller wage. he declared that one
fourth Of the received by them is expended
for summer school purposes.
In his reply Mr.. Stearnes insists that teachers
are not required to attend the normals, that In
stead of renting the tuition of three five
dollars charged the TEACHERS. the State should
increase their salaries; that the accounts Of the
normals are carefully itemzed; that the attorney
general Is one of a committee of three 10 audit
them, and that 10 salaries, he knows of no
principle in law that would force a teacher to
spend part Of his summer vacation as instructor
In a summer school without remuneration.
Mr.. Stearnes expresses much Indignation at
the action Of the attorney general in making
public his ideas, and laments the fact that the
interview was printed
Mr.. Stearnes' answer to the attorney general,
as presented in his statement, Will not
cepted entirely satisfactory What he leaves
unsafd and some of the things that he says, In
dictate that summer normal schools properly
subjects for investigation. What the people of
Virginia want to know, and entitled to know,
Is not what Mr., Stearnes may think and not what
may he his opinions to the propriety of the
attorney generals actions but what the
facts and figures
Mr.. stearncs admits that teachers are re-
CURED to pay three and five dollars tuition. and
that they must pay board and of course they
have to pay travelling expenses He admits
further that teachers who are instructors in the
summer schools receive remuneration And one
Of his paragraphs ends follows: But to
ABSOLUTE requirement that teacher must
attend n Summer school, there Is nothing of the
kind in our school laws' Furthermore, Mr..
Stearnes fails to inform the public If anybody
connected wit hthe normals makes money out of
them.
Here is the situation in a nutshell The at
torney general. official whose duty IT IS to
overlook all departments and to stand guard be-
tween tire public and those who administer the
laws and spend the money, believes that the
summer normal institution should be in
quired into. The superintendent of public in
struction believes that the attorney~ge general has
made mistake In mentioning the matter.
When two officials far apart these two,
in issue in which thousands OF people are in
terested. It is time for somebody to investigate.
Summer normals, from beginning To end,
should be carefully and thoroughly studied.
How and by whom organized, to whom paid
the salaries. whether or not there profits
for anybody, and finally to what extent pressure
is brought to bear upon teachers to persuade
them to attend, are some of the questions that
should be inquired into. Mr. Stearnes use Of
the word absolute is alone sufficient to JUS
dfy thorough probe
The World-News Is satisfied thai the
normal fills most useful mission; that the
courses laid out by them prove highly beneficial
for all who take advantage of them, and that
the State is fully warranted In taking care Of
them literally and efficiently But the World
News thinks that no institution. however i'm
portant, should be removed from the field of
frank discussion made immune to proper In
yestigation and 1t therefore that every fact
and figure connected with the summer normals
history and work. together with names places,
dates, and events, should he placed before the
public.--Roanoke World-New