The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-26

ress on account of the short terms For
instance. in the three-room school at
Galloway were found thirty children
many of them seventeen and eighteen
years OF age; and. yet. they are in the
seventh grade, while city children of
the same age are ready for college
And let us not forget. please that
there are other school districts in
other counties with conditions almost
or equally as bad.
Poor Pny md Poor Teachers.
The average salary paid teachers in
Biackwater District last year was $2o
month or Slii a year Yet our
Legislators use grandiloquent express
sions about the greatness OF public
education. and the sacredncss OF the
work OF teaching. AS result OF these
low salaries many OF the best teach
ers residing in Franklin County-so
we are informed by a prominent citi-
zeil-go elsewhere TO teach. out of
twenty three teachers in this particu-
lar district, sixteen hold second grade,
third grade or emergency certificates.
These conditions may be exceptionally;
but IL is trus that all over the State
We md the most poorly paid and most
inexperienced teachers in the small
country schools. such as prevail in
Blackwater District
Poor buildings and Euuipmcnt
water, which must be used for repairs
new buildings ana equipment amount
TO s547 year. There are twenty
schools in the district. practically all
OF which have no systems OF vcntila
ton. no outhouses. no proper lighting,
In colored school the entire equip
ment consists of four rough benches
placed I'm the form OF a square. around
the old fireplace. Pretty bad condi-
tons these: Yes. but they can be
found in other counties besides Frank
lin. The district funds in Blackwater
are wholly Inadequate. \ citizen of
the district, Dr.. Guerrant built a
schoolhouse in his neighborhood at
ms own expense. The only complete
equipment of patent desks found in
the district was furnished by school
patrons y new high school is needed
at Galloway as badly as it is needed
anywhere in the State; but If il is ever
erected IL must be done largely at the
expense OF the patrons
More Money the Great Need.
To remedy such conditions more
money is needed. The school tax in
biackwater is 40 cents on the slO0. 1t
ought 10 he raised 10 30 cents. the
maximum allowed by the Constitutions
But this would not solve the matter.
| for II would add only s392 TO the
school funds of the district and this
would not lengthen the school term
two weeks. The land and personally
assessments OF the district, amounting
to only S26S,l6o. are entirely too low
and should be raised
AS consequence Of this low assess
ment. we find the State paying s2,63l O4
FOR education in Blackwater, while the
district puts up only sl332:39 But
there is much waste land in Franklin;
the county is 'burdened with a bond
issue 70" railroad: and. should the
assessments be raised never so high
the local funds would still be made
quate For the State at large nearly
81 per pupil is spent each year for
education; for Blackwater District the
amount is less than $4 1t is to be
earnestly hoped that members of th.
next General Assembly will listen to
me appeal OF the State Superintendent.
and make more liberal provisions for
the small country schools of the state
A Greater Interest Needed.
ofI my way back TO Ferrum | en-
tered small school on the edge OF
the district to greet the teacher and
give her some helpful literature. Here
| received the pleasant surprise of my
trip. The walls Of the little school
house were neatly painted and hung
with five framed pictures. including
The Angelus" and The Cleaners"
Coiored drawings by the pupils were in
eNiucHce' ana tneTe were a library,
good maps and patent desks Regular
lessons in sewing We're given, and the
term was eight months long. Hats
off to the teacher OF this school Miss
y. NJ Montgomery Hats off to the
interested patron, w. ID. Saunders
State Dairy and Food Commissioner,
who pays her salary for the extra
three months! Twenty such teachers
and twenty such patrons would trans
form Blactwater from one of the poor
est to one of the best school districts
in Virginia. We need more money for
schools; but. above all, we need
greater interest on the part of citi-
zens in the education of all the chill
drcn of the Commonwealth. This is
verify problem to engage the at
tentlon of farmer. banker and states
man.