The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-07
FEES OF TREASURERS
EAT UP SCHOOL FUNDS
Costs Moro to Collect Tax Than 1t
Docs to Supervise Edu-
cation.
MAKES ANNUAL REPORT
for Handling School Funds, While
superintendent Were Paid S3O,0SO.a1.

State Superintendent of Public In
struction r. c. Stearnes. in his annual
! report for 1912, which has just been re-
ccivcd from the public printer. brings
! forward some striking figures of the
! cost to the public schools system OF
tax collection TO support his plea for
a new method of payment of county
trca surcrs which will relieve the school
funds OF this burden. According to
his figures. 1T costs the local school
revenues in counties moro than three
times as much to collect and disburse
] the school moneys rs 1t does TO super
wise the schools.
In 1912 the county trcasurers re-
ceived S1O3.056. for handling school
revenue, while the county school SUI
Dcrintendents received only s30,GS0.91
In 1907 the county treasurcrs were paid
| $50, 05J.30 In commissions from the
school funds and in 1912 the figures
were $1o3,056.7i. While the total schoo!
revenues increased 81 per cent during
that period the county treasurcrs' COM
missions Increased II per cent.
SITUATION IN CITIES
FOUND TO DE DIFFERENT
In the cities the situation is different
| the treaSurerS receiving in 1912 only
| S3.903.i9 in commissions. The fault is
in tho system. which pays the city
| treasurcrs in one way and the county
| treasurcrs in another, says MIR. Stcarncs.
IT have no warfare upon treas
urers' commissions" said he, ''as I
happen TO know that many OF these
! worthy officials receive a very mod
crate return for the labors they per-
| form. I suggest for the benefit OF the
treasurers, as we'll as the schools, that
simpler forms OF settlement he de-
vised. and that school funds be re-
| licved of tile charge for trcaSurcrs'
commissions"
In 1912 the State spent $50.
| for architects fees. according 10 Mr.
| S;earnos. raising the ghost OF the old
| legislative investigation of this sub
| icct.
LEGISLATIVE INVESTIGATION
DID NOT PROVE CONCLUSIVE
! 1.-TWO years ago the General AS
sembly instituted an investigation to
! determine the amount Of architects
| fees" the report states. THE results
! werA tnconclusivc and unsatisfactory.
| The Department of Public Instruction
| determined at once to secure accurate
| information on this important matter.
! and am pleased to be able to answer
the question propounded by many leg
| iclotors and citizens. In 1912 the State
! spent S20.7S5.32 for architects fees
| This amount was paid out almost en-
| tirely on large buildings, as the Dc
| nishcd plans and specifications FOR
| two, three, four, six and eight room
houses without cost. Sixteen different
designs and plans for schoolhouscs
have been prepared by the department.
ut very low costa cost Indeed which
| does not exceed $40 per thousand
! copies of plans"
Mr. Stearnes concludes his report with
| strong plea for n college for women
| ut the University of Virginia. I've
can never call our public school svs-
tenn complete with its one university
! Tor men," he says.
The school income during 1e111o
amounted TO s5,616.s64.16. a net gain
OF $446.3So.52 for the year, and "A gain
OF S3.lSi,S61.71 as compared to 1908.