The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-02-08

Salient paragraphs from Superinten-
dent X. G. Stearnes' annual report for
school year 1911-12, giving explana
tion of the figures presented, and his
reasons for recommendation made.
Total Revenues.
In 1906 Virginia's total revenue for
schools was s2,432,102.45. In 1919 we
spent that amount and s759,410.64 be-
sides on teachers salaries alone, In
addition we spent s1.142s892.11 on
good school buildings, compared with
$262,03050 in 1906. Thus have we
grown in wealth and liberal views OF
public school finance until we are now
investing more than nine dollars per
capita in preparing our boys and girls
for life. No State throughout the
entire North and West spends less
than SIS or sls per capita of school
population. and the proud States of
Washington and California pay re-
spectively s32 and ST per capita Of
school population for the education of
their children. In 1910. when we were
spending Sc per capita, Maryland was
spending $40 and West Virginia Sill.
Mach has been accomplished, but
much remains TO be done here In Old
Virginia.
or the entire 1912 revenue as given
above $1,S69,697.06 was derived from
state funds and s3.747267.10 from
local funds If the State school funds
we're made equal in amount to the
local school funds we should be spend
ing about SIG per capita OF school
population. And even on that basis
! am convinced that we could COM
mand the services of such class OF
teachers in remote and one-room
schools as would justify the state SUI
perintendent in saying: I'VE have no
back woods school in Virginia"
Must Bear Burden Equally.
Until 1905 this equalization OF re-
sponsibility for the proper support or
public education was observed, and
the local school taxes that year ex-
ceeded State school taxes little, II any.
As a rule, both rates of taxation were
at the minimum, but the local school
taxes began to grow until they are
now four times as great on an average
as State school taxes.
Virginia levies a State school tax at
the lowest rate permitted by the con-
stitution, and does not construe tho
word property" in the broad sense
obviously intended by the makers OF
the constitution. The practical re-
suit is to deprive the schools of any
state taxes on the richest of property
license and franchise taxes. This |
conceive to be a great defect and
wrong.
Enrolment and Attendance.
The school age In Virginia, unfor-
'tunafeiy. is seven to nineteen. instead
OF six to twenty. as the majority OF
States have it. Our school population
in 1910 was s16.16s IF we say that
our population six to twenty In no.
600, we are not far from the truth. OF
this number 100000, approximately.
are white. To equal the records Of
the only States OF the Union whose
records are worth emulating. two-
thirds Of the entire tsix to twenty
school population and not less than
81 per cent Of the native white ropu-
iation must be In school.
Our Army of Iiliterates.
Closely related 10 discussion Of
school enrolment ia the question OF
l|iiteracy. According TO the United
States census Nirglnias iilHeracy in
1910 was per cent among whites, 30
Ter ccue uniong ungroes. ana t5.2 Ter
cent for the State at largo. Tho cor
responding figures for 1900 were ia
per cent whites. 44.8 per cent colored.
and 22.s per cent In all. Progress L.