Evening journal., 1915-01-07

the development of a more substan
tial and useful citizenship.
The present salary of the Commits
sionor of Education is not commen
surate with the duties attached to
the Office. neither does il adequately /
remunorative that official for the ]
character of the services rendered. | :
therefore recommend that the salary /
of the Commissioner of Education be /
increased from two thousand 90 three /
thousand dollars per annum TO take .
effect upon the first day of May 1915. /
The salary of twelve hundred dol .
lars per annum now being paid the 4
County school superintendents should .
be increased and ! recommend that .
these salaries be raised from twelve
hundred 10 fifteen hundred dollars
per annum. and In order to further
develop the efficiency of these ohi-
cials I recommend that the contin-
gent fund of The three County super
inicndcnts hc raised o The following
ieurcs I'm New Castle County from
threc hundred O. Eve hundred dole
lars. in Norf County from three hun
drcd 10 four hundred dollars. in Sus-
sex County from three hundred 10
sis hunfrod dollars. The siEc of the
territory 10 hc covered and the COM
diticn of the avenues uf communion
fion seem 90 Justify the rccommcnda-
ton OF q larger amount for SUSSEX
than for thc other two counties. II
is the unanimous opinion OF the
State Board of Education Gin which
opinion concu~l that the above
mentioned increases arc the mimi
mum amounts necessary 90 maintain
at proper standard tho work of our
rural public school organization.
Having rstc b'ishCd an organization
with which 70 imrrovc our educa-
tiCnsi conditions. The next step Is 10
provide legislation Co make &c cffec-
tive With q brief statement of facts
you moy perhaps more clearly un-
dcrsionf why thc State Beard OF Eiu-
cation asks FOR ihc passage OF the
LEGISLATION which they suggest
Rural school attendance in Della
mare B. xerz E1nr mnch hollow tho
average in other States. due largely
tc itn fact that the onC-tcachcr rural
school canrot offer the proper in
duccmen;s for scholars 20 attend
pccr attendance Injuries the efficiency
Of "a school creates in the communi-
tics and er-opE tho parents o lack OF
faifh a1i interest in the subj2Ct OF
. education nh cf which invites ad-
verse criticism and encourages
i sririt of anfagonism toward the rural
. school A remedy for this condition
+ is The consolidated graded school.
Ycu naturally inquire. Has this plan
1 hcc0 succcssfulr" The answer Is
I u. hcE" ;ho system having been
rdonted by some thirty different
/ States II separate rural schools
E were consolidated and five or more
Of these brought together at some
central Point and combined into one
good graded school, then would fol-
low larger classes. better teaching
fnciliiics. increased interest and
better attendance. all these things
being accomplished with practically
the same expense as now expended
upon the separate schools previous
TO their consolidation.
Including the city Of Wilmington.
this State has 524 school districts.
Fifty of these are town schools
which the law terms Incorporated
uhct arc practically consolidated)
This leaves 474 rural school OF one
teacher districts The same rule
which applies to the town school will
work with the consolidated rural
school resulting in better grading and
improved equipment, healthier and
happier children.
Consolidation to be successful and
effective should be decided upon by a
vote of the citizens who reside with
in the districts where consolidation
Is proposed The matter then be-
comes one Of privilege rather than
compulsion State aid based upon a
certain percentage of the cost Of
buildings, etc. would encourage CO.
operation on the part OF the local
communities in inaugurating the sys-
tenn other things are needed for
the Improvement Of our schools but
this one Of giving 10 the child in the
, country as decent a chance TO obtain
an education MS the child in the town
Is the enc which should first be con-
sldered. other matters can bide their
: time until our financial conditions
b admit Of their consideration.
Delaware College.
d The most auspic!Ous circumstances
: marked the opening of the present
collegiate year at Delaware College
> One hundred and nincty-nino stu
largest registration in the history of
b the college. Dr. George A. Harter
b after years os diligent and faithful
services as President, having re-
E signed Dr Samuel Chilos Mitchell Of
Richmond Virginia. was elected "a
2 succeed him IN the presidency Dr
b Mitchell took up the duties of his Of.
2 fee IN June 1914 and was formally
d inauguratod as president on October
10. 1914 az which time "A large gath.
p er.ng of distinguished educators from
81 different sections of tho country hon
, ored the occasion by their presence.
81 Two important events have taker
J place, both Of which will have ma.
- terial and lasting effect upon the fu.
- turo of the College. The first Of
e these was tho presentation TO the col.
b lege by Mr. Eben b. Frazer a mem
r. ber Of the Board of Trustees. of &
beautiful and admirably equipped
athletic field given in memory of his
4 son. 10 be known as "The Joe Frazer
Field The second event was tn,
g presentation Of a permanent ondow
a ment fund of siXty-siX thousand dol
= lars which was raised through tn
II efforts of the College Alumni Asso
l- citation
If Il is TO be hoped that these mani
Is festaticns of substantial interest il
J. the welfare and upbuilding Of tn
II College may induce others TO assis
le tho institution IN procuring the cree
D ton of other buildings which are ne
Ill I nfeearN 10 urnnorfy Tasro1,r, All, ~