The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-05-16
Teachers, Association.

Inc Burlington OOuHty 10nOACAs
re ISOLATION met in the Mount Holly Hi
" school auditorium, Saturday, and TIL
was very large attendance. The ex
te cises opened with singing Of hyr
s. and prayer by Rev. James 81. Ter
"America" was sung, followed by an
strumental selection.
~ Professor William c. Sullivan deliv
ed an address of welcome, and introduc
Hon. Calvin N. Kendall, commission
:. of education, who made short adore
l. in his usual happy way.
h After more music County SUPERB
q tendent Stees read report of the 10
U years work. He said:
! Ny Dear Friends and Fellow Teachers:
There comes a time in the life Of every ma
q holding public Office when he must surrenge
as gracefully as may be- TO a successor IN
th b nas come e me- the shd Annual Meeting
the Burlington County teachers AssocAeiol
to sing my swan song. No man mas ever spen
fession than have l. The good will and heart
co-operation of teachers and members o
boards of education have been mine. with rad
5 boasting that have given TO you all the ven
best that was in me. l intend to take with Nc
, that have given and received the respect ant
confidence of the teachers and of all others IN
terested in the Public Schools of Burlington
| County. / want you to know that the ability
} to assume this attitude is mighty consola'
ton
made wonderful strides during twenty years
and it is of these things that ! want to speak
may weary you with details, but crave your
indulgence, for to me these figures. indicating
remarkable growth have peculiar fascina-
ton. l do not for one moment presume to
| attribute this material advancement to any ef-
| forts that have made. l prefer to assert that
all that has been accomplished Is due to an
| irresistible evolution throughout the State in
| which Burlington County of necessity, but not
| unwillingly unwittingly, has become in
| volved
| in 1896 there were employed in Burlington
| County 207 teachers, "A of whom were men and
| 1853 were women. Twenty-Five of the persons
| teaching in the county in 1896 are teaching in
the county to-day. This is one-eighth or 121a
per cent, and is a remarkable showing. In
1916, this present school term, there are exact
ly 400 teachers, not counting those who are
teaching in evening schools. of whom &c are
men and 374 are women. This is an average
growth of ten teachers each year. nothing re-
markable in this.
The number of pupils enrolled in 1896 was
1928. The number enrolled last term mas
1916; an average gain of 176 per year for
each of the twenty years. The average num-
Der of pupils per teacher then was A; the
average number now is 81.
Now we come to the great advances in ma
terial things: In the year 1896 the total ex-
penditure for all school purposes $780,,
860.93. The grand total of expenditures dur
ing last year and balances on hand at the close
of the year was $681.3l7.69, or more than
The total value Of all school property in 1896
was 294,860.9S. The total value of school
property at the close of last term was $685.
997 49, more than three times much and
there are fewer schoolhouses now than in 1896.
The total amount of district tax ordered to
be raised in 1896, for the entire county, was
$39,478.00 The total amount for the present
year is $2S9,648.6O, or more than six times
much.
The total amount of money received from
the State in 1896 was $91, 382.93. The total
amount received from the State for the present
year is $162, 945.03. or less than two times as
much. Mark the contrast: the people of the
county last year voluntarily taxed themselves
for school purposes more than six times as
much in 1885, while the State last year
gave less than two times much as 1896.
The good people of Burlington County
willing to-day to spend six times more of their
own money for educational purposes than
were the good people in 1885, The State gives
us to-day less than two times as much as it did
in 1896. Question; why does not the State
keep pace with the county in generosity If
it be true that the Lord helps those who help
themselves. we are in fair way of receiving
much needed assistance from above.
The total amount expended for textbooks in
1896 was $5,965.50, or an average of So cents
| per pupil enrolled. The total amount expend-
ed last year for textbooks and supplies
$22,5S2.72, or an average of $l.64 per pupil en-
rolled. This is a good showing, but it might
be better.
1t is interesting to note the great gains in
financial matters in certain school districts /:
The total amount of money available for school
purposes in Beverly Township in 1896 was ST.
942.26; in 1916 it is $l5.209.18, or more than
five times great. In Florence Township the
amount available in 1896 $S,S45.38; in
1916 it is $34, 165.73, or more than eleven
times great In Riverside Township, which
/ in 1896 included Delran Township, the amount
available was $3,44S.45; in 1916. for both town
ships, the amount is $S7.77s.62, or twelve times
as great great 80 go. 90 .noo,,u,,.,u.
about teachers salaries =? You will find moth
| ing remarkable under this heading. / said at
the outset of this paper that the growth,
markable, wonderful, ETC., has been in material
things, and teachers salaries, or rather in
crease in teachers salaries, is not in the list
of material things, except from the teachers
| point of view. Compare the salaries paid in
1896 with those paid in 1916. If you find
any comfort in the knowledge gained, please
tell it to the newspapers; it pays to advertise
In that distant day the average monthly sal
airy of men $500 and of women it was
$40.55. Now the average monthly salary of
men is STEPS and for women it is S51.12
The seeming increase in salary paid to male
teachers is illusion it is due to the decrease
in the number of male teachers employed in
the rural schools at salaries as low as $40
per month. If Mr.. receives a salary of $3.50
per month"; and Mr.. of $50 for the same
period of time, the average salary of these
two is $50 per month. If Mr.. B. is displaced
by Miss c, the average monthly salary paid to
male teachers at once amounts to the giddy
height of $3.50 per month. This result is not
due to actual increase in the amount of
money expended for school purposes in the
district fut to decrease in the number of
male persons participating in the juggling
process of averaging.
l hope it may not be considered indicate If
l take this occasion to make final slap on the
subject of teachers. salaries. In our county
this subject is serious one. In the northern
end of the State teachers receiving some
thing like an equivalent for their services,
while in some of our districts the salaries are
l actually growing less each year We have
number of teachers who, will receive less than
/ $500 for this years service; many who will
| get but 1915, and several who must be con-
tent with $210. 1t requires heroic suppression
| of self to attempt to live on such salaries and
look pleasant and remain innocent. Cheap
| teachers are, as rule incompetent, and, what
is worse, Indifferent. 1t is the child that suf-
fers from such incompetence and neglect If
| you should visit one of these cheap schools, you
| would hold up your hands in holy horror. l
am forced to the conclusion that frequently it
| is "a" teacher which is sought, and that utter
and hopeless indifference exists SO long as she
| costs but little.
1t has been said that we are dangerously
near the limit in the matter of taxation for the
support of public schools. and that when that
| limit is reached, the taxpayer will rebel and
| then-dies irae-teachers' salaries will come
| tumbling down to depths unfathomable The
lesson to be learned about public schools is
| that they are necessary. A republican form of
| government cannot long continue unless the
vast majority of the people are well educated.
There is safety only in intelligence. morality.
| patriotism and kindred virtues. To say that
| we have nearly touched the quick in taxation
| for school purposes is an attempt to brighten
the timid with the old nursery bugaboo Edu-
| cation by means of public schools is only in its
| infancy. The time will come when every form
| of industrial education will be made a part of
| the public school system, and the means for
carrying ON this good because necessary work
will be voted by an enlightened people who will
| recognize the benefits.
All arguments against increased taxation for
the support of public schools have been used
against taxation for good roads and public i'm
provements of every kind, and their utter fulfil
| ity is shown in increased demand for good
roads and other good things by the very per-
vince the taxpayer that when he pays school
tax he is making a good investment and there
| will be no rebellion.
Let me give you by way of digestion an ex-
ample of the deep interest one board of educa-
| ton had in educational matters. certain
t nameess mere was caleS TO my Nfee
| of erecting new schoolhouse. After MORN
| ing's wrestling, the spokesman of the board.
voicing the sentiments of the entire board save
one, relieved himself as follows 81 don't see
no use in educatin' them niggers down there,
nor the white trash neither; alter while
we won't have nobody to work on farms. "
have omitted explosives. Shades of departed
educators it is to be hoped that you were on
a journey or sleeping The school was built
port, or pay tuition in an adjoining district
were applied. An extreme case? Yes. but
there are other cases that approach it by dis.
lance less than any assignable quantity.
May say final word about consolidation OF
schools and transportation of pupils Thirty
years ago or less there were many good schools
in our rural districts. The Yankee school
teacher. or the young man studying for pro
fessional life, abroad in the land. He was
not only capable, he was ambitious and cul
tured. and he could inspire his pupils to dc
higher and better things. The school was tbs
center of social life and attracted the Older
boys and girls. The environment was whole
some; the sturdy virtues of honesty and decen
living were taught; respect for God and mar
| were placed as foundation stones. There was
freedom from the allurements of vices pecul
lar to cities. Fewer subjects. it is true. wer'
placed upon the daily programme than are nov
in of nfrr fCxrrr
| school, but much advanced work was accom-
ralishad md har thinking .ras dnl,n b,