The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-17
THE RICHMOND vIRGINIAN-THURsDAY, JANUARY II,

that the whole process Of certifying
that the whole process Of certihcatins
teachers In Virginia IL complicated,
expensive, and, to my mind. largely
artificial" The list referred to by Mr..
Hart shows that there are thirty three
$3.50 different kinds OF teachers GER
hhcates in Virginia. Changes are
made in the character of the certifi-
Gates, which are frequently unknown
to the teachers themselves
Book Company Dealt With.
The Virginia Book company Is
corporation composed of a few book
dealers who, by arrangement with the
publishers, control the distribution of
school books in Virginia. There Is
much complaint OF them by other
book dealers.
Their relations to the school book
business in Virginia certainly partakes
of the nature of trupt because all
the other dealers practically must get
the school books through them or not
at all
The alleged reason for this organi-
cation and the only excuse for Its ex-
istence is that II will insure prompt
and satisfactory distribution of the
school text books.
This function tho Virginia Book
company has not efficiently perform
ed. A large number of letters from
country school teachers say that the
textbooks for the fall OF 1915 were
delayed from few days to two
months: that the local merchants
were afraid to order books In time
because they might get too many. The
book dealers complain that the hard
contract and the small profits allowed
them by the Virginia Book company
disinclines them to handle them at all.
This condition constitutes real
grievance In the country districts and
II is the duty of the state board OF
education to correct 1t,
Medical College of Virginia.
The Medical College of Virginia re-
ceives $4,000 year from the state
OF Virginia and is therefore a state
institution. The present superintend-
ent of public instruction appears to be
the official examiner of the qualifica-
lions OF medical and dental matricu-
lates and receives $500 year from
the college for such work. The actual
work, however. is done by a member
of the superintendent family, who
gets the $500. We find no law which
gives the superintendent OF public in
struction the right to this addition to
his salary.
The superintendent OF public in
struction has also been getting fees
from those who matriculated for
pharmacy and dentistry. He has also
received fees for a qualifying certtfi-
cate to physicians coming to Virginia
from another state.
We think the superintendent should
receive "A SUFFICIENT salary. but no fees
at all.
There undoubtedly exists a wide
spread belief in the state that our
school system is not efficient and that
We do not get adequate returns for the
millions snent. This feeling Is based
rather upon instinct than upon detail
ed knowledge, Nevertheless, the in
stinct of a whole people Ia almost
always justified by the facts.
The dissatisfaction OF the people Of
Virginia with their school system is.
in our opinion, fully justified and radi-
cal reforms must be made.
As to Architects Fees.
The following In the treatment given
by Mr.. Byrd OF the question OF the
large sums paid In architects fees IN
the erection of school buildings;
Prom 1905 TO 1916. inclusive, the
counties and cities of Virginia paid
out for fees OF architects upwards OF
s22s,s65. or this amount. sSe.93i was
great sum does not include large
amounts paid by the various normal
schools and other of the higher edu-
cationai institutions. An examina-
ton of the fees of the architects dis
close the most extraordinary differ
encea, For instance. the city OF Bris-
toll paid G. B. Kearfoot $4,000 archi-
tect's fees for erecting a building cost
ing si2s,e0o. and the city OF Rich
mond paid Charles NJ. Robinson 81,
$3.50 for the erection OF building
costing ssi.os0. Roanoke county
paid c. r. Raglan $3.50 for the erec-
ton of an 5000 building and the
city OF Richmond paid Charles M.
Robinson ss3o.75 for a building cost
ing sis.sis.
The city of Norfolk paid Fergus
son. Colrow g. Taylor $1,000 for a
sac. 900 building. and Cape Charles
pail ]. X. PEBBLES &I.os3sT for a
building costing s24.2Tss1.
"Crayson county paid Mr.. Miller, an
architect, $3.50 for "a S1i. 500 build
ing, and Charles NJ. Robinson 1850 for
building costing $4,000. Mathews
county paid $50 for building costing
ss.06o to p. A, Holiday. and Hanover
paid Charles M. Robinson $500 for an
So. 900 building. II would unduly pro-
long this report TO give full list OF
them and their extraordinary dis
crepancies. Charles M. Robinson has
been appointed school architect by the
school board of the city of Richmond
and Is thus apparently freed from
competition so far as the city of Rich
mond In concerned.
There has been for number Of
years criticism connected with this
branch OF the school work, and we
think the Legislature should provide
for a searching inquiry which will
bring out all the facts and develop
whether or not the state should have
Its own architect"
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