The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-07-25
TO the Citizens of Newberry:

To the Citizens of NeWberry:
The annual report of the trustees
of the Newberry schools, submitted
to the citizens meeting called for
the purpose Of hearing the report,
brought out the fact that there is
pressing need for improvement in the
physical equipment, and also that the
income for maintenance is not sufi-
cient to meet the necessary ex-
penses.
After some discussion by the citi-
zens present, it was resolved that a
committee be appointed to investi-
gate the matter, and make recon-
mendation to a subsequent meeting
of the citizens, as to the needs, and
submit plans for the necessary i'm
provements. 1t was also provided
that the report of this committee be
first published in the papers Of the
town, so that all the people may read
it, and have the facts, before the
subsequent meeting of the citizens
should be called by the chairman.
In accordance with the said reco-
luton the committee begs to submit
the following report:
The annual report of the trustees
shows that at the close of the school
year there was a balance to the
credit Of the district of $63.43.
The pay Of the tecahers in all Of
the schools has been inadequate, but
could not be increased without an
increase in income.
Superintendent Cannon says that
no school in the State has a better
or more efficient corps Of teachers,
to which we all heartily subscribe,
and many of them could have secur-
ed better pay elsewhere, but on ac-
count of loyalty to the schools >and
for personal reasons, they have re-
mained faithful to the Newberry
schools.
We believe that the people of
Newberry appreciate the faithful
work of the teachers, and their 10y
alty. and are not willing that these
teachers shall make sacrifices for
them, and that they also realize that
the old scale of salaries will not
meet the demands in this day of the
high cost Of living, and that they de-
sire the teachers of Newberry to
have adequate compensation for their
faithful work.
We, therefore, recommend that an
additional tax of two mills be levied
for the maintenance of the schools,
10 that the salaries of the teachers
may be increased to something like
it. should be. The people of New
berry have never yet failed to re-
spond to the call of the school, and
we do not believe they will this time.
With the present assessed value
this tax of two mills will raise about
$5,O0O.00, and this will enable the
trustees to increase the salaries OF
the teachers.
AS to the physical equipment. 1t
totally inadequate. When we built
a few years ago our vision was not
far reaching, as it should have been.
The schools have grown beyond the
expectations of the builders. The
high school, built only few years
ago, and the Speers street school,
both need to be enlarged.
AS to the negro school, the good
people of this community should not
be willing longer to submit to the use
of such a building. It is not right.
Besides it is inadequate. For two
years the trustees have been renting
an old building in the western part
of the city that is not suited for
school, and they may not be able even
to rent it again. The Hoge> building
has been patched until it is nothing
but a patch work, and is dl-
palidated and unsafe. If we
are going to educate the ne
gro, and we should, then we
should at least do him justice. The
environment of the school is part,
and an important part, of the educa-
ton. If that be true, then part at
least of the education that we are
giving the negro is bad.
The committee visited the build