The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-04-13
THURSDAY, APRIL 1s, 1922
A SAD. PLIGHT.

"There will be a meeting of all the
trustees of Williamsburg county at
the court house, Kingstree, S. c., on
Saturday, April Is at 1900 o'clock.
This meeting is called for the purpose
of discussing plans for the next school
year. 1t will be the duty of every
trustee to be present"
The above is a call issued by Su-
perintendent of Education, NJ. F.
Montgomery. Last Saturday there
was meeting, in reponse to similar
call, for trustees and teachers. The
object of the meeting last week, as
we understand it, was chiefly to in
form the teachers, many of them at
least, that Williamsburg county was
unable to pay them for their sev-
ices; to tell them that they would
be obliged to wait 1--WE don't know
how long, but perhaps indefinitely
for their pay.
The meeting called for next Satur-
day does not include the teachers.
The deplorable condition of affairs
las already been made plain to them.
The trustees are called to this meet
ing, however, to discuss, and per-
haps endeavor to prevent a recur-
renee of a similar situation next
year. We hope they will succeed.
It seems that number of the school
districts in Williamsburg are "broke"
when it comes to matter of dollars
and cents, with which to pay the
teachers their salaries. This condi-
tion is nothing more than was to be
expected when law was passed
granting an extension of time for the
payment of taxes. Usually there is
only sufficient amount levied to de-
fray, meagerly in many instances, the
running of the district school for a
few months. Unless this tax levy
is paid promptly there are no funds
with which to pay the teachers and
keep the school going.
It is a fact that there are those
in some of the districts who don't
care a whit whether the school runs
or stops, or whether the teacher gets
her pay or not. This is rather a
sad plight when we call to mind the
hundreds of children in this county
who are being deprived of the funda-
mental training that country school
affords. It is a condition to which
may be attributed the large number
of grown-ups who, when called upon
to write their names have to do so
by touching the pen" or making "his
mark" The registration books of
Williamsburg proves this condition
Of ignorance.
Are we never going to get away
from this huniliating scourge? A
condition that belongs to the dark
ages. The only safe and sure way
to Go it is to provide your district
with the best to be had in the way of
schools and to do this it requires CO.
operation on the part Of every man,
woman and child in the district.
Further it requires that unselfish and
liberal spirit which would place
school and the careful tutilage of its
progeny above dollars and cents, or
the levying Of a sufficient amount
of taxes for the exclusive purpose
of conducting a well equipped school
for term of seven to nine months
in the year, each succeeding year,
without ever having to fsce the hu-
initiating necessity of calling your
teachers together merely to inform
them that they will have to wait for
their pay or close the schools. In
such an extremity we believe it would
be as well to close the school, for
there is poor incentive to service as
a teacher or any other class of la
Dor when the matter of compensation
is sla indefinite quantity.
1t should be borne in mind that |
it takes money to successfully con-
duct any business; that the schools |
of Williamsburg county is her big
gest business, her greatest asset.
Educate your children, at least see
to it that they have the advantages |
of 6. good public school. The price
of an ordinary pig or calf each year
will provide the means under the