Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1922-12-22
Mr.. JAS. p. ALLEN REPLIES TO
SUPT. BARROW.


To the Editor Of the Tensas Gazette
st. Joseph, La.
Dear Sir:
l noticed an article in the Las,
weeks issue Of your paper, writer
by the Supt. Of Education of Tensa.
parish, Prof. C. L. Barrow, in whIc1
he charges me with mlsrepresentine
the school facilities enjoyed by the
children Of the farmers OF the parish
Any one who has read my arulci.
will see that he has not quoted me
correctly said that 1.-THE chIidien
Of the farmers Of the parish hau
practically no educational facilities
commensurate with the por1lon OF
taxes paid by the farmers OF the
parish" He quotes me as staung
that "they had no educational Ia.
cilities ut aR."
The language used by me may
have been too strong and may not
have represented the facts entireiy
as they were and If TINS Is the case
l am willing to ADMIT to the fact.
This article was written without
any thought whatever of reflecting
or criticizing the present or past al
ministration of the school affairs OF
the parish, nor had 1 the siigntes.
intention OF retlecung or crIGlc,zine
IN any way the management Or
operation OF the pubic scnoois OF the
parish by the superlnrennenI, prln-
cipais or teachers. from what. /
have seen ana from what can
learn the Board OF Education in thus
parish Is composed of intelligent
and useful men and tnat they are
doing everything In their power to
advance the educational interests of
the parish with the small amount of
money that they have at their COM
mand, and from what / have seen
and from what / can learn the
schools Of our parish are being con-
Quoted in very efficient manner.
The article wrote was with q view
to lettering the general conditions
existing in the parish, and with many
other suggestions for the bettel%
ment Of these conditions suggested
or recommended better school ia
ciities for the country. children of
the parish.
I was for three years q teacher
mysef-I was for 20 years. on the
school board in my native state and
graduated from one of our best
schools and / believe l have some
idea Of what constitutes proper IA,
clities for the education Of child
rem, and still maintain that the
country children in this parish have
not the opportunities and facilities
for education that they should have
and are entitled to. considering the
large amount of taxes paid by the
farmers Of the parish.
II our efficient superintendent
viii only take his pencil in hand
and figure up the amount expended
by this parish for the education OF
the town cildren, the cost Of the
buildings in town, lie equipment Of
the buildings in town and the amount
paid TO the teachers in town schools,
and then figure up what it costs to
run the seven schools, which he says
have been established in. the parish
for the education OF the country
children, and also the cost Of con-
veying the country children to the
high schools, which policy under
stand, has just been adopted during
the last year, and was opposed
understand, by two Of the school
board, and then look over the tax
collectors books and find out the
relative amount Of taxes paid by the
townspeople and that paid by the
farmers Of the parish, ! think he
will be convinced that the
children Of this parish residing in |
the country are not ueceiving the
educational facilities they are en-
titled to, considering the amount Of
taxes paid by the farmers of the
parish.
] have seen . few Of the country |
school houses in the parish myself |
and the few / have seen are very
poor buildings indeed, and I would
not consider them at al comfortable |
or adequate, and have been in
formed that the equipment for the
schools is very meager. The |
$500 per pupil per month voted this
year by the board Of education for
the transportation Of the school |
children to the schools at st. Jo-
seph, Waterproof and Newellton is |
not an adequate sum to pay the
farmer for transporting his children.
Any good business man knows that |
you cannot transport children from