Year: 1878

10 HIS Ercelncy, j. NJ STONE, and the Honorable 1ega
! ture Of the State Of Mississippi:


GENTLEMENI have the to submit to you nv second
annual report Superintendent of Public Education together


with few suggestions prompted by sincere desire promote
the educational facilities of the State


In forming judgment progress of
the efforts which have been made by Legislative
commonwealth behalf of the public instruction
we cannot disguise the fact that the public school system
engraed upon the State under and unparalleled ccum
stances by those who regarded by large portion
citizens fully identified with the material State
For time the system under the control fostering care
in many instances, neither of the wsest the
but natural therefore, that of people should
alien, dstrust it a spy


These greatly strengthened by
the system regulated by the legislation former years.
the desire for of official speculation the part
pressed far beyond the requirements and ability of the people
be felt be rather burden than blessing of
therefore that opposition the system should have been
excited the of and ukewarmness felt
of The wonder that few found oppose
its defects and in many instances, its maadminraon. But
during the past under administration of reform and
eenchment these grounds of opposition been removed
the great Of the people of the State without
party found the fast friends and supporters of the
school free system


of the system entaled regime of
former years was that of de6s public school debt in large
presented the temptation County Superntendens
others speculate in school which became greatly
precaed vauen below half par value-eachers
wee thus deprived of much of the reward of their labor
the school of yea absorbed to large





1t but just say the complained
in all the counties Some of them have adhered the cash w
of their schools the beginning
County Superinndents of Education have discouraged all
speculation in school warrants But such have
briefly the prevalent condition of things when
the Office of State Superintendent of Public Educa
judgment of the Executive and the concurrent action
the Fully convinced that of public educa
could be efficiently sustained for any length of time under
policy which admitted of and furnished the facilities io such
abuses dre ted official influence to the abatement
of this evil In the early part OF the year oI circular let





respective countless and the at their command
sustaining public schools during the year Upon careful
collation. of facts contained in the this circular
letter the result reached that in aoty of the counties
there large school debt and that the actual school
then at command would sustain the schools for
ceedg and half months and in some counties for


Yet Notwithstanding financial embarrassment and the
great expressed by County Boards of Super
ysors to evyng an tax suoned statistics
show that the average school in the xyve counties
porting outside of cities and seveneven days. and
in cities far reported 200 days, ten months
OF the ten reported it is known that several of
been foremost in the public education and
had they reported it believed the term would
have exceeded eighty days, or four months


1t should further stated that the school debt in most
counties embarrassed bas been greatly reduced
and entirely lqudated that the public school sys
tenn of is to-day cash basis than at any time
Inauguration In order to reach this end 1t was
deemed proper necessary in some localities to edace the
number schools by consolidating two more contiguous
to each other without detrment to the
public interest; and Also to make very general reduction In
of The sxsrags monthly MY SALARY paid
S $29 194 STILL Notwithstanding this marked reduction
believed, that the
for their services during the
sent year. precedngdue great measure
to the increased of the school warrants. -att


woud call the fact that white children
are eported as the public schools for this than
last though not so many eoored children The reduced
her of coored children owing in part at least if not wholly
to the of the counties not reported several con-
yery large colored children who not in
cpded in the giyenquite sufficient number 1t Is
believed which, the number reported would equal
not exceed the given the annual report of last
year. -, ai,,,. !. O.. ;. II, J. -,
served is reported this than last This manifest
IS due to great Of duty the part of
failed to make report all the
educabe children their respective countehus entang
great injustice their counties in the distribution OF the State
to public schools desired if possible to
this injustice to of the coun
corrected and end submitted the matter to the
Atto.nev General legal solution But he could suggest
~ alief and informed that had discretion but must
oke nv report to Auditor the basis of the Assessors
i;sts of educable children fled in my Office. IN


majority reports of the county assessors now
on file in this Office have been prepared with great care ana


as record books of reference 1t IS greatly TO
e regretted that them should be deectve-so aeec
;y Indeed in call FOR special ieglsiaon
i To nreYent great wrong to few counties ,-.....,


The system Of public schools among u.s. as justly stated