petition another class of men who are always
watching for fat offices and big salaries, and
who will be able to bring political and other
influences to secure them such places.
I have been in the school board of the city
of Baltimore for come years, and I know
something aboot the salaries there. The
principal professor in the male. high school in
Baltimore, and he is a most excellent teacher
received $1,500 until last year, when we
raised it on account of the high prices of
everything to $1,600. He is a preacher who
does a great deal of work in addition, and .
think one of the most efficient men in Mary-
land, and has this matter more at heart per-
haps than any other man. The man who I
should think best qualified to undertake this
work has received a salary of $1,500 until
last year, and now receives $1,800.
Mr. CUSHING, Has he lived on that salary ?
Mr. DANIEL. That is the only salary he
receives from the school board. I should sup-
pose he lived upon it
Mr, ABBOTT. He is connected with other
institutions, picking up a dollar here and a
dollar there wherever he can,
Mr. DANIEL. I know he docs a great deal
of other work, but I thought it was mostly
charity work; but I will not controvert
that point. But I should think that if Dr.
McJilton could have made more elsewhere for
the last ten years, he would have given up
the school and gone to something else, where
he could make more.
Another point. Dr. McJilton, living in the
city of Baltimore has to board himself out of
his salary; whereas, in travelling throughout
the State, you pay all the travelling expenses,
in addition to these $2,000, You propose to
pay all the travelling expenses and all the of-
fice expenses. If an unmarried man takes it,
his whole board will be pretty much paid
while he will be going through the State, so
that he will get about $2,000 clear of board
and fall expenses. That is a good deal.—
It is a better salary than any man I
know of in the school service gets, except,
perhaps, somebody connected with some
school has gone out and made some
more money in that way. In reference
to the objection my colleague makes, as to
this being a continuous lifelong office in New
England, and therefore men take it for less,
I imagine that after this school system is in-
augurated in Maryland, this is a life office too,
unless the governor chooses to appoint some-
body else in Iris place; because that is the
history Of it in every other State. Pennsyl-
vania put its system into operation from year
to year, when it started; but it has become
permanent.
I do not agree with the gentleman from
Anne Arundel (Mr. Miller,) that the work
will be so much diminished after the first
year that it will not require a constant
salary. |
Mr. MILLER. No, sir; said that it would
be diminished after it was put into opera-
tion.
Mr. DANIEL. I do not believe the labors
will be diminished a great deal, because there
are too many reforms to be made in this sys-
tem, and they will require constant attention
by the superintendent. But as suggested by
the gentleman from Howard (Mr. Sands,)
these county superintendents will relieve his
labors very much, I have long been in-
terested in seeing inaugurated a public school
system in the State of Maryland. I believe
in every legislature in which I have been in
the senate, I have been upon that committee;
and I have always joined in the report to
have this system inauguration the State. I
have consulted the reports of other States
where this system has been adopted, where
they have their State superintendent and
county superintendents; and I find that the
county superintendents do a great deal of the
work in the counties. They are expected to
collect statistics and information from the
counties, and to have the boards organized.—•
The State superintendent gathers it all into a
report and sends it to the legislature every
year, so that they may judge of it and make
such alterations as may be necessary.
I should judge that the first duty of the State
superintendent would be to go through all
the counties, organize county boards, ap-
point county superintendents, or have the
county superintendents organize tine boards;
and then it will not be necessary for him to go
around so often in the year; because, after
the system is once started, it will not require
so much of his personal attention in the coun-
ties, Still be will have enough to do. I am
willing to give him a salary of $3,000, in-
cluding his expense?; or if it does not in-
clude them, to give him $2,500. I will go that
length, for I think it is a matter of the ut-
most importance; but I really think that
$2,000 after the present season would pay a
man; and I believe the very best plan would
be to pay him at the rate of $2,000 and his
expenses.
Why, sir, what was the history of it in the
State legislature? You had a bill that be-
lieve passed one house, and was near passing
the other. And I know there was application
after application from the first teachers in this
State who were anxious to secure the place of
State superintendent. It is a very honorable
place. Like the teachers in the colleges at the
north, the place of State superintendent of
public ' school education in Maryland would
be avery high and honorable place. It is a po-
sition in which a man can distinguish himself,
and show off to more advantage than any
other position in the State, and would be
coveted by a man who has talents of that sort
as much for the position as for the salary yon
might give. I think that $2,500 with ex-
penses paid, is as much as we ought to give. |
