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49 Secondly, the annual receipt from the State on account of the Free School Fund varying' slightly from ,$3,000, either less or more. Thirdly, from tines and forfeitures, and the surplus product of a local law taxing' dogs for the protection of sheep, producing in all not more than $300, and Fourthly, the revenue derived from the tuition fee of one dollar per Quarter or Term, paid by all pupils not admitted free by the Commissioner of the district, producing about $5,400; thus making the entire revenue of the Board about $18,200 up to 1864, and $24,700 for that year. The number of Schools established was about sixty-five, attended by an average of two thousand four hundred and sixty-four pupils—thirteen hun- dred and forty-two boys, and eleven hundred and twenty-two girls. The degree of efficiency to which the Schools had attained under the County system, was, to say the least, respectable; and it is believed they were gradually improving. The introduction of a uniform and well digested system of Text- Books, and an abundant supply of stationery, gave to the pupils, under the County system, advantages they never before enjoyed. The great defect, however, was the want of a more thorough, searching, and special supervision. The law having confined the compensation of each District Commissioner to a small per diem for each day he attended the sessions of the Board, it could not be reasonably expected of him that he would neglect or sacrifice his own business for the performance of a public duty unrewarded. The consequence was that the Schools, except perhaps those nearest the residence of the Commissioner, were rarely visited by him, The evils growing out of this want of thorough supervision were, among others, the waste of stationery, the needless destruction of books, and the inadequate enforcement of the law requiring the payment of the tuition fee of one dollar per quarter by all pupils whose parents were able to pay; whereby the Board failed to receive the full amount properly to he collected from this source, by at least the sum of five hundred dollars annually. And it may, I. think, he fairly estimated that a more thorough and searching supervision would have saved to the County at least the sum of three hundred dollars in books and stationery. Upon the third topic. I would remark that I am mil, (low in pos- session of any reliable data upon which I could approximate a cor- rect opinion as to the number of adults who cannot read and write. During the years 1851, 1852 and 1853, it was ascertained from monthly reports made by a reliable colporteur to the County Bible Society, of which I was then secretary, that there were then some 90 to 100 families in the County unable to read the Bible; the popu- lation of the County then being about 16,100. The census of 1850 reports 157, over 20 years of age, unable to read and write. The population has now swelled to about 24,000; but the census reports of I860, vet published, do not give the number unable to read and write. I am well persuaded, however, the proportion of those who cannot read has been reduced, and perhaps largely reduced within the last ten or twelve years, partly through the instrumen- 7 |
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Proceedings and Acts of the General Assembly, 1866
| Volume 107, Page 515 View pdf image (33K) |
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