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have been found qualified, aids in the distribution of text
books, visits the Schools, and attends to the repair and pro-
tection of School property. The Commissioner receives the
term report of each teacher in his District, compares it with
the School Register, adjusts and pays the salary with funds
procured from the Treasurer. The Commissioners form a
Board of Education for the County, and meet quarterly to
audit teachers' accounts and provide means for their payment.
At these meetings, all School business of general interest is
discussed, and plans are adopted to advance in every practi-
cable way, the interests of the Schools. This Board also
hears and decides questions at issue between patrons and
teachers, or between teachers and individual Commissioners.
The President of the School Board performs all the duties
of a County Superintendent. He visits each School once a
term and examines the children. He holds stated examina-
tions of teachers and issues certificates to those who are qual-
fied. He has the oversight of all School work, and as the
By-Laws provide is the active head of the system within the
limits of the County. He is the connecting link between the
State Board of Education and the Schools. From the State
Superintendent, through the President of each County School
Board, the decisions and plans of the State Board reach every
Commissioner, every teacher, and every School in the State,
securing uniformity, while leaving considerable discretion to
each local officer by which to adapt general principles to the
peculiar wants of his District.

The Schools of Maryland, thus have a three-fold supervision.
1st. By the President whose authority extends over all the
Schools of the County. 2nd. By the District Commissioner,
who takes care of the Schools within his District. 3d. By
the visitor who is interested in the particular School commit-
ted to his oversight. We may add to this the State Super-
intendent, who visits annually each County, tor conference
with the Board of School Commissioners and inspects all
the Schools within his reach.

School Commissioners are County officers, paid for their
services as other County officers are. We thus have twoBoards
of County Commissioners, the one taking care of material in-
terests, supervising Courts, Jails, Alms Houses, Roads,
Bridges, &c., the other guarding the State's best treasure, the
hearts and minds of her children, supervising Schools and
their teachers.

THE COST OF SUPERVISING THE SCHOOLS has been the subject of
frequent remark, and exaggerated ideas prevail which require
some explanation. The annexed table shows the salary paid
to each President, making in 21 Counties, an aggregate of
$20,000. This not only yields a direct return, but indirectly
saves ton times the amount by increasing the efficiency of