140

SOMERSET COUNTY.

Princess Ann, December, 1866.
REV. L. VAN BOKKELEN,

Slate Superintendent Public Instruction, etc.,
Sir .

I respectfully refer you to tables A, B, C and D of ray
statistical report, as affording a full and clear exhibit of our
school work for the school year, ending June 30th, 1866.

These tables present in figures, " facts which are stubborn
things," and which we desire shall speak for themselves.
As yet, we have not done anything definite towards organ-
izing the County High School—deeming it more expedient
to defer action in this respect, until we shall have organized
the Primary and Grammar Schools wherever needed in the
County. When this is fully accomplished, and we find our-
selves poseessed of the necessary funds to organize the High
School, it will give us much pleasure to do so at once.

" What action has been instituted to secure the continu-
ance of the local tax for prolonging the school terms
procuring necessary apparatus for efficient school work?"
We caused to he published through the newspapers of
our County a communication calling on the voters of
our County, at the late election, to express their con-
sent to a continuance of the local school tax, by endors-
ing on their ballots, "For a school tax." This commu-
nication appeared a few days, only, before the day of elec-
tion, in consequence of my absence from the County, and
there was not sufficient time for it to circulate, to any extent,
among the people. The consequence was, but a small expres-
sion through the ballot box. So far, howeyer, as that ex-
pression was obtained, it showed a very decided majority in
iavor of its continuance—the vote being four hundred and
forty-nine in favor, and one hundred and fifty-seven against
it. Since the election, I hare been assured that those who
voted against it, did so because they had it confounded In
their minds with the tax for accumulating a school fund of
six millions of dollars, which they were opposed to. In this
view they regarded it as the imposition of a new, and not
the continuance, merely, of the old tax.

" What are your resources for building school houses, or
what plan do you propose as most likely to accomplish speed-
ily this essential work?" In the month of August last, we
had a special meeting of our Board for the purpose of con-
sidering and devising some plan for supplying the County