his History of Public Schools in North Carolina. Superintendent Mebane did great service to the cause of education in his State by quoting 70 pages of this work in his report. A sketch of the history of education in North Carolina, by Dr. C. H. Wiley, compiled while superintendent of education in 1855, also a sketch from the History of Education in North Carolina, by Mr. Charles Lee Smith, are given in the report. This portion of the report is further enriched by an historical sketch of the office of superintendent of public instruction, by the superintendent. No such collection of entertaining and important material for the appreciation of the past and encouragement for the present condition of educational affairs had ever been placed before the legislature of the Commonwealth. In addition to this, the superintendent published in the same bulky volume the proceedings of the meeting of county supervisors of public schools in Raleigh, December 30, 1897, with several of the more important addresses delivered, besides his own address at the teachers' association, and other institute papers. Even more suggestive are the numerous comments from 26 of the county superintendents, expressions of interest in the public school system by the presidents of the 10 leading colleges of the Commonwealth, and especially the reports of the State institutions; and valuable, as always, is the report of the new industrial and normal college for white girls, by President Charles D. McIver. Every feature of the State interest in education is here brought into the light.

The report of the board of examiners, evidently prepared by the superintendent, is in itself an excellent treatise on the training of teachers, and could be consulted with good effect beyond the limits of the old North State. The reports of the schools for the colored race-those supported by the State and others with headquarters in Northern boards—are excellent reading. The examination for first-grade life certificates, the explanation of the school legislation of 1897, the lists of county superintendents and boards of education, and the record of institute work of the counties are also included in this most valuable document. Another extremely valuable feature of the report is the account of the leading denominational colleges and private high and academical schools of the Commonwealth. No Southern State has made a better record than North Carolina in several of these seminaries. The school for girls established by the Moravian Brotherhood at Salem in 1802 was one of the first institutions of its kind in the South and one of the first in the Union, and has sent forth a roll of distinguished women. Others are fully described, like St. Mary's College at Belmont and Peace Institute at Raleigh, the later established college for girls at Asheville, the system of schools established by the Friends in and near the city of Greensboro, and the Bingham School, founded near Wilmington in 1793 by Rev. William Bingham, who came from Ireland in 1785 and left the work to his son and grandsons, under whose administration it has outgrown several removals and now occupies one of the most sightly hills overlooking the mountain city of Asheville. There are at present not less than 100 of these private high and denominational schools in the State.

When we turn from this exposition of education in its application to the mass of the people to the actual results of the new legislation and the outburst of zeal and labor now put forth, we are not so fully encouraged by the figures in the tables of statistics. The total receipts of State funds in 1897 were $830,500.18, and in 1898, $986,514.85, the last including an additional appropriation of $100,000 by the legislature and both exceeding the receipts of 1894, 1895, and 1896. Meanwhile an increase of children and youth of school age for 1837 and 1898 does not appear, the figures of 1896 being some 6,000 in excess of 1898. The public-school enrollment for 1897 was only 5,000 more than in 1896, although it reached nearly 400,000 in 1898, the actual figures being 399,375. The average attendance in 1898 was about 213,000, several thousand less than in

1892 and 1893 and little more than half of the enrollment. The average length of the school term in 1898 was 14.06 weeks for the white and 12.79 for the colored race, a gain of about two weeks for each over the previous year. The average salary of teachers was less for white teachers than in most of the ten years from 1886 to 1896, viz, $24.66 for males and $22.96 for females, with a similar showing for the colored schools. In 1898 the total value of school property was $930,214, being less than in 1893, 1894, 1895, but $50,000 more than in 1897. In 63 townships and districts $8,596.63 had been raised by special donation, in sums of from $12 to $500, which were duplicated by the State, causing an addition of $17,193.26 to their resources, but only 12 townships had voted to tax themselves to the amount of $2,260.07, in small sums of from $50 to $483.

In short, in the moderate response of the people to their legislature and the eloquent and zealous superintendent of public instruction, we discern the same characteristic as that suggested by President McIver in his earnest plea for more aid to the most vital and original of all the State educational institutionsthe industrial and normal college for white girls. He says: "North Carolina does not, as a rule, take to new things with great enthusiasm, and it is characteristic of her caution and conservatism that she should have established this institution [a century after her first experience as a Commonwealth] by giving it a small appropriation for support-about half what it gave to other institutions-no appropriation for a site, and almost no appropriation for buildings. But," he adds, "it is also characteristic of our sturdy, sensible, old State that, as her faith in the usefulness of the institution has grown, she has gradually increased her investment in its development." The cheerful confidence of all its leading educators in the slow but sure characteristic of this great Commonwealth is justified by the fact, especially by what is shown in the record of the two years 1897 and 1898.

The second biennial report of Superintendent Mebane for the years 1898–99 and 1899-1900, proceeds along the same line of urgent demand for reform. The superintendent declares that the standard of requirement for teachers is exceedingly low in some counties, and he calls for uniformity of requirement. He advises that the county boards of school directors be required to publish annually an itemized statement of the receipts and disbursements of the school fund, and that they should be required to keep posted in every public schoolhouse a list of the text-books adopted to be used in the schools. Each county superintendent should be ex officio the treasurer of the public school fund of his county. He protests against the loose management of the school funds for the past twenty years, and calls for more thorough qualifications for the office of county superintendent. He declares that "the public schools have been in the galling grasp of the court-house politicians for twenty years in some of the counties." He recommends that the county superintendent be elected by the teachers and educators of the county. The average compensation of this official is $128, and he is responsible for the expenditure of more than $56,000. "The present school law is too much burdened with machinery. We have too many officers-too many that have a little brief authority." Every school committeeman or trustee "should be in favor of public education and public taxes for schools." The annual school should not be divided into two terms. The State board of examiners had prepared a course of study for the colored normal schools. A great part of the work done in these normals should have been done in the graded schools of the colored people in the towns where normals are located. Much of the work is not thorough and not practical. "The normals are normal only in name." They should be consolidated. He earnestly pleads for the enactment of a rigorous law for uniform text-books, and publishes a table with extensive information of the action of different States in

this respect. On the subject of finances he says: "We must have more money before we can ever hope to educate the great mass of our people." Four hundred thousand dollars more can be secured for the public schools by the enforcement of a law passed in 1897 for the taxation of railroad and other companies. One way to increase the public school fund, he recalls to mind, is by local taxation. The superintendent publishes lists of States having and not having compulsory-attendance laws, and shows the per cent of illiteracy of the population 10 years of age and over in each, according to the census of 1890. The State of North Carolina had 36 per cent, including 23 per cent of white illiteracy, a greater percentage of white illiteracy than in any other State or Territory except New Mexico. "The people of the State have never yet realized the importance of supervision in public school work." In retrospect of his four years of official life, he declares: "The longer I was in the work the more I was impressed with its greatness and its consequences for the uplifting of the great mass of the people." The difficulties he had had to overcome in the beginning were new sets of officials in 1897 and radical changes in the school laws. A new legislature made radical changes again, and a decision of the supreme court caused confusion in several counties. In 1897 he invited the leading educators of the State to a consultation. The press was generally favorable to the new impulse of reform. Even the politicians had observed which way the wind was blowing. "We have reached the period in North Carolina history when the politician is a great friend of public education. He speaks long and loud for the dear children." 'Since January, 1897, more money has been given to colleges and more spent for school buildings and equipments than ever before during so short a period," namely, $1,000,000. A table of the different colleges, high schools, and academies of the State that have been benefited in this way is given. An appropriation of $100,000 to the public schools in 1899 gave hope of encouragement. More graded schools had been established during the four years of Superintendent Mebane's term than in any similar period of the State's history. The superintendent recommends the legislature to make an appropriation to erect a monument to the memory of Calvin H. Wiley, the superintendent of public schools previous to 1860.

The office of State superintendent in 1901 was filled by Gen. Thomas Fentress Toon. Superintendent Toon only lived for thirteen months after his election, and his place was supplied by Mr. J. Y. Joyner, who in December, 1902, made the report for this biennial period.

Superintendent Joyner takes up the good work of educational reform under the administration of Governor Charles B. Aycock with great vigor, and in his elaborate report enforces all the advanced ideas of the previous administration. He, however, calls the attention of the people to the actual condition in which the schools are still found, notwithstanding the decided advance of the preceding four years. In 1902 there were 676,615 children of school age in the State454,657 white and 221,958 colored. For the education of these children the State was spending $1,287,275.70, exclusive of $161,363 raised by local taxation. There were 314,871 white and 149,279 colored children enrolled, and an average of 185,598 white and 80,972 colored children in daily attendance. The total annual amount expended for each child of school age in North Carolina, including local taxes, was $2.17, the average amount in the United States being $9.50. North Carolina expended for each child enrolled $3.17 to $20.29 in the United States. The average monthly salary of teachers was $26.78 per month for white and $22.19 for colored teachers, and in the United States the average monthly salary was $48. The length of the public school term in North Caro-' lina was 76.15 days; the average length in the United States, 145. The super

intendent gives the statistics of illiteracy, saying that "the per cent of white illiteracy in North Carolina is more than three times as great as the average for the United States." The average value of the schoolhouses in the State was, for white $231.43, colored $136; 830 districts were without schoolhouses; 829 had log houses. In different counties of the State schools were closed during the winter on account of the buildings not being habitable in cold weather. A woman's association for the betterment of public schoolhouses was organized. During the year 1902, 332 new schoolhouses were erected. The superintendent suggests that the funds arising from the sale of lands belonging to the State board of education, amounting to $194,159.18, be used for schoolhouses.

A great hindrance to effective education in a State so large and sparsely populated is the multiplication of district schools to satisfy special families. Nearly one-half the white school districts of the State, and 44 per cent of the colored districts, contain less than 65 children of school age. The process of consolidating school districts has been well begun, 318 having been consolidated since June 30, 1901, and several counties having made commendable efforts in this direction. The average annual salary of white public-school teachers is about $100, "less than is received for the most menial service in almost any other business." The superintendent had addressed letters to the different leading institutions of learning in the State, suggesting normal departments in each. He reads a vigorous lecture on the subject of school supervision. The average salary of a county superintendent is $355. He urges the necessity of a competent man as county superintendent in every county in North Carolina. He also demands an increase in the supervisory power of the State board of education by the addition of five deputy State superintendents or State supervisors of education, to serve for two or four years, at a salary of $1,250 a year, and expenses not to exceed $500 a year. Since 1874 the general State and county tax for school purposes has been raised from 8 cents to 18 cents on $100. Threefourths of all the State and county poll tax is devoted to public schools. The school fund has been increased from $297,090.85 in 1875 to $1,269,714.30 in 1902. He urges the great importance of local taxation. Since 1900 there has been an increase of 7.8 per cent in enrollment and 6.5 per cent in daily attendance in the white and 8.1 per cent in enrollment and 3.5 per cent in daily attendance in the colored schools. He urges the importance of laws for the protection of children in manufacturing communities. Several important educational meetings had been held during the year. Eighty-two per cent of the population of North Carolina is rural and agricultural. Among "signs of hope and evidences of progress” he notes the steady increase in taxes and appropriations for public schools; the increase in amount raised for schools by local taxation; a growth in sentiment and demand for consolidation; the increase in the number of schoolhouses built and improvement in their character; the increase in amount raised by private subscription for public schools; the increase in the attendance of the colleges and high schools of the State; the increase in the attendance of public schools; a reduction of white illiteracy during the decade ending in 1900 from 23.1 to 19.5 per cent, and of colored illiteracy from 60.1 to 47.6; an increased attendance at educational gatherings; strong declarations in platforms of political parties in favor of education, and, finally, the adoption of the constitutional amendment by an overwhelming majority, making intelligence an absolute qualification for suffrage after 1908 and recognizing it as one essential of citizenship.

SOUTH CAROLINA.

The very interesting history of the persistent attempts of the white people of South Carolina, led by a zealous educational public among the leading classes, to establish a system of common schools for themselves, is told in Chapter VII of the Report of the United States Commissioner of Education for 1899-1900. Several of these schemes were well devised, and only failed of effect by the radical weakness of the majority of the Southern attempts at the educating of the masses previous to the civil war. They all were constructed on the plan of “local option,” and depended for their adoption on the disposition of the different counties of the State. A good deal of money, first and last, was distributed through South Carolina for this purpose, which was probably used to subsidize the different private and denominational schools for the training of a number of children of the poorer classes. The South Carolina College had among its professors and presidents men like Cooper, Lieber, Preston, and Thornwell, who made it a broader and probably more influential representative of the higher culture in its adaptation to all classes and conditions of the people than any of the Southern universities of the period, up to the breaking out of the civil war. Previous to 1868 there was no provision in the constitution of South Carolina for universal education. The city of Charleston by special charter had established a creditable system of public schools for white pupils in 1860, largely taught by Northern instructors, under the leadership of Hon. C. G. Memminger. At the close of the war he returned to his native city and gave the remainder of his life to the reestablishment of its public schools. It was not until 1868 that, under the new régime of the State, South Carolina acknowledged its obligation to educate all the classes of its citizens. The constitutional provision governing the matter, the first of the kind that ever was made in the State, is as follows:

CONSTITUTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA, APRIL 14-16, 1868.

ARTICLE X.-Education.

SEC. 1. The supervision of public instruction shall be vested in a State superintendent of education, who shall be elected by the qualified electors of the State in such manner and at such time as the other State officers are elected; his powers, duties, term of office, and compensation shall be defined by the general assembly.

SEC. 2. There shall be elected biennially in each county, by the qualified electors thereof, one school commissioner, said commisssioners to constitute a State board of education, of which the State superintendent shall, by virtue of his office, be chairman; the powers, duties, and compensation of the members of said board shall be determined by law.

SEC. 3. The general assembly shall, as soon as practicable after the adoption of this constitution, provide for a liberal and uniform system of free public schools throughout the State, and shall also make provision for the division of the State into suitable school districts. There shall be kept open at least six months each year one or more schools in each school district.

SEC. 4. It shall be the duty of the general assembly to provide for the compulsory attendance, at either public or private schools, of all children between the ages of 6 and 16 years, not physically or mentally disabled, for a term equivalent to twenty-four months at least: Provided, That no law to that effect shall be passed until a system of public schools has been thoroughly and completely organized and facilities afforded to all the inhabitants of the State for the free education of their children.

SEC. 5. The general assembly shall levy at each regular session, after the adoption of this constitution, an annual tax on all taxable property throughout the State for the support of public schools, which tax shall be collected at the same time and by the same agents as the general State levy, and shall be paid into the treasury of the State. There shall be assessed on all taxable polls in