RATE OF COUNTY TAX.

COUNTIES LEVYING 30 CENTS AD VALOREM ON PROPERTY.

Obion-1.

COUNTIES LEVYING 25 CENTS.

Blount, Cumberland-2.

COUNTIES LEVYING 20 CENTS.

Bedford, Campbell, Carter, Franklin, Gibson, Greene, Jackson, Johnson, Macon, Marion, McNairy, Roane, Sevier, Stewart-14. COUNTIES LEVYING 15 CENTS.

Coffee, Lake, Sumner-3.

COUNTIES LEVYING 10 CENTS.

Anderson, Bledsoe, Bradley, Cannon, Claiborne, Cocke, Davidson, Dickson, Dyer, Grainger, Grundy, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hawkins, Haywood, Jefferson, Knox, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Polk, Rutherford, Sequatchie, Tipton, Union, Washington, Williamson-30.

COUNTIES LEVYING NO PROPERTY TAX.

Benton, Carroll, Cheatham, Clay, Crockett, Decatur, DeKalb, Fayette, Fentress, Hancock, Hardeman, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Humphreys, James, Lauderdale, Loudon, Marshall, McMinn, Meigs, Moore, Overton, Perry, Putnam, Rhea, Robertson, Scott, Smith, Sullivan, Trousdale, Unicoi, Van. Buren, Wayne, White, Wilson-37.

COUNTIES LEVYING A POLL TAX FOR SCHOOLS.

Anderson, Bedford, Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Cannon, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, Dyer, Franklin Gibson, Giles, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hamilton,

Hawkins, Haywood, Jefferson, Johnson, Lake, Lewis, Lincoln, Loudon, Macon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Maury, McNairy, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Obion, Roane, Rutherford, Sevier, Stewart, Tipton, Union, Warren, Washington, Weakley, Williamson--49.

COUNTIES LEVYING A PRIVILEGE TAX.

Hamb

Blount, Cannon, Cumberland, Gibson, Greene, Grundy, len, Hamilton, Haywood, Houston, Marion, Maury, Monroe, Obion, Roane, Rutherford, Union, Warren, Washington, Williamsou-20.

COUNTIES LEVYING NO TAX WHATEVER.

Benton, Carroll, Cheatham, Clay, Crockett, Decatur, DeKalb, Fayette, Fentress, Hancock, Hardeman, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Humphreys, James, Lauderdale, McMinn, Moore, Overton, Perry, Putnam, Rhea, Robertson, Scott, Smith, Sullivan, Trousdale, Unicoi, Van Buren, Wayne, White, Wilson-34.

Counties levying some supplemental tax—–60.

Counties levying no tax-34.

EVIDENCES OF IMPROVEMENT.

The schools have been embarrassed, during the past year, by the non-payment of the tax, resulting from the postponement of the same by act of the General Assembly. The net balances on hand at the close of the previous scholastic year, aggregating $132,493.72, as reported by the respective counties, partially remedied this serious drawback, and enabled them to exhibit the gratifying increase in enrollment of 33,463, amounting to 17 per cent., and of average attendance 16,358, besides the opening of 807 more schools, and the employment of 791 more teachers than in the previous

year.

This exhibit is accompanied by a manifest and well ascertained Improvement in the standard of teaching, which is the result of greater care by the County Superintendents in scrutinizing the qualifications of teachers and in granting certificates to teach, and by a spirit of inquiry among the teachers themselves, as to the best

methods. The reports of County Superintendents, with a few exceptions, note this improvement. And I have had the pleasure of testing it by personal observation during my tours through the different portions of the State.

GRADED AND CONSOLIDATED SCHOOLS.

Another evidence of progress is the increase of graded schools over the previous year-of 44, and of consolidated schools--of 15. During the year a well organized system of graded city schools has been put in operation in the city of Clarksville, with the most satisfactory results, under the general operation of our school law, supplemented by a small municipal tax, and by some aid from the Peabody fund. The same may be said of the small town of Wartrace in Bedford county, which has set an example worthy of imitation.

The towns of Shelbyville, Bedford county, and of Trenton, Gibson county, had previously illustrated the advantages of such an organization, and continue to advance in the movement so successfully begun. These examples have sufficiently proven that a successful graded system is practicable in towns of limited population, as well as in the greater cities of Nashville, Edgefield, Memphis, Chattanooga and Knoxville. There is, then, just ground for believing that not only every town and village in the State will finally enroll in such an organization, but that these graded schools will be generally distributed in the country districts of the State. In some of the rural districts, good progress has been made in this direction, and in some localities, where schools perfectly graded have not been realized, partial grading has been adopted with good results. A practical obstacle to progress in this matter is presented in the great variety of text-books used in the different districts, and often in the same district and the same school. Under our law, very few counties have been able to agree upon uniformity, in consequence of the absence of any absolute authority to enforce it. And this cause

is reinforced by another still more serious, resulting from the inability of very many parents to purchase the necessary text-books.

While such facts as these lay bare the formidable obstacles which must be overcome in the growth of our school system, they impress at the same time upon all thoughtful minds, the absolute and crying necessity that exists for the interposition of the State, for the aid of the counties, and for the influence of all good citizens in providing means for the intellectual and moral training of the future custodians of political trusts.

Such obstacles, though formidable, are not insuperable, and will be gradually swept away by the advancing sentiment and the iron energy which have aggregated from very small beginnings in every part of the State until they have become a positive force, not to be overcome by mere clamor, but destined to triumph-even now triumphing over every discouragement and all enemies.

SCHOLASTIC POPULATION.

The scholastic poplation has increased since the previous year 8,327, and since 1873, 24,273; or about '058 in four years. Increase of white children, between 6 and 18 years of age, 17,357, and of colored, 6,920, since 1873.

WHITE AND COLORED SCHOOLS.

The per cent. of enrollment of white pupils, in the schools on white scholastic population, is 51-8; and of colored children, on colored scholastic population, is .38-6. The disparity is accounted for by the sparseness of the colored population in some countiesthere not being a number sufficient in the school districts to organize a school. The same advantages are offered to both races by the law, and in districts where the colored race prevails, they are not slow to avail themselves of the opportunity. Much complaint is made in almost every county of the incompetency of colored teachers, and of the difficulty in supplying those well qualified. This difficulty is being gradually overcome by the various colored colleges of the State, especially those located at the capital, in meet

ing this need. I have strictly instructed County Superintendents not to issue certificates to incompetent teachers, either white or colored-regarding the employment of such persons as a waste of the school fund.

SCHOOL HOUSES.

Next to able teachers there is no point in educational progress more important than well-located and properly constructed school houses. Such houses are not only necessary to the health and progress of pupils, but they exert a powerful influence in increasing the average attendance and in popularizing the school system. In some counties the people have been awakened to a sense of the necessity thus indicated, and the erection of 272 new houses is reported. Some of these have been paid for out of the school fund, some have been built by private enterprise, and others by combined individual and public funds. The school fund is too small to provide for such constructions, without discontinuing the schools for a limited period, which is a serious evil. The school directors have been earnestly advised to secure private aid when practicable. But in some districts this can not be done, and it becomes an alternative to fall back on the school fund, or to have no schools. In such cases the directors have been advised to build the houses, as an indispensable necessity, it becoming, in the language of the law, the only way open "to promote the interest of schools in their respective districts." Convenience of location to the residents of the district, and health and comfort to the pupils, are also enjoined as being required by the conditions of any material advance in the improvement of schools. Nothing but absolute poverty and destitution should prevent the erection of a commodious school-house, with good seats, black-boards and elementary charts in every neighborhood of the State.

Were such improvements provided and the Public Schools thus made comfortable and attractive, they would, like the comfortable and attractive home, captivate the affections of the most obstinate opponents of the system.