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to my District.  Few houses, however, have been built during the past year, as it was found that those already provided were more than could be furnished with competent teachers.

This work in the country has required many long hard journeys, and a very extensive correspondence, and many other quite varied labors.  A letter like the enclosed is received;  a reply must be written stating the exact terms on which aid will be granted.  Then often the place must be visited to determine if the land is well located, and the enterprise likely to succeed.  After the house is done, a teacher must be obtained;  here is more correspondence, and then he must be examined and sent to the field by routes which are sometimes closed, and sometimes open;  very uncertain how he will get along, or who will meet him.  If it is a lady the case is still worse.

Books for the scholars must be obtained from the Cities.  Most of the country stores have Comley's spelling-book, and that is about all, and City book-sellers require some one to be responsible for books sent out.  Thus I have been required to keep an account with the teachers, and pay their book-bills.  Then monthly reports must be obtained and consolidated.  In this work the aid of my clerk, Mr. [[underlined]] Crosby [[/underlined]] has been invaluable as well as in the general work of my office.

Schools need to be visited often.  Few of the whites will give them any attention, and the blacks are not capable of so doing.  I have found too that public examinations at the close of the schools, accomplish great good.  By a notice in advance the parents and friends are brought together on examination day.  Teachers and pupils work harder in view of this occasion, and the school winds up with honor to both parties.  And any old board bill or other small debt is then liquidated, if it has not been before, with a view to a good exhibit when the school publicly closes.

During the summer large educational mass meetings are very necessary to continue the interest, and instruct the people in many ways.  A large number of such meetings have been held.

The Actuaries of the Baltimore and Delaware Association have located many teachers without our direct aid, but their teachers like those immediately accountable to me, need far more personal visitation than I have been able to give.  Then any spare time has been well bestowed on the City schools right about me.

The prospects for the coming term are very good.  As I have already reported, a large number of students are going into the work for the summer.

The New England Association has promised to aid as much as during last year.  In fact I know of no association that will withdraw from the work except the New York Branch F. W. Commission, and the New York Friends, and their places will be 

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more than made good, I trust, by the larger number sent out by the Presby. St. Mission, and the Baptist St. Mission Societies.

The Baltimore Association, through its actuary Mr. [[underlined]] John Core [[/underlined]] have already informed me that they intend to continue the schools of last year, but with very little if any increase of that number.  This will leave a large number of places in Maryland to be supplied by other societies, who have depended upon the Bureau to locate their teachers and care for their schools.  If the Bureau shall continue to do this work this year as it has for the last, and will say to the Pa. Branch F. W. Commission, the Presby. St. Mission, the Baptist St. Mission and the American Missionary Association, we will locate all the teachers you will give us, in places where prosperous schools will be gathered;  then I think a sufficient number of teachers may be furnished to supply the field.  If these societies shall be forced on the other hand to enter the field by their own agents or through the Baltimore Association, and make arrangements with the colored people, then I believe many places where the way is open for fine schools will not be filled.

It is believed that the State of Maryland will assume the support of many of their schools before or by the end of the year.  It is desirable that a large number should be in operation when the State takes the work.

I recommend that very little attention be paid to West Virginia during the coming term.  The State has a good school system, and we are not now being called upon to aid in building school-houses there.  The colored people are few and far apart.  It is difficult to keep up a knowledge of the schools or receive from them any regular reports.  With the exception of the schools at Harper's Ferry, and those in Berkley and Jefferson Counties I recommend that we cease to care for the State of West Virginia as an educational field.

The District of Columbia with the exception of the Society schools, including the High and Normal schools, is now quite independent of us.  The public schools have not been reported to us for months.  I recommend that we pay but little attention to these schools, other than what becomes good citizens.  It is true, in my opinion, that Congress should enact a good school law which should place all the schools of the city under one school board, and give them a large fund from the General Government.  But the Bureau may well have the burden of securing the passage of such a law to the citizens of the District.  Action on our part to secure better school privileges from the General Government has been regarded in the past with some degree of suspicion especially