The first problem presented was how to establish some satisfactory means of school support, which should be permanent, and thus conducive to better schools in every way. Recommendations from the yearly meetings dwelt upon this point in the yearly advices, but being of a general and advisory character, could not compel the lower units to act at once. This lack of power in a control authority was the greatest weakness, and because of it, educational development was not so rapid as it might otherwise have been. The chief forms of school support were: (1) _subscription_, (2) _rates_, (3) _bonds_, and (4) _legacies_. In accordance with suggestions made by the yearly meeting, plans were adopted by most meetings (in the latter half of the century) for the establishment of permanent funds. These plans were based upon the subscription idea. The chief characteristics of the plans adopted were: 1. Voluntary subscriptions; interest-bearing notes given. 2. Trustees always named in the monthly meetings. 3. Reports to be made regularly to the trustees. 4. All money received was to be invested, real property preferred. 5. The monthly meeting to decide any disputes arising among trustees. 6. Funds were to pay salaries, and provide and repair buildings. [Sidenote: Organization] The organization was headed by the yearly meeting, whose advices were distributed among the lower units. The quarterly meeting was nothing more than a supervisory and directing group. The real work of organizing schools was performed by the monthly and preparative meetings. The other quarterly and monthly meetings worked through specially appointed committees. [Sidenote: The school lands] [Sidenote: Houses] Several schools, in Philadelphia and Abington, for example, very early acquired permanent lands for their foundation. Others did not gain such foundations until the latter part of the eighteenth century. Even where land was possessed, the schools were quite often held for a time in the meeting houses. Sometimes the meeting house was used until late in the 19th century, as in the case of the Merion School. Other schools were held in the home of the teacher. The buildings were not large, and were often used for the masters’ families, or parts of them let out to tenants. In one case in Philadelphia the schoolhouse was heated for a time with a brick stove. [Sidenote: Two classes of pupils] [Sidenote: Growth of schools] There were always two classes recognized, the _pay pupil_ and the _free pupil_. Every necessity was furnished the latter by the board or committee in charge of schools. Teachers (in Philadelphia, at least) had to keep a list of scholars and their expenditures and report to the board. The size of schools remained about the same, but the increase in number of schools indicated the growth of the system in Philadelphia. [Sidenote: Length of school week and day] [Sidenote: Vacations] [Sidenote: Supervision]