Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-04-23
For the Freeman.
The SclOOl Laws.

The ScIOOI Laws.
| Mr. EDITOR In the FREEMAN Of April l6,
| notice an article copied from the Rutland
Herald, in which Hon. l.. II. Kellogg of
Benson gives his reasons for introducing the
" bill - to amend the school tax law, and
why be thought it was needed.
Perhaps, if Mr.. Kellogg had taken the
pains to look up the subject, and had under
stood the general practice of school districts
throughout the State he might have seen the
subject in different light. | think be would
have found the general practice throughout
the State to have been the same as the Her.
aid says it is in Rutland-which is to raise
money at the annual school meeting for the
expenses of the current, and not the past
year.
But the trouble is somebody has an axe to
grind. And that is what is the trouble with
our school laws generally. However, | am
glad that something so manifestly uncalled
for has been done, if it only serve the pur
pose to call the attention of the people to a
subject of vital importance to themselves,
and hope it will lead them to LOOK into the
workings of the school law more closely
The people have been asleep in regard to
this thing and need waking up. | am afraid
there is too much truth in what the Herald
says about our school laws being in muddle.
The fact is, the law makers have gone on
adding to and amending our school laws, un-
/ Il IL, 1;sa Cd hava Ipi
into apathy and Indifference to the whole
thing-seemingly content to let the few run
the thing altogether. But we see some signs
Of an awakening to the fact that something
ground that everything is not just as it
should be.
! For instance, there appears to be wide
spread and increasing dissatisfaction with the
management Of the School Book question,
and people are heard asking why do We have
to pay three times as much for the same
class of books as we did before the war?
Now it is a stubborn fact, that when we
compare prices of school books with the
prices of other necessaries of liie-both be-
fore aud since the war,-we find difference
against the books of at least 100 per cent.
That il, school books cost double what they
ought to. And what is the cause? 1t is
mani(estly the operation of our school laws
that causes this burden on the people. Yes,
on those people who are least able to bear
the burden.
of la n
school books is to create monopoly OF the
same The gist of the matter is, somebody
wanted an axe ground, and found somebody
els, to help harness the people to the grin d.
stone. And they must turn or suffer.
Another thing, the manner in which the
public school money is divided among the
districts, is now fixed by law, so as to make
the small districts suffer-in their pockets, at
f least. As the law now is, no district can
draw any money, unless they maintain TWEEN
ty weeks school, during the school year.
have in my mind small district -smal
in list, but respectable in number of schol-
ars-wbich, with grand list of less than
one hundred dollars, and striving to build a
school-house, were compelled to raise nearly
100 per cent of their grand list to support
a school for fifteen weeks, feeling that was
7 all they could do, aud as consequence re-
3 ceving none of the public money, their
, share going to help the larger and richer
districts, those which needed it least.
{ The tendency Of what is called Common
? School legislation for several years past
1 has been-not to make common schools bet.
. ter, but more expensive. How often do we
y hear the expression, IS Schools are no better
n governed or taught than they were twenty
e years ago, and they cost double"
e What is the remedy? Is it not in the &C
: ton of those most interested? IN the inves
t tIgation and discussion of the whole subject
o by the comm on people?
y IF left entirely to those who have shaped
t legislation for few years pist-men who
;, have pet institution, or academy, to build
o up, a nice book to introduce, or fat salary
It to obtain, it will not be righted.
e Not that we would undervalue our -hig heI
j. institutions of learning, but that they be moi
: built up at the expense of common schools.
e and by laws claimed to be made for their
t benefit. Perhaps a few more amendments,
t operating as favorably as that to the. tai
8 Iaw,'' might serve to awaken attention to
o this subject. A.
: Worcester. April 49,.
. RExARKs.-Not only the remedy for any
temporary middle in our school-iaWs' but
also the hope of any real, permanent ad-
vance in our common Schools lies " in the