The Van Buren press., 1875-02-02
The Senate scaool Bill.
little Rock Gazette, January o,h. !

4
The senate has passed \ bill providing
for a general system of public schools,
reported by the committee on education,
of which Mr.. House is chairman This
bill the Republican has attacked, as it
does all other measures, good or bad,
and predicts for it a iailure a short
synopsis of the provisions of the bill
which is necessarily lengthy. may not be
out of place as gener answer to our
cross grained contemporary. Itproviles
that the proceeds of all lands that have
been, or hereafter may be, granted by the
| United States, and not osherwise appro
piated by the United Stres or this stale,
also, all moneys, stocks, bonds, lands,
and other property now belonging to any
fund for purposes of education also, the
net proceeds of sales of lands, and
other property and eifecus, that may ac-
cruc to this state by eschcat or from sales
of estrays, or from unclaimed dividends
or distributive shares of the estate of de-
ceased persons, or from fines, penalties or
forfei ures; also, any proceeds OF the
sale of public lands which may have
been, or may be hereafter paid over to
the state congress consentng); also,
ten per cent of the net proceeds of sales
of all state lands; also, all the grants,
gifts or devises that have been. or here
after may be, made to thi, state, and not
otherwise appropriated by the tenure Of
the grant, gift or devise, Shall he secure
ly invested, and sacredy preserved as the
public school fund, that shall be designa
ted as the common sche,.l fund Of the
state, and which shall b@ct.,e common
property of the state.
1t also provides for a pef capita tax of
one dollar on every male inhabitant over
the age of twenty years, which is to
be collected and paid into the county
treasury, and to be appropriated for the
benefit of the free schools in such county.
IL also authorizes the qualified electors
ofthe school districts to levy tax upon
themselves not to exceed five mills on
the dollar. which is to be exclusively
used for the benefit of such district. 1t
establishes the Office of county superin.
tendent, and provides fora county exam
iner, t. be appointed by the county
court, who receives no fee or salary for
examination The bill also provides for
three school directors in each school dis
trlct, to be elected by the voters Of the
district The directors are exempt from
road and jury duty, but receive no
further compensation.
1t creates the Office Of state supern.
tendent, who receives "a salary of two
thousand dollars per AMMAN for his ser
eices, and sum not to exceed five hun
drcd dollars for his actual travelling eX
penses while in the discharge Of the du
ties OF his office This is the only sal
ared office the bill provides for. The
Republican contends, as did two or three
members of the senate, that the constitu.
ton prohibits the creation of this office.
The judiciary committee OF the senate
and the attorney general and other leid-
ing lawyers decide that it is perfectly
competent to create this oilice-and they
are perhaps as well informed as the
quack lawyer Of the Republican, indeed
we do not think there is any doubt as to
the power Of the legislature in this re.
spect
Let this system be compared with the
old one. and it will readily be seen which
of the two is least cumbersome and eX.
pensive Under The old ~ stem there was
q state superintendent .ssh a s:s'try o!
S3, 500 per year and ten circuit superin-
tendcnls each, with Il salary Of $4,000,
besides the expense of keeping up an
office for each. On an average they cost
the state $4,000 per year Two years
ago the office Of circuit superintendent
was abolished aud county superintend
ents substituted. The salaries the lat
ter average $500 each-showing about
the same expense as under the old sys-
TEN of circuit superintendcnts
Under this act passed by the senate,
the expense will not exceed S25OO per
year SO, on the score Of expense, this
system is much preferable to the old one
The means provided for permanent
school fund are more ample than under
the old law. The tax provided for the
school is sufficient The tax goes to the
maximum limit fixed by the constitution.
1t is very difficult to organize an
efficient and complete school system at
this time, owing to the depressed finan
cial condition Of the state, brought about
by che thieving party recently driven
from power, and Of which the Republican
is the champion But the bill passed by
the senate is perhaps as good measure
as could be agreed upon and adopted at
this time.
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