The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-28
" honest! What Is the qualification

~ honest! What Is the qualification
of the average school district clerk,
who discharges his duty without com.
pensatiOn! Ask MIR. Burt, your State
Superintendent, this question. lie has
had several years experience in exam
lining the reports of distric, clerks.
Ask any one OF the Is county superin-
tendents this question. l know all
about it. l have been there. Take
the annual report of the district clerks
to the county superintendent, and in
their financial statements Of the
money received and discussed during
the year, there are not four out Of
every hundred who can balance their
accounts. and show how much money
they had on hand at the beginning of
the year, how much has been received
and expended within the year, and
how much remains on hand in the dis
trict treasury. This may seem to
many gentlemen who hear me, an ex.
aggerated statement but it is never
theless true as holy writ. although
they have printed blanks to simply fill
up with the items of information re-
quired. The great majority of these
district clerks are Woodworking farm
ers. entirely unaccustomed to keeping
any sort of book accounts requiring &C
curacy of detail. Mr.. Burt will con-
firm every word have here uttered in
regard to the accuracy of reports from
tho average district clerks. But sup
pose he were capable of doing this
duty accurately. are you going to i'm.
pose this labor upon him! Are you
going to make every district clerks
house a book store and make him
bookseller! II this scheme is to be car.
ried into effect, either he, or the teach
er must sell the books to the pupils in
the district. The teacher cannot do
it, for all his time is needed out of his
regular school hours to prepare him.
self for the duties Of the coming day.
Unless he do this he will fail of sue
cess asa teachers,as certainly as a law
yer would fail who should 90 into
court without having made any pre-
vious preparation for conducting the
business of his clients. The clerk
must either 60 to the school.house to
Sell the pupils the books, or he must
remain at home during the first weeks
Of the school, and have all the chill
dren of the district running to his
house to buy books. Johnny and Susie
will come to him and say, 81 want a
new book: but papa hasn' the money
tO.day-he says he will have it Satur-
day, or next week." The little fellows
cannot he denied new book; and 50
the books are scattered broad cast over
the State Oh credit. Who does not
know that the majority of the farmers
OF Minnesota buy their groceries, boots
and shoes, dry goods, and their school
books on credit, to be paid for after
they harvest and thrash their wheat?
But the district clerks cannot trust out
d fifty cent book here, and a thirty cent
book there. He must do cash bust
ness-but farmers have been in the
habit OF getting trusted, and they
would rather buy where their credit is
good.
Who that will stop and examine this
subject cannot see that it is perfectly
tmpracticable And that it will end
in Il magnificent, and gigantic failure?
! Now, how can all this trouble and diff
| ticulty, which have pointed out, be
avoided answer, by simply letting
the matter severely alone. Let the
people, as they always have, manage
their own affairs. Let them buy their
| books where they can get them cheap
| est, and sell their wheat where they
can get the most for it. Why should
the Legislature under take to Interfere
to regulate what should regulate it.
self When have the people
asked any such interference Again:
Look at the. iron. clad provisions
of section eleven, in reference to the
payments of appointments to dis
tricts unless they are willing to have
the use of these books forced upon
them, whether they like the books or
not. 1t is irOn-clad with eleven inch
plates, and Il double revolving turret.
Unless the district shall consent to use
these books, they are to be deprived
of their share of the curl ent school
fund: 1t is exceedingly questionable
whether such a provision would be
constitutional. Again: The commits.
sion provided for the selection of the
books is entirely too small. There
should be at least five or seven men on
the board. The State University, the
Normal schools, and the city graded
schools should be represented by the
best qualified men connected with those
several institutions. Instead Of which
the bill provides that this very re.
sponsible duty shall be performed by
three men, one of whom, at least, is
unknown outside of his immedi tie To-
cality. There is no provision made for
the perpetuation of the board in case
OF failure to serve, death, or resigna.