The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1877-05-24
Another Fraud.

The last Legislature was unusually active in
setting ap jobs We have heretofore spoken of
the law relative to weights and measures, by
which an immense job is put into the hands of
the Secretary of State and some manufacturer of
weights and measures, which will cost each
County at least $500, aud every business man in
the State from three to Eve dollars. At the re-
quest of the Secretary of State, the Attorney
General has given au opinion on this law, with
all the learning of Chief Ju stice Story, in which
be decides that the act is not oply legal, but j.
mandatory and peremptory. We are happy to
say that the County Board of Doniphau County
has determined not to bleed on this job, and will
not receive any traps that may be ordered by
any other officer.
But We started out to spot an other fraud. 1t
is the County Normal Institute law. The Legis-
lature, by refusing to make appropriations for
the Normal Schools Of the State closed those in
stitutions, and threw out Of employment num-
ber of persons who had been having fat thing,
as professors" and teachers. Therefore, the
Legislature passed this County. Normal Institute
act, by which the Counties aud the poor, scanti-
ly- paid teachers are compelled 70 support those
Normal tramps Here is the ingenious way in
which it is to work: The conductors and instruc-
tors in those Normal Institutes shall be only such
persons as have passed the necessary examina-
tion and secured certificate from the State
Board of Examiners. This places the work in
the hands of a certain class, who can form an as
sociation to fix their own times and salaries.
The County Institutes are to be held at times
fixed upon by the County Superintendent, after
| confsrring with he State Superintendent. The
\ -. Gnl.1
| in which all their time can bs occupied; and of
| course, time must be set when legal instruc-
| tor can attend. Through the State Superintend-
ent, they can thus fix the County Institutes at
times, one after another, to keep themselves con-
stantly at work, at big wages. The institutes
are to be held four weeks ina County. The
| State gives each County $50 per year; the Conn
| ty Board is required to give 500. Every teach
er who applies for q certificate, is black-mailed
81 before the certificate can be granted There
are from IS to 100 teachers employed in Doni-
pan County each year. Then, each person who
attends the Institute, must pay registration
fee of 81; and this ingenious fraud is worked,
| that School District Boards are advised in virtu
ally the language of command, to give the pref
erence, in hiring teachers, to those only who at
tend the Institutes. This forces each teacher tG
come down with another 81, besides their board
and other expenses. In Doniphan County, then,
We have, say, $50 from the State, 500 from the
County, SIS for teachers certificates, and SIS for
Registration" fees of teachers-total, $500. The
expenses of the Institute, aside from the salaries
of conductors and instructors, will be very small
for the public school buildings will be used. of
this money, at least s275 will be available for
services One conductor and one instructor six,
days in q week, for four weeks, can receive from
IS to &c per day, and carry it on from County t.
Coanty, throughout the entire year. Decidedly
fat thing.
Now, if these frauds are to be kept up at the
expense of the poor teachers besides compelling
them to give a month of their time, with its con
sequent expenses, how can school teachers live al
the wages they are now receiving, with employ
ment for most of them but from three to sz
months in year, and none of them more than
nine monthsi