Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-01-25
HOW IT WILL OPERATE.

We invite special attention to the bill IN
troduced by Senator Hall to make the school
text book bill operative. It is as follows:
SECTION 1. AS soon as may be after any
county superintendent shall have received from
any district clerk the estimate of the number
of books required for the supply of his dis
trict as provided by section four of the said
shall be the duty of such county super
intendent to file true copy thereof
certified under his hand with the county
auditor of his county, and thereupon such
county auditor shall make out and lodge with
the county treasurer of the county statement
certifying the total cost of all the books inclu-
ded in such estimate of the district clerk at the
prices named in section three of the said act to
which this act is supplementary, with FIVE per
centum added thereto, to meet any expenses
which may be incurred in the transmission of
such books from the contractor to the county
auditor of such county.
SEC. 2. Upon the receipt of any county
treasurer from the county auditor of his coun-
ty, of any such statement as is mentioned In
the last preceding section it shall be the duty
of such county treasurer to retain the total sum
specified therein, out of any moneys belonging
or payable to such school district arising from
taxation then in his hands, or which thereafter
may come to his hands.
SEC. 3.-The moneys retained by the county
treasurer in pursuance Of the next preceding
section shall be applied to the repayment to
the county of the amount paid by it
into the State treasury on account OF
the books furnished for the school
district to which the moneys retained belong
| or payable. In case any portion OF the
moneys so retained should remain after the
county shall have been fully repaid, the
| amount SO paid by it into the State Treasury,
such surplus shall be paid over. to the proper
school district.
SEC. 4-The County Treasurer of any County
which has heretofore paid or which may here
after pay into the State treasury in pursuance
OF the said act to which this act is supplement
tary, any sum of money on account OF books
furnished for any school district, upon any
estimate of the clerk of such district, made
prior to the passage of this act shall retain out
OF any moneys in his hands, or out of the first
moneys thereafter coming into his hands
arising from taxation and belonging or payable
to such school district the amount SO by the
county paid into the State treasury.
| SEC. 5.-The moneys received by the clerk OF
any school district for books by him sold IN
pursuance of the provisions Of the said act to
which this act is supplementary, shall be PAID
to the treasurer of the same district for the use
| and benefit of such district.
SEC. 6.-This act shall take effect and be in
force from and after its passage, provided that
the State textbook contractor shall file within
sixty days with the Secretary of State his writ.
ten acceptance of the same.
Nothing more than this bill is necessary to
show the error this State has made by as
Stunning paternal duties. District Clerks are
to report how many books they think will be
needed, and upon these loose and uncertain
estimates the County Treasurer is to pay
over the money to the State Auditor
who disburses it to the contractors.
Tho Or,1v thirer which coo,,,o r., J,o
about this arrangement is the fact that the
State will buy school books, and the taxpay
ers at large will have to pay for them. How
can the district clerk determine how many
books are needed, and after he has guessed
the amount, what certainty, or even proba
bility, is there that he can collect the pay
In the meantime the money has gone from
the general treasury and, to great extent
never will be restored. Every provision Of
the law ensures the out-pouring o
the money, with no certainty of its restora
ton.
District Clerks, who give no bonds, and ar
oftentimes ignorant and incompetent, as vel
as Irresponsible, are the men upon whom
rests the responsibility of determining HOY
many books shall be bought, and also hoy
many shall be paid for. If this is the wa
the textbook law is to be made operative,
will prove the most expensive contract tn
State has ever undertaken. Sinbad, with til
} Old Man of the Sea upon his shoulders, wa
lightly laden in comparison with the fftee
year job hung upon the neck of Minnesota
and about to be formally executed.