The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1878-03-13
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$50 80" '''''N'f w 'N'il pun Va
the system. TO do this, we must
have skilled and competent County
'Snpcrintcndcnts, who will make their
service speciality, and who can visit
the schools and inspire parents, toacli,
ers, and pupils with a living interest,
encourage, improve, and tram up Il
qualified cla-- az teachers, hold lns,i-
tuts', Organize graded schools whcr-
ever the opportunities admit, adjust /.
properly the district boundaries. see
tha, good school houscs are built. and .
attend to toe hundred detail. q! hasi- /
ut>s incidental to tina position" | .
have prepared bill, which will he .
presented for your consideration, aud .
which has received the 7pp. oval u the F..
best Commissioners and educators in .
the State, which provides such condi- T.
tons Of candidacy tSlt no incompetent
man can he introduced to the po,ition. /.
II require. candidates to have GER
tiiic:i- of qualification from Board
of Examiners appointed by the State
Board. IL conditions the three dollars
paw for visiting , district upon the
performances Of certain important du-
ties. and Oh receiving a certificate from
the teacher that the school has been
visited and III. Official duties executed.
II permits a County Court Of Cyim-,
If it desires 10 secure other services
and mo-c time ffom the Commission
er. 10 supplement his salary from the
county lew. 1t provide. for a con
vculional arrangement, hy which two
or three counties may unite and Sc
cure a Commissioner, who shall devote
his whole time to the duties of the
office and he paid for his services the
salary apportiored 10 the several
counties thus s.reeing. l. gives the
Commissioner the RICH; - condemn Il
school-houss unGt for Use, and to order
new and comfortable Que built
Til, bill disrupts nothing. 1t simply
requires the work paid for to b. dons
by = competent officer. Thi. county
supervision will save more to the SyS-
TEN than il costs. An enterprlslng
Commissioner, qualified rs this bill re-
quires, in each Of the counties Of the
State. will produce ten times the cost
to the teachers and the system. Re
trench this Si0,0a0 paid to Commis-
Sioners, and YOU do not add over FIVE
dollars 10 the appointment of each
School District; | doubt whether
there Is an intelligent teacher in the
State who would, in order TO receive
this money, he willing TO part with the
officer who represents his interests,
when Imperfect by caprice, cupidity,
and ignorance. Efficient County Com,
missionership is what ia needed; and
| pray that the Legislature will not
amputate what tho distinguished Su.
perintenaent of Illinois has properly
called 1.-The right arm of the system.
DISTRICT TAXATION.
l reafIirm her. my sincere convic
ton that there can be no large ant
rapid development of our school sys
tenn without local taxation. | make
| Two S'RStSlioil5.
"FIRsT. The law concerning dis
trict taxation should be changed =,
that the vote could he taken at any
time, after fifteen days public notice
! had been given. 1t is sometimes tn,
case that the people, not knowing VIII,
, IL to he employed rs teacher, are IN
willing 10 vote tax for his bette
payment, when, if informed at son'
later period, they would cheerful,
!, vote for the levy. Then, again, some
/, times the matter of crops, how they
, are to yield in quantity, quality, anC
> values, determine largely the dispo
sition Of the electors. Then, again
I, through ignorance, indifference, o
neglect, the Trustee may omit the lc
gal notices a, prescribed time. al,
!. thus forestall or defeat TIE wishes %
the patrons of district, when, it per
/ mi;ted to submit the question at 0the
times, the desirable point could b,
a carried Ii is quite often the case tina
the question IS agitated-n towns 4: ;
4 season when, under the existing stat
ute, il cannot be tested at the polls
, but if this arbitrary limitation to d
!. specific date we're removed, the poin
. could he carried, and 4 good graded
: school could be established"
SECOND. Some reader mean
. should be provided for the collectior
= of district taxes when levied. | sug
gest the power be given the Commis
: sioner, upon the recommendation q
the Trustee, TO appoint a collecto
!, who shall give bond) to collect tn,
! taxes; he to be paid the sama com
pensation for his services rs is allowe
!, the sheriff for collecting State taxes
The Trustees should he given pOwe
"a to collec, by distraint."
In these two simple suggestions
. discern more enlargement than i
% everything else that has been prt
= posed. Do these two things if nothin
:, else.
!, | have opposed general schoC
;, bill. because it aggregated upon il
=. final passage all the objections TO il
!, details, and defeated it; hut the tim
. is so short that, if it is the purpose {
n the General Assembly to attempt I
Is improve the school system, / woul
, suggest that the committe
= of the Senate and Hous
= meet in Joint session and endeavOr I
= mature a bill that would meet wit
!, general favor, and thus dispose Of tn
a. whole subject.
- Gentlemen of the Legislature,
\ have thus presented to you my view
N They are only valuable az they are III
!, product OF much observations and eS
+ perience, obtained during tenure q
q six years of State Superintendent,
= and an industrious employment of m
opportunities to study the defects an
e. remedies of our school svstem.
- II NJ