The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-02-08
.,ueo,. SUPERINTENDENT REPORT

v oiS "i iNSS'Pp"H |
the annual report of the superintendent OF
public instruction of Montana for the year
1880. In explaining the cause for the de-
lay of his report. Mr.. Smith justly complains
of the hardness of district and county school
officers in making out and forwarding their
reports as required by law, and suggests leg's-
lation to remedy the evil. The superintent'
ent's suggestion should be needed in this
matter, for if school reports are of any value
whatever to the territory some measure should
be devised that would insure their timely
presentation to the proper school officers. In
discussing the faults and disadvantages from
which our public schools now suffer, MIR.
Smith says: "The paramount reeds for the
establishments and success of our system OF
schools, are: 1. Educated and competent
teachers. 2. A yearly school term of not
less than five months minimum duration"
He adds that to secure the first "there should
be instituted a competent test Of fitness be-
fore the teacher is admitted to practice, and
after he is admitted there should be a rigid
inspection of his work. In regard to the
SSCOllu VII. OuilGl duNloOS ILdo W POI SAo "a
the school fund be equally divided among the
districts, and the remainder according to the
school census, and furthermore, that the
maximum rate of taxation for school pur-
poses be made 4 mills. There is evidently a
typographical error in this recommendation
for the maximum rate is now 5 mills, and we
are satisfied that Mr.. Smith would not ad-
wise a reduction of taxation for the purpose
of extending the school term. "Maximum,"
we think, should read "minimum." The
proposition to divide 10 per cent. of the
school funds equally among the several
school districts will not, W. think, meet with
much favor among the populous districts of
the territory. The carrying out of this propo-
sition would be a recognition of the principle
that large districts should contribute to the
support of small ones. lfthis principle is a
sound one it would naturally follow that
%populous counties should be taxed to assist
less populous ones in the education of their
children. While we all have a common In
terest in The education of the children of the
territory, it can hardly be expected that the
citizens of any one district would consent to
the transfer of any portion of their school
funds to another district. AS there are but
few districts in the territory that are able to
support a school for more than eight or nine
months in the year, it would be unjust to
compel them to shorten the terms of their
schools to extend those of less favorably stu
ated ones.
III view of the plethoric condition of the
territorial treasury would it not be the better
plan for the legislature to make provision fol-
the setting apart of a certain per cent. of the
territorial revenue which shall be used sole.
ly for the purpose of aiding to maintain com,
mon schools for an annual term of five Or six
months, in the sparsely settled or impover.
ished districts? We think it would. AS the
territory must provide for its criminals We
hold it is a part of its duty to aid in the edu.
cation of its children to the end that they
may become intelligent and useful citizens
rather than a charge upon its hands.
Thu total amount of revenue raised fol-
school purposes during the year amounted tc
SIS, 729.34. Average paid male teachers
Stl.uf. APCIdSC pdlu lcllldlc JcaCLGIS. poU.fl
f The total value of school houses S11S,912.45
| Cost of tuition per month for each pupil was
l SOB. There are 1913 public schools ant
f 1910 children between 4 and p years of age
and fourteen private schools with 211 pupils
: in the territory. Eight counties reported
= 1921 children not attending any school
! Twenty-one new districts have been form
ed and twenty new school houses have beef
built during the year. The average duration
r of. school in days is, in eight counties that re
: ported, SO Lewis and Clarke leading will
+ an average of lis, and Jefferson and Misoul
the lowest, each with an average of IS. TIL
report is replete with valuable and interest
9 ing statistics which show great care in thei
compilation. While the condition of on
It public schools is, in the main, gratifying, til
r statistical tables prove that there is a larg
e margin in which improvement may be made
u Mr.. Numbers amendment to the diyisio
= bill, providing that the officers of Deer Lodc
> county shall be eX-otficio officers of Silve
3 Bow county for the term, was defeated in th
= house when the bill was under discussion i
committee of the whole. The most impor
ant amendment to the bill was the or
. changing the line of division. just whel
the line is now fixed our report of legislati,
y proceedings fails to show. After sever;
amendments of a not very important chara'
> ter were adopted, Mr.. DeWolfe moved tn
the committee report the bill to the hou'
and recommend that il do pass, which motto