Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1884-01-10

mentS.
! Should the counties be divided
into districts, local trustees should
be elected in each district and the
: general management and control
, ofthe school confided to this board.
No more efficient way OF promot.
ing school interests can be sugges-
ted than to enlist the patrons in
their management under general
system of laws. Sometimes mat
tors might not please all !; but, at
last, if each. community succeeds in
pleasing itself, others may well be
content.
Whether or not the time has ar
rived to authorize districts to levy
a tax, and, if so, to what extent, is
submitted to your sound discretion.
! As means of forcing the teach
ers to make regular reports, so as
to enable the counties to forward
their reports to the Educational
Department, the law should forbid
payments to teachers until their
reports shall have been made.
REDEMPTION OF LANDS PURCHASED BY
THE STATE PoR THE NoN-PAF-
MENT OF TAXES.
This is different question from
that ofan extension of time for re-
demption. Here the titles has be-
come completely vested in the
State, and the State is required to
place these lands on the market to
the highest bidder and if the origi-
nal owner desires to. become the
owner again, he must take his
chances with other bidders. There
can be no reasonable objection to
allowing original owners, who
wish to be reinvested with title to
such property, to pay. the State
such sum as the Comptroller may
name, so as to reimburse the State,
to include the whole tax due up
to the date ofredemption, with an
nual interest at eight per cent. and
costs of every character.
THE PROTECTION OF THE PROPERTY
OF THE svArE AT THE CAPITAL.
The law provides no ADEQUATE
mode by. which the public servants
of the State can protect the prop
erty of the State at this place.
There is constant outlay of money
for repairs to the government
properly here, and the members of
the Legislature cannot well under.
stand how it is that large appro-
priations are asked for and &C.
tually required to repair grounds,
fences and public buildings and
furniture. 1 regret to say that
there appears to be feeling here
that seems to indicate that the
State should not look to the ordi- |
nary methods, and 1 recommend |
the enactment of a law that will |
enable the public servants at the |
capital to protect the public prop
erty.
JUDICIAL DISTRICTS.
1t will be found upon examine
ton that the judicial district bill |
passed at the regular session of
the Eighteenth Legislature, which
takes elect, 1884, needs
some corrections and amendments
to cure certain defects, which have
from time to time been pointed |
out by members of your own bod
les.
INVESTMENT OF THE SCHOOL FUNDS.
Inasmuch as the Legislature sub
mitted an amendment to the Con-
stitution, which was adopted in
August last, providing that the
board of Education should invest
the permanent school fund in Uni
ted States, State or county bonds,
land in such other securities and |
under such regulations as may be
prescribed by law" have deem
ed it proper to give the Legislature
a chance to say whether or not
other securities than those named
should be purchased.
1t is proper to observe that the
Board of Education, since the adop-
ton of the amendment, has inves-
ted 81, 955, 1882 of the school fund
in county bonds. The bulk of the
amount has been invested in 6 per
cents at par.
i have no recommendations to
make about "other securities" for
investing the school fund. If per-
mission is granted counties to fund
their indebtedness, 1 have no doubt
but that county bonds will absorb
all the permanent school and asy-
lum funds for years to come.
In the opinion of the Board of
Education, there could not be two
bodies, each with plenary power
to invest the school funds in Uni
ted States, State and county bonds,
and as this, by the Constitution, is
to be done under the direction of
the Board of Education, it was be-
lieyed that the Constitution was, to
that extent, self-acting, and no leg
islation was necessary; hence the
Board, in the interest of free
schools and to save the people
from taxation, proceeded at once
to loan the permanent fund to
counties, and 1t is now all invested
in not less than 6 per cent. valid
county bonds.
The United States and State
bonds owned by the school fund
might be transferred to the univer-
sity fund at better rates than could
be obtained from the market, and
result IN advantage to both funds
as the school fund could be easily
reinvested in county bonds at
better interest than it is drawing
at present, while the university
fund can only be invested in State ,
and Federal bonds, for which ,
high premium must be paid in the
markets.
EXPOSITION Ar NEW ORLEANS.
1t would seem that laudable
pride in our State, IS well as the
material advantages to accrue,
which at once suggests themselves
to members, should induce us to
take steps to properly represent
the State at the worlds fair to be !
held at New..Orleans, beginning in
December next, and l earnestly {
recommend suitable provisions be
made for that purpose. /