The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-17

! arrsyed against the Office OF County Super.
intendent, and they would net permit such
officers TO visit the schools under their Jurls
diction. The gentlemen of this House should
look well before they strike this fatal blow at
our Public School system. Though there
may be but five months school term In .
year, yet the Superintendent has other duties,
and many OF them, TO perform. he has those
duties that the law provides nothing more,
nothing less This effort 10 stab our school
system should be driven from this hall at
once.
Mr.. BROWNING: / sincerely hope that
the motion 10 indefinitely postpone the bill
" Il prevail Last week some on the floor
Of this House commended that the Township
Trustees were not competent 10 elect the
County School superintendents- they
should DE selected by the Slate Board of
Education. Now they come at as with the
proposition to have these Trustees stand over
and guard the Superintendents. If you
want 10 repeal the law and destroy the OIL
fee come out boldly and say so.
Mr. PATTEN: The idea OF man stand
ing on the floor OF this House and talking
about stabbing our public school system is
+ humbug Ii certainly is not the intention
+ OF the lawmakers or the Taxpayers to have
this law 10 create an Office for somebody.
f The laws are 10 advance the education OF
the children. Twelve years ago we got
i along well enough with the plain School
/ Examiner. Now we have Boards of Ednca-
ton, Trustees and County School Super
+ lntendent. And this Superintendent rides
/ around ana draws his 81 per day for
riding in his buggy or a sleigh. Gentle
men, II is robbery-nothlng less. The rich
can SEND their children to graded schools,
i but the poor must be content with the pub.
! lie schools. And would ii not be better for
this money-this 81 per day-to be expend.
ed in another direction? Apply it where it
! will benefit the children give them nine
FIVE months. The County Superi ntendents
! of this State cost on an average of g. 200
each.
! Mr.. MOODY | have the figures to show
/ that the AVERAGE is not $500 each per year
Mr.. PATTEN: Even that is too much Tor
the good they DO.
Mr.. CORY. Does the gentleman know
/ that the Coz atty Superintendent is not paid
out of thu lition fund, and therefore the
money paiC hen could not be used in ex
tending or ,ngthening the terms of school?
Mr.. PATTI.N: / know that, but it comes
of the tax-ridden people all the same. Re-
! gard the people at home title more. Keep
the money at home and give your children
: the benefit of it. No County Superintend-
ent has right to call upon q school at the
rate OF 81 per day, unless bis distinguished
presence is needed there. All there is to il
is, 1t is an Office for some man.
Mr.. FRENCH: When the gentleman from
Sullivan Mr. Patten) throws cut such in
situations concerning the Office of County
Superintendent he throws the insinuations
at the opinions OF such men as Milton b..
Hopkins, John NJ. Boss, James II. Smart
and other distinguished educators. The
County Superintendent is as needful now as
ever. His enemies have come here ever
since the Office was established to fight it,
Will be this time. II any man does
not wish to trust the County Super
iDtendeDt as to the amount OF
labor he performs, let him go home
and call on the County Commissioners OF his
county. They audit the bills of the Su Der
intendent and allow them. Section 4, 129 of
the code says what the duties OF the Super.
intendent are. and the law further says that
the Commissioners shall state the number Of
days or the limit OF the Superintendent
labors. Under this bill political differences
between the Superintendent and q Town
ship Trustee might prevent the Superin-
tendent from at any time payiHg an official
visit to q township. To put the Superin-
tend in the hands of the Trustees as this bill
proposes is to destroy the Office.
Mr.. WILLIAMS made an Intellectual mo-
tion-yeas 50, nays 38-to lay on the table
the motion to indefinitely postpone.
The motion to postpone was agreed to by
yeas SO, nays 35.
TEACHERS INSTITUTES.
Mr.. Staley's bill q. r. III to provide a
fund for the holding of teachers Institutes,
coming uD on the second reading
Mr.. PLEASANTS: / move TO strike out
the enacting clause.
Mr.. STAEEY: / sincerely hope this mo-
tien will not prevail. The nill proposes
that the sum of so shall be furnished to the
County Superintendent by the county for
the purpose OF assisting in paying the ex-
penses OF an institute which shall be at least
five days session, and further that very
small fee shall be charged the applicants fol-
teachers license who apply for examination
for such license, the same to be put
into fund which shall be held
to pay institute expenses. These in
stitutes should and will, If gwen an oppor.
tunity, last about two weeks. The cost fol
a session like this is about $3.50 in anything
like good institute. A Superintendent i:
not going to hold an institute and bear the
expense himself for fun. As it is now, with
these examinations free, large number al
tend Saturday after Saturday, costing the
county a large sum OF money, for
the examination or grading of their
papers taxes the time OF the Superintendent
at 81 per day. Applicants appear again ano
again for nerely the trial-not expecting to
tesch. A small charge for examination viii
have tendency TO decrease the number oil
applicants, lessen the work and the expense
of the Superintendent's Office, besides Great
ing swelling fund for the payment of in
stitute expenses.
Mr.. SMITH, of Tippscsnoe: In the first
place the bill aims to lessen the expenses oil
County superintendent by taxing those
who apply only for fun or mere trial. THESE
take as much time as anv. Instead of Tip
pecanoe County having 600 applicants year
Ii will have no more than 100.
Mr.. PLEASANTS: Ny objection to the
bill is Ii ut the proposed plan to raise an in
stitute fund does not lessen the 81 per day
salary of the County Superintendent. He
might continue the institute on ana on, in
order TO draw his per diem.
Mr.. SMITH: He would hardly do that,
when if he were disposed to draw 81 for ev.
cry day, he might instead of doing tn hard
work of an institute, go on visit to some
small school.
Mr.. LLOYD: would like to ask the author
of the bill this Does the bill in any way
increase the per diem of the County Super