Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-02-18
road and school LAWS.
OPINIONS OF THE COUNTY JUDGES
OF TEXAS.
Discussion OF tho Legislation Needed to
Perfect the Road and school LAWS
at the state.

below win be found the responses Of
some county judges Of the state to the
request of TnE GAZETTE for opinions on
needed legislation to perfect the road and
school laws OF Texas IL was originally
designed 20 print all these replies IN one
issue of the paper, but this was found
impracticable, and installmeDts of these
opinions will be printed one day in each
week until all are given to the public.
Those Judges who have not yet replied
viii confer favor on THE GAZETTE and
do the state some service by doing 80 at
their earliest convenience.
Following ithis publication Of the opin-
ions of the county judges will be one Civ
ing the views of the district attorneys OF
the state on the jury law and its needs
EDITOR GAzBTTE.l
ANGELINA COUNTY.
HOMER, TRx., Feb. g. 1856,
To the Editor Of the Gazette:
My opinion as to the needed changes
in the road and school laws of the state Of
Texas are as fellows, to-wlt:
Empower each county commissioners
court TO levy a road and bridge tax
sufficient to keep the roads and bridges of
their respective counties in good repair
and empower said courts to set apart or
appropriate said funds to the several
road precincts in their counties and en-
ploy some one to keep up the roads ana
bridges of the several precincts and re-
quire said oyerseers or contractors to en-
ter into bond, payable to their respective
counties in case of failure to comply with
their contracts.
SCHOOL LAW.
Make salaries uniform.
In tt1Ttnitina nf ntnila nd
than 20, pay S35. In communities of 30
pupils and less than 30, pay $40, and for
each pupil over 30, pay in proportion as
50 is to 40.
Dispense with the county board of ex-
aminers and require each teacher to be
examined once each year by rigid ex.
aminer appointed by the county Judge,
and require said examiner to report the
proficiency of each applicant, under oath,
and for said services receive 81 from
each applicant examined.
j. II. MARoSBY,
County Judge of Angelina County.
HOPKINS COUNTY.
SULPHUR SPaISGs, TEX, Feb, 3, 1885.
To tho Editor of the Gazette
Responding to your request, | suggest
amendments to the school law and the
road law as follows
SCHOOL LAWS.
l.. Provide for the election of county
superintendent of public schools
2. Make the district system n general
law-not local-npplylng to every county
in the state,
ROAD LAWS.
/. To provide for the election or ap.
pointment of road supervisor for each
county, with power and authority to con-
tract for and supervise ard direct all
bridge work In his county, and to have
general supervision over all road over
seers and direct their operations.
?. Repeal art. 1890, A, general laws,
special session, eighteenth legislature.
a j. II. MILAN,
LAsALLE COUNTY.
OoruLLA, TIN Feb. 1, 1855
! To the Editor OF the Gazette
In reply to the inquiries contained In
your letter OF the 80th inst. /. In my
opinion the present road law DOES not
meet the wants Of the counties Instead
OF having roads worked by citizens, as
under present law, would levy road
and bridge tax sufficient to pay for keep
ing all public roads in good repair
Would have county roads worked by d.
rectlon and under supervision of county
Judge; he to employ oyerseer and labor
ers and make contracts. All accounts
made by county Judge for road purposes
TO be approved by commissioners court
before payment by county treasurer.
2. In counties not operating under dis
trict system would have school trustees
appointed by county Judge, without
reference to petition from school com
munities. Would have board OF exam.
iners for each county appointed by county
Judge from citizens Of the county, the
names OF board appointed to be sub
mitted TO state superintendent OF public
instruction and made subject TO his ap-
| proyal. Would authorize school trustees
to appropriate funds of their community
to the building or repairing or furnishing
OF school-houses without reference TO
amounts contributed for these purposes
by citizens. The present law Is partIcu
larry faulty in sparsely populated counties.
FRANK Il. EARNEST,
County Judge LaSalle County.
! NEWTON COUNTY.
NRwroS, Ten, Feb. B. 1885,
/ 10 tue Editor OF the Gazette:
! Yours of the 29th ult., addressed ia the
county judge OF this county, asking the
opinion of county judges on "needed
changes IN our road and school laws
has been handed me TO answer In any
way that may see lit. These seem 60
be very intricate questions and hard 10
! solve. II seems that what suits one por-
ton OF our state in regard to roads does
not suit others. The tlmbered portion
OF our state are no doubt a unit on the
! question OF time, and are free to admit
that five days is not sufficient TO keen the
| roads in good condition; while no doubt
that Is ample time for the prairie norton
OF the state. 1t seems to me the commits.
sioners' court might be empow.
cred TO regulate the matter in
their respective counties TO some
extent Yet can see pothing
wrong in the time being extended To- ten
days as OF old, from the fact that the neo-
pie would not work out the full time no
now II not actually necessary. There Is
no question but what the old law 0ten
days" suited the tlmbered portion of our
state better than the present law. In re-
gard to the needed changes In our school
laws, | hardly feel competent to make n
suggestion. II seems TO me, however
that our state should adopt some particn,
lar series OF textbooks Tor use In onr
public free schools, as 1t is well known to
every teacher that the cause of edncation
lsNery much retarded Especially in our
country SrhnnlsN IN