Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-06-28
An Explanation Wanted.

the statutes OF 1851, ana therefore Is
sue this circular Of information relating
to the duties of the office.
The duties OF the chairmen remain
the same as laid down in the general
school laws of 1885, with the following
exceptions:
l. Triplicate reports on blanks sent
by the State Supt. of Pub. Instrs. are to
be made on the third Monday in Sep
TENDER.
,. TO meet at the office of the County
Clerk Of the first Tuesday in August
in each year to elect a school examiner.
3. TO notify the secretary of the
board of school examiners of any school
that is not being successfully conducted.
4. The chairman does not visit the
schools the examine into their condition
as formerly, as this duty is now per-
formed by the Secty.
In all other respects the duties Of the
chairman is prescribed il the school
laws of 1885. Respectfully yours,
HARVEY TAPPAN,
Secy. BID. Exrs.
The above circular is addressed to
the chairmen of the board of school
examiners, but as the plural (chairmen)
is used ! conclude that the board of
school inspectors is meant, as there is
only one chairman of the board of
school examiners in the county. Still l
may be misled. for the singular is used
in commencing: Dear Sir" etc. The
reason specified for issuing this import
ant circular is that said chairmen may
not have access to the statutes of 1887.
Why not have as good an opportunity
to become acquainted with the public
acts of 1887 as those of any other year?
Every justice of the peace and nearly
every township officer is furnished with
a copy. But let us see what informa-
ton we get. 1t says: THE duties of
the chairman remain the same as laid
down i'll the general school laws of 1885
with the following exceptions" There
is nothing whatever in the public
acts of 1885, touching upon the duties
of said chairman. The general school
law was compiled in that year, that is
all. First exception: "Triplicate re-
ports on blanks sent by the State Supt.
of Pub. Instrs. are to be made on the
third Monday in September" Just ex-
actly what is required by the old law
OF 1881 (Howell's Statutes). Second ex-
ception: "To meet AZ the Office of the
County Clerk of the first Tuesday in
August in each year to elect a school
examiner" This, so far as it goes. is ex-
actly like the law of 1881, but they elect
the examiner now for two years instead
of three, and are to meet at the office of
the County Clerk of the county, in
stead of the County Clerk of the
first Tuesday in August. This is
not an exception. Third exception:
ITO notify the secretary of the board
of school examiners of any school that
is not being successfully conducted"
The very same again, as required in
1881, but of course they are all repeated
in the public acts of 1897, as it is not
the duties of the chairmen that have
been materially changed, but those of
SECRETARY. So these are not exceptions.
In conclusion it says: The chairman
(singular) does not visit the school
(singula)t the examine into their (pluraD
condition. etc. How are the chairmen
to report those schools that are not be-
ing successfully conducted unless he
visits them? The law does not say he
is not TO visit the schools, but is to
have supervisory charge of them. and
the inference is, that when he thinks
a school is not successfully conducted
he should visit it, so that he may be
able to intelligently report it. Lastly:
"In all other respects the duties (pluraD
of the chairman (singular) is (singular)
prescribed in the school laws of 1885.
AS stated before, this law was not pass
ed in 1885. We presume the secretary
has access to the statutes as well as the
common rules of grammer, and / for
one thank him for his effort to post
the chairmen, and keep upthe standard
of our schools. But il the services rem
dered did not cost the county more
than their actual value. there would be
no complaint with regard TO expense.
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD or INSPECTIONS.