The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-08-22

Tile Ou Vi OcDItIuUtT. ne mas also Ocon III
vited to open the Alliance fair at McGregor
and the one at Mineala, but official busi-
ness will prevent his accepting the invita-
tons.
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT.,
the following statistical reports for the year
| 1888:
Clay county-Cotton bales raised, 1855;
corn, bushels, 264. 100; oats, bushels 49,
800; wheat bushels, 46,457.
Greer county-Cotton, bales, II; corn,
bushels, q ,5S4; oats, bushels, 10, l26; wheat,
bushels, 1924.
Menard COMMUNICATION, bales, s.; corn,
bushels, Ais; oats, bushels, 81, 40; wheat,
| bushels, $50.
| Cherokee county-Cotton, bales, 1898;
corn, bushels, $40, 264; oats, bushels, n, 49,
wheat, bushels, $50. The value of the peach
and apple crop in this county was $S2,0S2.
Navarro COMMUNICATION, bales, 1888;
corn, bushels, 992, $3.50; oats, bushels, 124,-
Oh; wheat, bushels, 1918.
Nueces county-Cotton, bales, 81; corn,
bushels, 47,227 No small grain was raised.
Caldwell county-Cotton bales, 1885;
corn, bushels, 64S,27s; wheat, bushels, 955;
oats, bushels, 23,273.
Cass county-Cotton bales, 9.04S; corn,
bushels, 46s, $40; oats. bushels, 10,72S;
wheat, bushels, 331. The peach crop was
valued at $70,S10, and the apple crop at
SIS, 80; pears, ", 155, and melons, 81, go.
ooNPTRoLLER's DEPARTMENT
The following counties sent in tax rolls
yesterday: Medina, Colorado, Waller, Vic
toria, Camp, Cooke, Cherokee, Hill, Parker,
Leon, Nueces, Morris, Potter, Wilbarger,
Bee and Shelby.
Blanco county shows decrease in values
of IS, 44S; Bosque an increase of $50, 20S;
and Cherokee increase of $685., 084 OF this
| great increase, New Birmingham accounts
for about one-third, Rusk and the county
the balance.
There had been nothing done toward
building at New Birmingham before Janu-
airy 1, consequently the great increase in
that new city and Rusk will not be realized
until next years assessment.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
The following explanations of the school
law by Superintendent Cooper are import
ant to school trustees just now:
Trustees, whether elected or appointed,
before entering upon the duties ofthe Office
must qualify before some officer authorized
| to administer oaths of office. The officer
administering the oath is entitled to the
fee prescribed in Title AZ, Chapter 8, Re-
vised Statutes. AS trustees receive no COM
pensation, this fee is generally RENTED.
Trustees, as soon as they have qualified,
should organize by electing one of their
number president and one of their number
secretary. Notice of the organization
should be Immediately sent to the county
judge, or superintendent, and TO the state
superintendent of public instruction.
The president ofth board should pre-
side at all meetings, and be charged with
the execution of all acts passed by the
board.
The secretary should record in O we'll
bound book kept for the purpose all the
official acts of the board. This record
should be transmitted to the next board of
| trustees.
If the actual daily attendance of school
falls below 1873 per cent of the children en-
rolled on the community list or district as
signment, trustees have the right under the
law to close the school at the end of any
month for which the average attendance as
ascertained by the teachers register or
monthly, report falls below 1873 per cent of
the scholastic population registered in the
community list. This action does not can
Gel the teachers contract, but If the school
remains closed until the time for which the
teacher contracted to teach has expired
the trustees may then contract with another
teacher, the first contract having expired
by limitation of time.
The salaries mentioned in section 8 OF the
law are the highest salaries which can be
promised by trustees In many districts it is
not possible to pay the highest salary al
lowed by the law and continue the school
six months as the constitution intends
The state school fund should in no case be
the sole dependence for the teachers sal
airy. 1t should rather be regarded as an
important help to the community or dis
trict, and additional funds should be raised
by local tax. The tuition of lovers and
unders," if prompt collection is enforced,
will help materially in most communities.
Trustees should use all possible aids to Sc
cure public school term of at least six
months.
| 10 n. - I.
contracts with one or more teachers TO
teach the school or schools under their
control. But they cannot make binding
contract with any teacher who does not
hold valid certificate at the time when
the contract is made. A contract between
the trustees and a teacher is not fully valid
until it has received the approval of the
county superintendent or judge.
q Trustees have the right to dismiss the
teacher employed. 1t is not the intention
of the law that trustees may dismiss
teachers without cause. The courts have
decided that trustees have the right TO dis
miss a teacher who is clearly proved to be
unfaithful, incompetent or immoral. But
II trustees dismiss teacher without good
cause, the teacher may recover the amount
promised in the contract.
3. The trustees may close the school II
the average daily attendance forany month
falls below 33h per cent ofthe number as
| signed 10 the school on the community
roll General sickness in the community
or other necessary cause of the absence of
the majority Of the children from school
for several weeks justifies the trustees I'M
der this rule in closing the school without
the consent of the teacher, but honest and
faithful teachers who really care for the
welfare Of the children and success of the
school will never refuse consent under
such circumstances. This rule should
never be used TO aid any effort 10 break
down a school or teacher fthe teacher
is incompetent or unfaithful he should be
removed II he is competent and faithful,
but unpopular the use of this rule Is gross
injustice and should never be resorted 10.
4. TRUSTEES have no right to require extra
tuition of pupils within scholastic age as a
condition of admittance In public school,
but If the trustees should not prescribe any
subject except those required by law they
may require the payment Of reasonable fees
of pupils of scholastic age who study other
subjects than those prescribed by law.
5. Trustees should hold meetings at the
school or schools under their control at
stated times, at least once in each month,
to approve the teachers voucher and ex-
anime into and promote the welfare of the
schools under their control. They should
visit the school frequently, and encourage
the patrons to do so.