The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-10-29
Hearing on the School Law.

Windham and Windsor counties were
heard on the school question last Wednesday
evening. The representatives of Windham
county bore testimony to the efficiency of
the supervision for that county, aud, in gen.
eral to the i'm provement of the schools
In that county, and in Windsor comfy. the
chief difficulty with the law was not in its
general plan, but in the increased cost O!
teachers. II did not however, appear that
there had been CORNER " in teachers wages
or that their pay had been crowded mn to
unreasonable rates One of the most can
did of the witnesses questioned on the sub
iect, said the rate in his town was from
five to six dollars a week for females.
This is probably rather above than below
the average II appeared that a better
grade of teachers had been employed
Some fault was found with county super.
vision, but the hidden source of this obipc
ton to the law was apparent in the desire
expressed to return to the "go-as-vou-
please days of town supervision--one of
the chief evils the new law was especially
devised to remedy.
1t appeared that Windsor county had been
less fortunate than Windham in the choice
of supervisor, and so the workings of the
law had been less satisfactory there. That,
however, was a defect of administration
which new election could remedy. We
could not throw up our state government
because, perchance, it had been for year
or two Enthusiastically administered We
would change the executive. On the whole,
the leading objection to the law was on the
score of precisely those evils which had be-
come intolerable under the district system,
and which the law was especially designed
to correct.
The old friends OF the town system pre-.
sented the wellworn arguments in its fa-
vor, and its opposers developed some of
the old-tme objections in the shape Of frac-
iiOnal districts and division of school prop
.,fS IL hui IL
plan for placing the school administration
in the hands of a central board of directors
in town, but leaving the school property,
the ownership of the house, repairs and fur
nishings in the hands of the district.
The real seat of much of the difficulty
with this school question comes to the sur
face in the shape of the expense of keeping
up schools in districts having only few
scholarS-frOm two to six. This, again, i,
not the fault Of law but of local adminstra-
tion. Local experience or legislative wis
dom should he equal to the task of providing
for such cases, and, either by consolidation
and providing means of transportation, or
in some other way, save expense and pro-
mote the efficiency of these schools. In the
consideration of this branch of the question
Mr.. Smith of Royaton rose to the full
height of practical craftsmanship by p opos
ing as a means of repeopliDg the declining
districts, that the state offer a bounty of
S25 for every child born and reared TO the
age of twelve ears. The assembage mani
tested its approval OF this proposition by a
round of applause. Indeed it was the most
notable and most popular suggestion made
during the evening, and the genial hair
of the committee Or. Boynton) viewing the
proposition no doubt, with his shrewd pro-
fessional eye, heartily commend d Mr..
Smiths scheme.
There was withal in the course of the
evening much testimony, both direct and
indirect, voluntary and involuntary, to the
efficiency and growing popularity of the
law, and the expression of the sensible con-
vicliOn that il should not be changed in its
essential features till it had been given a
longer and an adequate trial. Mr.. Pollard
of Chester was frank and candid in his tes-
| timony in this direction His constituents
We're not fully satisfied with the law; they
| had desired its repeal or radical mOdiica
tiOn, but in recent conference with them
their sober second thought seemed To be
| that the law should have longer trial be.
| fore fl al judgment should be given. Mr.
| Enright put in strong plea for his BILL ar.
| guing thar its provisions embraced all that
was approved in the new law and supplied
remedies for its Objectionable features.
The hearing has been something of d