Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1890-09-05
Tho School Law of 1883.
TO the Editor OfMe WerGld..

The HERALD of Aug. 10Th, con.
tanning an article from CRANKY
relative to the new law, has lately
como to my notice. In reading it,
| noticed that the author condemned,
the members of the Legislature of
the State of Vermont for enactlng
laws not in accord with his own
mind in every particular; the voters
of the state for not electing men
better fitted to represent them; the
new school law for multiplicity of
reasons; the combined wisdom of
the educational men of this state
and many other states that have
substantially the same law; the
State Superintendent because he is
allowed compensation for his Ia
Dor; the County Supervisors be-
cause they cannot be omnipresent,
comparing them to wooden men;
the County Board for changing
textbooks to secure County uni
formity; the textbooks selected for
their cost; casts slur upon Sum-
mer Training Schools-from which
we would infer that he is opposed
to the special training of teachers;
hints that there is probably one con,
scientious supervisor in the state,
leaving the others in doubt; and
finally in a general sweeping state
ment says" 81 will only add that the
makers and administrators of the
law ought to be swept into the
land of utter forgetfulness. And
this is only one item of the wild
legislation during the past few years"
Not including 1882, l suppose.
If he is absolutely correct in his
views, and all others concerned in
the legislation and administration of
these laws are wrong from the
beginning, verify, great prophet
is among us!
When went there by an age,
since the great flood, But 1T was
famed with more than with one
man?
"When could they say, till now,
that talk'd of Rome, That her wide
walls encompassed but one manp"
l am not firm believer in a state
Of perfection in this world, and
therefore respect the opinions of
the CRANKY correspondent. Neither
do l believe in condemning, as a
whole, the wisdom of many of the
ablest men of the state of Vermont,
particularly that of one who now
occupies a position on the Supreme
bench. The school law is being far
too extensively used this fall as tool
for political preferment, a good
example of which l have been in a
position to witness. Educational
interests and politics should be
kept as far apart as the cast is
from the west.
The law is referred to as being
" voluminous." We never thought
of applying that term to the old
law, yet, each occupies fifteen
chapters in tho statute books and
one contains only few moro sec.
tions than the other.
The law is "vexatious." Nav II
ask, to whom? To those who, under
the old law were in the habit of |
transacting school business in a |
hap-hazard manner without feeling
accountable to any one. TO a few
officials who are incompetent to
transact school business under any |
law, and to all other persons who
try to dodge its provisions, it is
a perplexity, indeed.
Again, it is said to be "sweeping.
ly expensive" In the next entence
he says GAS to expense, it will not
be known until the bills come in
during the coming session of the
Legislature" l have noticed that
it is not usually good taste to dis.
cuss costs until we have the figures
with which to do so, hence, do
not consider it an opportune time
TO discuss the relative expense of
The two laws. However, | hope
you will pardon me for suggestion.
When we get the figures so as to
accurately compute the extra ex.
oense, we will find it TO be a mere
nominal sum. For example: there
ire in the state 243 towns that paid,
probably, on the average 500 for ,
own supervision, making total of |
'l4,5so. The cost of County Super
'isors to fill the places of town {
'uPerintendents may amount to I