The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1890-10-17
THE LEGISLATURE.
l GREAT FIGHT OVER THE SCHOOL
.M LAW


Sentiment Overwhelmingly Against it-Er
rights Long Bil-A Flood OF Other ProI
OsitiOns-A Bill for n State Engineer O
Highways-SenatOr MOrrill's re. election
Democrats Vote for Il. j. Phelps-Full re
port of Proceedings.
The great fight of the session Is to be tn
school law. 1t Is already the absorbing tOpi
OF discussion In the IObbies and hotel corri
dors, to the exclusion of pressing topics o
reform. The intensity of the feeling tina
has grown up against the act of 1883 IL some
thing remarkable. 1t will be surprising II
vestige OF 1t is left when the session closes
The educational committee IL conducting
hearing which will bring out the opinion O
nearly every member OF the legislature
Those who have thus rar appeared before i
almost universally condemn the county su
pervisor feature, although now ard then
man from one OF the larger towns ia not out
spoken In the matter. Even II the law survives
there will be stiff fight against the presen
superintendent of education. EFPalmer O
Waterbury. The opposition Is chiefly dt
rected toward the provision for county super
vision and the method of holding examina
visor does not get TO each school more thar
once 1 term, and perhaps not as often Il,
that; and when he gets there he can stay
only half an hour or SO, hardly long enough
to make the acquaintance of the teacher, tC
say nothing Of noting the work of the school
The salaries paid the supervisors are 80 much
money thrown away, to the minds of these
people. To get their certificates, teachers
must In many cases travel quite distance
and remain In the place in which the eXami.
nations are held, for at least one and often
two nights. To women teachers receiving
small pay this Is not small matter. Wages
nave also gone up and IN the districts the
least able to afford an increase, and though
there has been an Improvement In the grade
OF teachers, the feeling Is that the expense
ought to be adjusted In some other way.
Mr.. Enright of Windsor has introduced a
bill OF l7G sections embodying the changes
most demanded. The bill does away with
the present school law and establishes sort
of combination town and district system
Schools are to be managed by board com.
posed of the district committee who will
eject town supervisors and there will be
state superintendent. the latter with a
salary of $500 year. The town SUPER
visor has nearly the same power as the
old superintendent, and certificates are
to be given teachers by him and by
the normal schools, In the old way.
1t abolishes the county board of education
and establishes town board 10 be composed
OF member for each separate school In the
town, TO be elected by the district, such
board to have the charge Of all the schools,
provide teachers in such town and adopt
such rules for their regulation and inspec.
tion as they see 1T; the districts to erect and
keep In repair all school houses and provide
fixtures necessary for the schools. The
board appoints town supervisor. 1t pro-
vides for state tax of eight and one.half
cents on the dollar which sum shall be diyid.
ed into two parts one part divided equally to
each public school In the state, and thelother
part 10 each tow according to the population.
The town shall at each annual meeting raise
shall provide free text books, with the ex
cepti0n of those provided by the state.
Smith Of Topsham, has also introduceda bill
Relating to public instruaAiAn- wtairh susstpps
tally restores the old order OF things, 1eaviDg
q state superintendent, but fixing bis salary
1t $1,000 a year. Each member OF the several
county boards shall examine all applicants to
teach In their respective towns, and grant
certificates to teach, TO such applicants. ac.
.ording to their qualifications. Such certific.
ties may be revoked by the member granting
t, in his discretion. Mr.. PrOuty of Franklin
las put in still another bill. 1t provides for
town superintendent instead of supervisor.
Phe superintendent of education shall visit
zach county during the year, and shall hold
meetings as far as practicable, delivering lec-
ures on educational subjects. Each town
hall at a March meeting elect superintend-
mt of common schools, who shall hold pub
ic examination of all persons desiring to
each. Darling of Chelsea has a separate bill
or the state school tax, part OF Enright's bill
Mr.. Kimball of Randolph has introduced
ill in one of the lines that are important for
Termont's future development. 1t provides
ha: no inves ment of deposit and surplus by
aviugs institutions shall be made upon mort
ages of real estate except upon first mort.
of p1lp Statp hn
mount of such investment not to exceed
hree. fourtnS of cash value of property, and
ot less than one-SiXth of the amount,of such
mortgages shall be upon real estate in this
tate, and not more than seventy per cent. of
he amount of the assets shall be so invest.
d; prov ided, however, that not exceeding
orty per cent. shall be invested in mortgages
n real estate outside of the state. Mr.. Kim.
all has also introduced a bill to repeal the
Nv of 1888 enIarging the powers of the IN
pector of finance over loan and investment
Ompanies.
DIR. James of Waterbury has introduced a
I'll intended to put the larger operations of
ighway construction and repair In the state
nder scientific management. 1t provides |
nat the governor shall appoint state engi. |
eer and. upon his nomination, deputies not |
exceed one In each county, who shall, un.
er certain restrictions, superiniend the |
uilding of roads exceeding certain length,
nd repairs of u certain cost. the length and
)st. as well as the amount of salaries of the
lgineers, being left blank In the bill. The
ate engineer is also to prepare a pocket
annual of road building, which is TO be pub.
she'd and distributed among highway sur.
,yors and road commissioners of the state.
.nator Clark has re-introduced the Sherwin
II of 1SSS, providing for payment of nigh.
ay taxes In labor un ess towns vo for their
election In money. Representa- We Prouty
Franklin, one making a money tax of IL :
nts on a labor tax of 20 cents, optional |
ith the towns. and providing that all towns
IT electing a street commissioner shall, at the .
arch meeting of 1891, elect highway sur. =,
yor, in the several road districts in their |
WINS. Mr.. Clark of Halifax, has bill pro. 5
ding that for keeping in repair highways
d bridges, each town shall, at the March
eetirg vote such sum as they shall deem =.
cessary for such repairs. :
The fight over Commissioner Valentine
Il his work. which Is to be one of the sharp.
OF the session, was opened with the bill
Taylor of Cornwall. to repeal the law un. q
r which he operates.
A feeble kick against Mr.. Marshalrs Aus.
llian ballot bill is represented by the bill
lich Darling of Chelsea introduces by ''re. I
est" providing for secret ballots at state
d presidential elections by the use of envel. u
es of three different colors, red, white and -
le, with ballot boxes to correspond. II is i'
~ similar to laws which have been tried :
1 found wanting Ia other states and which
tier has advocated so strongly in Massa-
lsetts.
friday the senate adopted the house reso-
ion creating a committee OF the Worlds
r. with instruction to the committee TO in-
tigate and report bills for suitable exhl-
ions of Nermont's products. The Roberts
3 relating TO insurance agents and the dis
r5e of poor debtors weie passed. In the