Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-01-16
QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

schools of the State.
We give below number of questions
propounded from time to time to the
State Superintendent of Public Instruc-
tlon, with the answers thereto, which if
carefully perused by those interested in
the public schools will do away with the
necessity for much correspondence:
i. Nv no is supposed to have control of the
school-honse outside of school hours?'
Answer. Section 1892 (70iI provides that
1.-THE board of directors shall have the care
and keeping of the school house, This is
true even when the school is in session, and
the BOARD can not delegate or transfer this
important responsibility to the principal or
teacher IN charge; of course the principal or
teacher or JanitOr may hold the KEY to til e
ol-house by authority of the board, still
the law places the scare and keeping of the
school house in the custody of the board
and the members Of the board can not legal
ly or morally shirk this responsibility which
they voluntarily assumed when they each
accepted dictatorship in the board; the one
to whom the key-for the time-is intrusted
is simply agent of the board, and under
the immediate instruction and direction of
the board. There is only one in which
the board can legally relinquish this obliga-
ton to the district, viz: When a school
house has been voted open for "religious,
literary or other public purposes pro-
vided in this same section, by majority OF
ut the QudllHeO voters OF the district, CUO
board must relinquish the key and Surren-
der their guard ianship to the whims and ca
prices of those who may chance to attend
these public meetings. At such time no one
has control of the school house. and no in
surance company is liable if the house is de-
stroy ed--directly indirectly-by such
meeting. Any damage done to the house or
school prOperty-at such time-can be COW
cred only by resOrting to the law set
forth in sections 37S5 and SOIL (70G6). and the
inS haI jah fnr mt of
said damages.
2. "Who has authority to keep order at a
spelling or literary society held at night:'
Ans.-No one has such authority. But dis
turberS of public meetings can be prose-
cuted for disturbing the peace and quietude
of such meetings, by section 37S5
3. "What sections of the new law refer to
teochers:"
Ans.-Sections 1898, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, S009.
Sob, SOFA, SOLO, S011 S0lS SJ21, S022, Sob S024,
s025 s06, s027, 1929, $3.50 S031 S032 o. s079 and
SOs7.
4. ''Can the school board legally rent q
public school house to a teacher for the pEr
pose of conducting private SchoOl:'
Nns.-The board has legal right to rent
the district school hOuse-or any part there
of-for any purpose whatever, nor to let any
thing of private or exclusive nature be
conducted therein, for the following
sons:
(a) \ district school house is q public
building, and can be used only for public
purposes.
90 The board has no legal authority. ex-
cept as delegated to it by Legislative enact
mcnt, and the law nowhere authorized the
board to rent ont the district school house.
AZ Mo-. 404; A Mo, 579; 40 Mo-, 236 60 Mo, 800.
(c) Should a public school house, which is
non taxable, be leas ID or rented for a pr-
waite purpOse-without a law authorizing the
same-thereby transferring it from its legit-
innate purpose, it Immediately becomes tax
able
8. Under what circumstances is the teach.
er entitled to the holidays"
hns-If he complies with the law and his
contract, he is entitled to the holiday, pro
vided he teaches the four remaining schOo
days of the week in which such holiday
falls; the board has no power to make him
teach on such holiday, nor can the board
dock his wages for dismissing on that day.
But remember that four days never make
legal school week except when taught in
the week wherein such holiday comes, for it
says: THE four remaining school days, ii
taught, shall constitute a legal school week"
Thanksgiving Day comes on Thursday if the
other four days of that week are taught in
that ,reek, the teacher is entitled to pay for
full week; but should he dismiss on Wednes
day evening and not reopen school unit,
the following Monday, he only claim
three days, and must make up two lost DAYS
if the board requires it; failing to teach
Friday, you lose all right and title to the
privilege set out in section 5000 (7064). Feb
ruary % comes Saturday, and five days
must be taught that week. Where the teach
err taught December % and "a. 1889, and dis
missed for the rest of the week. he gets
credit for two days only-Monday and Tues
day-and loses three that he must make
good, the 25th avails him nothing under such
circumstances This section is plain; any
one can understand it who knows enough to
teach school. yet there is not section in tho
law about which more inquiries are made
than this one-ard always about holidays.
Some are foolish enough to claim that-by
this Sec.-they could dismiss school Deccm-
Der 90 1888 and reopen school January 6,
1899, and claim December %. The teacher
who does not know better should not be
granted a certificate employed to teach
children.
6. "When will the school laws with inStruc-
tions be ready"
Ans.-Just as soon as the printers can fur
nish them; the copy has been in the print
crs' hands for several weeks. They shall be
sent to the county cOmmSS toners as soon
they are printed.
:. what is the best remedy to rid the
schOOl-roOm of dCgS?'
Ans.-A board we'll applied will prove eff
fectual in producing the desired result.
s. Can the board require children to write
essays, dcclaim. and draw maps?'
Ans.-The board can require said things ir
school; and the teacher and the board should
see that such exercises are Il part of the daily
work in the school room and require all tc
belong to the work in hand, and greatly IA
cilitate the work when proper instruction
therein is given. W. f. COLEMAN.
Lady Dufferin, in her notes OF
India, says: THE Burmese women are
great personages, and play great part
in their households. They choose their
own husbands and divorce them when
they like, retaining their own property
and all that they have earned; they are
at liberty to marry again. whether as
widows or Divorces. Mr.. Bernard told
me that when the last census came in
he thought the number of women who
said they could read and write was
small, SO he made inquiries, and from
all parts of the country young ladies re-
piled that they did not like to say they
could read, lest young gentlemen, learn
ing the fact, should write to Them
This country is getting along with
one office-holder to 157 adults. The civil
servants of Uncle Sam draw about S165,
600, 600 annually.
There is no immediate danger of tn,
United States becoming overcrowded,
for Joseph Nimmo. Jr., shows in Fran
Lcslies paper that since independence
was achieved the United States Govern