The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-03-18
SCHOOL DIRECTORS IN couN-
Gil.

ILL.,
Abstract Of Proceedings of DIrec-
tors Convention held at Somer-
set. Tuesday and Wednesday.
March 10th and nth.
About fifty School Directors. representing
twenty four of the thirty eight districts in
,he county, gathered in the Court House
Tuesday forenoon, to carry out the program
previously announced in the HEuLD
Col. Z d. Yutzy, the retiring president,
called the meeting TO order and an
organization was effected by the election OF
Or. :. :. Good, Of Meyers6ale, as President
and DR.. H. s Kimmell. Of Somerset, a. sec-
retary of the convention. After the calling
of the roll with the result Is above stated,
and some general remarks by the president
as to the objects Of the meeting, the conven-
tion adjourned TO 1870 P. NJ.
The afternoon session opened promptly on
time and proved very interesting one. The
main topic Of discussion, and the one for
which the convention was chiefly called,
was the 4" Text Book Question. Dr. Good
explained the plan and the advantages of a
county uniformity of text books and show
ed the degree Of success already attained in
this direction. According to this statement
ninety eight l98) changes in text books were
made in the county during The last three
years, and ali bat ten NO) of these were in
b, rinony with the series recommended by
text book committee three years ago. These
changes affected bu; thirty FIVE (S5) schools
in the aggregate in the entire county. There
is now almost a complete uniformity In His
tory, Physiology, Grammar and Arithmetic.
Geography is largely uniform and Reading
and spelling but partially 50. The plan has
been substantially endorsed and should be
continued.
N. J. Pritts. ESQ., Of Somerset. discussed
State Uniformity and Control Of Text
Books He advocated the enactment of
Law that would provide for the publication
Of textbooks by the State aud furnish them
to the pupils at actual cost. He showed
from statistics ihat school books cost the
patrons Of schools too much and that many
Of them can not afford to pay for the neces
sary books and consequently the school work
is crippled He admitted the comparative
failure Of the plan as tried by California.
bur thought it might be much more success
full in other states.
Daniel Hosopple of Paint district, advo-
Gated Free Text Books He showed that
free books constitute an essential feature of
free schools, AID that it is quite as proper
for board Of directors TO purchase all the
books needed by the schools from the district
funds as 70 buy furniture or apparatus in
this way. He claimed that it gives greater
efficiency and effectiveness TO the school
work when the teacher eau place into the
hands Of each pupil jusi the books be needs,
and that it gives 10 the tsa'her the right that
he should always have, that OF grading and
classifying the school according TO his own
best judgement He further states that his
board. (Paiut,) bought Spoilers. Readers and
Arithmetics last fall. and that not citizen,
save one) has yet foDud fault with this
advanced step. The board expects to sup
ply all the books free Is soon as practicable.
Buving the books direct, the board has got
ten special discount from wholesale rates
and has already saved more than sixty dol.
lars to their distrsct Some of their books
cost less than halc Of the usual retail prices
After this three sided discussion, general
discussion followed Deputy State snpt
Henry Houck being present, spoke briefly
He strongly advocated free textbooks as the
best solution Of the Text Book Question, "
and while be did not think State uniformity
and control was desirable, OF even practica-
bic he considered county uniformity help /
fll until the district would make the books |
free The eastern counties already have free |
books and there is not a single case on rec
ord where any district ever repudiated free |
textbooks after having once started the sys
TEN.
Farther discussion largely in favor Of free
books by Rev Bach. Of Redwood; $. C. |
Harkley, of Neyersdaie Dr. Kuhlman, of
Ursins: D. Compton. Of Elk Lick W. P.
Hay. Of Jefferson: Adam ). Miller, of lin
coin snpt Berkey, Rev J l.. W. seibert
and Val Hay, R-q, and others. hesses
Hay, Bach and seibert advocated State uni
formity.
After full and free discussion OF nearly
two hours, the following resolutions were
unanimously adopted
Resolred, That it is the sense of this con
veution that text books for the common
schools should be purchased by the boards
n, !
Rssslyed, That we favor a county unif, NJ
ty of textbooks so far as it applies to dis
triets not supplying books free.
After this seemingly satisfactory conclu-
sion of the textbook discussion, Hon. J. c.
Weller Member Of the Committee on Edu
cation, H. r., was introduced and gave a
fall outline Of the large number of educa
tional bills nov pending before the State
legislature There are several bills on State
uniformity, publication or control of text
books, one on compulsory attendance for
children from to II. one on district super
vision. one to provide an Office for thecou
" superintendent at the county seat one 10
compensate directors for attending the tri-
.nnial convention to elect county superin-
endent, also to pay expenses for attending
md holding an annual convention in each
ounty. one 10 provide for a state conven-
# directors. one, introduced by Mr.. Wei
err to provide for the distribution of the
tate appropriation in proportion to the
lumber Of pupils in the SCHOOLS instead of
he number Of taKables Mr.. Weller read
ONE OF the bills and explained Others at
ength The following resolutions were sub
equently adopted as expressing the sense of
be cQ9yePdon upon few Of the bills pre-
eniod
ResoiVed, That we favor the ensefpent Of
lag that will provide for 3 county canven-
on Of directors al least once . year and
rat will make adequate provision for the
ayment Of the actual expenses incurred by
irectors in attending such q convention,
Resslued That we approve the bills now v
efore the Legislature which provides for b
le distribution the State appropriation b
pom the basis Of the number Of pupils in o
le common schools. This would give Som.
set county a much larger appropriation
isn is realized under the present apportion- N
is, however. proportionately un- =
yorsRle 70 the cities aPd large towns. Il
BesoiFeq. Fbat We endorse the bill now
ending before the Legislature WHICH pro
des for SYSTEM Of loeal supervision for the
Dmmon schools.
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