The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-03-18
SCHOOL pIREcToRs ~ couN-
cit.
Abstract of ProceeoinRs OF DFec-
tors Convention held 90 SONAR
set, Tuesday and Wednesday.
March 10Th and iith.

Abstract of ProceeolnRs OF Dl5ec-
tors Convention held 90 SONAR
set, Tuesday and Wednesday,
March 10th ard iith-
About ihy School Direcsor'. representing
twenty four OF the thirty eight districts In
the county, gathered in the Court House
Tuesdsy forenoon, TO carry out the program
previously snneunced in the HsEALD-
Col. Z. D. yutzy, the retiring president,
called the meeting TO order and an
organization was effected by the election oil
Dr. q s. Good, Of Meyersdale, as President |
and DR.. q. 5 Kimmeli, Of sonsrset, a Sec
ret.ry of the convention. After the calling
Of the roll with the result as above stated,
and some general remarks by the president
=. to .be objects Of the meeting. the conTen-
ton adjourned to l:3O P. NJ.
The afternoon session opened promptly on
time and proved a very interesting one The
main topic Of discussion, and the one ior
which the convention vas chiefly called,
uas the Text Book Question. Dr. 5000
erpiained the plan and the advantages OF
county uniformity Of text books and show
al the degree Of success already attained IN
This direction. According to this statement
ninety eight (ss) changes in text books we're
made in the county during The last three
wears. and all but ten li0I Of these we're IN
b, rmonv with the series recommended oy
,ext book committee three years ago. These
changes affected but thirty five 1851 schools
in the aggregate in the entire county. Inere
il now almost a complete uniformity In HIS
tory. Physiology, Grammar and Arithmetic-
Geography is largely uniform and heaalns
and Spelling but partially so. The plan has
been substantially endorsed and should De
continued.
NJ. J. Pritts. Esq, Of Somerset. discussed
a State Uniformity and Control Of Text
Books. He advocated the enactment oil
Law that would provide for the publication
of textbooks by the State and furnish them
to the pupils at actual cost de showed
from statistics that school books cost the
p,trous of schools too much, aud that many
! of them can not afford 10 pay for the neces
ssrv books and consequently the school woFt
/. crippled. He admitted the comparative
failure of the plan a. tried by California
but thought il might be much more success
ful in other states.
Daniel HoI.opple. of Paint district, sdvo-
Gated Free Text Booki. He showed that
| free books constitute an essential feature oil
free scbools, a1d that it is quite as proper
| for board Of directors to purchase all the
! hooks needed by the schools from the district
/ fund. as to buy furniture or apparatus IN
this way. He clsimed that il gives greater
efficiency and effectiveness TO the school
work when the teacher can place into the
hands OF each pupil jus, the books be needs,
and that il gives 20 the teacher the right that
he should always have, tha, Of grading and
classifying the school according to bis own
best judgement He further states that his
board. (Paiut, } bought Spoilers. Readers and
Arithmetics last fall. and that not citizen,
save one has vet found fault with this
advanced step. The board expects to sop
ply all the books free As soon ss practicable.
Ravipe the books direct, the board has got
ten a ,necial discount from wholesale rates
and has already saved more than sixty dol
lars TO their distrsct Some Of thfir books
cost less than hal: of the usual retail prices.
After this three sided discussion, general
discussion followed. Deputy State supt.
| Henry Houek being present, spoke briefly.
He strongly advocated free textbooks as The
hest solution of the Text Book Question,
and while he did not think State uniformity
and control was desirable, or even practical
Die. he considered county uniformity help
6al until The district would make the books
free The eastern oounti,s 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-
tenn.
Further discussion largely in favor of free
books by Rev. Bach, OF lockwood; ;. e.
Harkley, of MeyersdaIe; DR.. Kuhlman, OF
Ursina; d. Compton, of XIX Lick W. 2.
Hay, of Jefferson; Adam 5. Miller, OF LIN
coin; supt. Berkey, Rev J l.. W. Seibert
and Val Hay, E-q., and others desses.
Hsy. Bach and Seioert advocated State uni
formity.
After full and free discussion of nearly
two hours, the following resolutions were
unanimously adopted;
Reso'red, That it is the sense of this con
yention that textbooks for the common
schools should be purchased by the boards
of directors and furnished to the pupils free,
Resolued, That we favor county unif' NJ
~ Of textbooks so far as it applies 10 dis
tricts not supplying books free.
After this seemingly satisfactory conclu-
sion Of the textbook discussion, Hon J. {.
Weller. Member Of the Committee on Edu
cation. H. R.. was introduced and gave a
full outline Of the large number of educa
tional bills now 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 thecoun
tv superiniendent Al the county seat, one TO
compensate directors for attending the tri-
eDnial eonyeption TO elecl 3 county superin-
tesdent, also TO pay expenses for attending
and holding an annual convention IN each
county, one to provide for a state eonven-
of directors, one, introduced by Mr.. Wei
Ier) to provide for the distribution Of the
State appropriation in proportion to the
number of pupils in the schools instead OF
the number of tsxsbles. Mr. Weller read
! some of the bills and explained Others at
length. The following resolutions were sub
! seauently adopted as expressing the sense of
| the convention upon few of the bills pre-
sented.
Resqlred. That We favor the enactment Of
q law that will provide foF county conven-
ton Of directors al least once . year, and
that will make adequate provision for the
payment Of the actual expenses incurred by
directors ia attending such convention.
Resolred, Phst We approve the bills now
before the Legislature which provides for
the distribution the State appropriation
upon the basis Of the number OF pupils in
the common schools. This would give Som
erset county much larger appropriation
than il realized under the present apportion-
ment-It is. however, proportionately un-
favorable to the cities and large towns.
Resolped. That we endorse the bill now
pending before the Legislature which pro
yides for s--'steEn Of local supervision for the
! common ethoola