The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-04-19
More About the School Laws.

Editor Wdtchmdh:-So much discussion
has been provoked in the public press by
the new school laws and their bearing on
certain points that it may be well to keep
it up until all shades of opinion have been
expressed. We have had the solemn dec
laration of the honorable secretary of state
and the present superintendent of educa.
ton, OF county examiners, intelligent lay
men, and, last, the deliberate utterance of
the august body called the committee on
education of the present house of repre-
sentatives, and still all is not satisfactorily
explained. Not very strange, possibly,
when so many wise ones fail to agree.
There ought to be, and really is, no ques-
ton as to the duty of the selectmen in re-
gard to the division of the public money.
On the Friday preceding the last Tuesday
of March, 1898, the day appointed by law
for making the division, there was no law
that had become operative, save for a few
specified details, except that which had
been in force for years. Under that, the di-
vision should have been made and the
money divided paid over to the treasurers
of the several districts, and at that point
ended the duty and authority of the select
men in that regard. | apprehend that
when the seectmen had examined the
registers and returns made by the teachers
and officials specified by law and found all
these returns to be such as the law required
to entitle the several districts to their share
of the public money, and had made their
computation on the proper basis, made their
awards accordingly, and directed the town
treasurer to draw orders payable to the sew
eral district treasurers for the amount found
due to each district respectively they had
gone to the full extent of their duty and au-
thority. Anything beyond would seem to
be outside their province, meddlesome and
impairment. | am not aware OF any law in
force at that time, or that has taken effect
since even, that would justify the seectmen
4. Il fnf
awarded to it. They are not tribunals sit
ting to determine the probable use any dis
trct is likely TO make of the money they
find it legally entitled to and direct to be
paid over to its treasurer, foolish or wise,
legal or illegal. They are simply Il had al
most said simple) creatures of the statute
named for the doing of certain specific
things, namely, to ascertain by examina-
ton and investigation that the districts, by
their proper officials have performed the
conditions which entitle them to share in
the public money, to compute the sum due
to each, and to direct the same to be paid
over. j am not able on this point TO concur
in the opinion of Justice " published in
the Free Press of April 10.
The question, what should be done with
this and any money remaining in the treas
ury of the district after their strictly pc.
cuniary district affairs have been settled, is
quite another thing. / have invariably adj
vised school officials who have consulted
me on the subject that the only absolutely
safe course, as we'll as a just and equitable
one, was to hold the money until the proper
tribunal should determine the question, or,
in default of that, TO await the action OF the
legislature at its next session. | am sur
prlsed that so important point should have
been overlooked by the lawmakers, and
more surprised that the committee on edu-
cation, who father the school laws, should
not have impaired TO the house such in
formation az wOull lead 10 LEGISLATION on
that point. They knew, or should have
known, If they were fit men to be entrusted
with the educational legislation of the state,
that the manner in which school matters
were and had for years been conducted,
amount of money distributed among the
district treasures in the state, whenever the
old system should suddenly end They
should have known that great many dis
tricts prior TO the enactment OF the school