The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-03
COUNTY sUPERINTENDENTs.
State superintendent Worries Adj
dresses the Meeting.

dresses the Meeting.
At roll-call fifty-seven members were
present. After a prayer by F. NJ.
Searles. superintendent of Grant county,
State superintendent Worries discussed
the subject, What Rulings Of the Coun-
ty Superintendent Should Be Uniform
for the State?" He said the superin-
tendent should rule as an officer, not as
an individual. He said as an officer
the superintendent could make such rules
as the law directly or implicitly author
lied him to make, and no others. He
said the superintendent duties fall into
two classes-ministerial and discretion
airy duties. He defined ministerial du-
ties as those imposed by legal enact
ments and about which the superintend-
ent has no exercise of Judgment; discre-
tionary duties, those about which the su-
perintendent might exercise his judg-
ment as 10 their fitness or expediency.
He said before making a rule the super
intendent should decide to which of these
duties the rule applied. If to his minis
terial duties the rule should look to the
expedition Of business, and cited the rules
Of the supreme court in illustration. He
said there should be no rules on dis
cretionary duties, only suggestions for
guidance. He said that as soon as an
absolute rule was made all discretion
was cut off and the superintendent was
governed by the rule and not by his
discretion. He thought the statute
should be strictly followed. He said SUI
perintendentS are largely to blame for
the fight that is made on the superin-
tendency. They bring this odium on
themselves by their unnecessary arbi-
trary and often illegal rulings He read
several extraordinary rulings by super
intendents and showed how easy it is to
carry discretion to the point of discrimi-
nation.
Many of the superintendent were
much surprised at some of the rulings of
their brother superintendent.
The subject was further discussed by
John II. Reddick of Pulaski county and
w. w. Pfrimmer of Newton county.
Superintendent Charles F. Patterson
Of Johnson county presented the follow
ing resolution:
Resolved. That the chair appoint
committee of five, OF which the state
superintendent be chairman, to formu-
late rules for the help of county super
intendents and that said committee re-
port al the June session of this body"
The motion carried and the chair an
nounced the following committee: H.
d. Worries. Charles F. Patterson of John
son county, Thomas A. Mott of WAYNE
county, William II. Senour of Franklin
county and David d. Gunther OF Fulton
county.
The following resolution was also
adopted:
Resolved. That this body request that
persons who are now preparing plans
and specifications for school houses be
Urged to adopt the best plans Of heat
ing and ventilation"
Talks were then made by Prof. But
Ter Of Indianapolis and Prof. Brown of
KokOmO relative to music in the public
schools.
The committee on bylaws made a re-
port which was adopted.
No other committees were announced.
President Cotton and Secretary Wilson
will notify those appointed by mail.
During the morning State Superintend-
ent Worries addressed the county super
intendents in the supreme courtroom on
their duties relative to making proper
reports, etc.
Discussions followed by Superintendent
Quitman Jackson Of Hancock county,
superintendent George r. Wilson of Du-
bois county, Superintendent George r.
Norman Of Lawrence county. Superin-
tcpdent Francis NJ. Lyon of Putnam
county and several others.