The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-02-01
COUNTY INSTITUTES.
The Law relating to money paid by the
County needs amendment.

= N''N iuh Sitii tOulil1
ent of public schools in this common
wealth, once in each year, to hold a
teachers institute, continuing at least
five days. He is required to prepare
a rol of members and keep a record
of attendance and upon the presen-
tation of certificate, at the close Of
the session of each annual institute,
setting forth these facts, and signed
by the county Superintendent, to the
treasurer of the county, he is author
lied and required to pay Immediately,
out OF any money in the county
treasury not otherwise appropriated,
to the county Superintendent, one
dollar for every three days spent by
teachers of the county in attendance
at the institute, or as much of it as
may be needed such money to be
expended by the county Superintend-
ent, in procuring lecturers and in
structors for the institute, &c. The
amount to be drawn is limited to two
hundred dollars, and the Superintend-
ent must present vouchers for the
same to the county auditors, showing
that the money has been expended
as intended
Each county Superintendent who
may draw money from the county
treasury for the purposes named,
shall file his account of all expendi-
lures under the act, in the Office of
the county treasurer, with vouchers
for the same, which shall be examined
by the auditors in like manner as other
county expenditures. This law was
passed in 1867, and under it the
county Superintendent is required
only to file an account of his expendi-
lures nothing is said about receipts.
If his vouchers show that he has paid
out two hundred dollars for in
structors and other necessary ex-
penses, he is entitled to draw out
that much from the county treasury.
When the law was passed, it was not
contemplated that there would be any
sources of revenue connected with
the institute, hence as nc other
moneys were expected to come into
the hands Of the county Superintend-
ent, he was not required to account
for any receipts. Since then the
practice has been adopted in nearly
all, if not all, the counties in the
state, of providing course of even
ing entertainments during the insti-
tute, and in the absence of any pro-
vision in the law authorizing this, the
county Superintendent must person
ally assume the responsibility. If the
lecture course pays, he has money in
pocket; if it be failure, he must
pay the deficit out Of his own purse.
These entertainments have been we'll
patronized here, and as rule have
more than paid their own expenses
Each teacher has been assessed a
certain amount, dollar or there
abouts, as an enrolment fee, and this
has entitled them to admission to the |
course. Under the present law, as |
the county Superintendent is person
ally responsible for all bills incurred
by these entertainments, there is no |
reason why he should not be entitled |
to the profits, if there be any, though |
our recollection is that the surplus |
has usually been carried over from
year to year, and has gone into the
lecture fund.
But no matter what the success Of
the lecture course may have been,
the county is always called upon to
pay two hundred dollars, the full |
amount allowed by law, because the
expenses of the institute, outside of
the lecture course, always exceed that |
amount.
Now, as there is no reason why |
there should be any surplus fund, and
as there is no reason why the Super
intendent should be personally res
ponsble for any deficit, it seems to us
that the act of 1867 needs some
amendments.
AS lecture courses have become a
recognized feature in county institutes,
the law should be SO amended as to |
require the county Superintendent to
provide such course, and authoriz-
ing him to charge an enrolment fee
for each teacher he shall submit
statement of all receipts and expenses
of the institute, and file the same
with the vouchers, with the county
commissioners, who shall issue an or
der for so much as is necessary to
meet any deficit, to an amount not
exceeding two hundred dollars. If
the receipts exceed the expenses, the
surplus shall be kept as a fund for
the expenses of the next institute,
and if there be any fund in the hands
of the Superintendent at the expira-
80, &c bic torn, Of office ha shall |