White Oaks eagle. (White Oaks, N.M.) 189?-190?, 1895-10-03
0UR SCHOOL LAWS.

sign or indiiference-can not or
does not provide honestly, intelligently
and literally for its common schools
can have any claim to the distinction OF
a sovereign state or to be considered ca
pable of self government. Therefore,
when New Mexico presents herself for
admission she ought to be required to
exhibit her record on this question.
When asked what che has done, as
territory. for the education of the chill
dren within her boundaries, she must
respond by the presentation OF her stat
utes, for inspection, in this respect.
To say that the present school laws
of the territory are not, in many respects,
superior to the old laws would be to
mlsrepresent the present status OF the
statutes; but when we state that they
are still ia condition to cause all who
feel an interest in the public school to
demand material changes which two
Legislative assemblies have refused to
make, we assert only that which is patent
to all who have examined the law. The
statutes Of 1889, at page IS, chapter IL,
as some people think, wisely provided
that school teachers, among other officers
named, should be able to read and write.
True, they we're not required to be pre-
pared to teach writing, but to write suffi-
ciently we'll to keep their own records.
The legislature Of 1893, page "a, chapter
10, session laws, appears to have looked
at this question in different light or
viewed it from different altitude, for
by the latter act the law Of 1885, so far
as it relates to school teachers. was re-
poaied, and while tho requirement as ap.
piled to the other officers ia still in force
tho public school teacher can be entirely
innocent OF any knowledge whatever OF
these two branches OF education, and
still hold his job, so far as the law oil
New Mexico is concerned. 1t would
seem to have been. in the opinion OF the
legislature OF 1899, necessary to guard
the schools OF the territory against the
contingency OF the employment of 9
"teacher" who could not read and write
or it would not have enacted the law re-
forred to. And the assembly of 1885,
must have thought reading and writing
useless accomplishment in teacher
or that body would not have gone out o.
its way to enact law specially repeal
ing this feature of the older statute
The statute about which SO many favor
able criticisms have been published, ant
so much boasting has been INDUCED il
by the press Of New Mexico, is that en-
acted by the legislature Of 1891. and ap
pears on page As. chapter 25. AS W,
have already said. this law is an i'm
provemsnt over previous ones, but show
some very glsring and inexcusable de
fects, to which attention has frequentl,
been called. but which have not been re
formed by the two assemblies OF 199'
and 1895.
Let us consider the effect of the pro
visions of section % OF that act. Sup
pose school district found the erection
of school house q necessity-as man.
school districts have and willard to d
this the issue of district bonds is re
quircd, who will be found to purchas
such bonds when he is informed OF tn
provisions OF this sectionf 1t provide
that levy for interest on bonds, as wei
! as for other purposes, shall first be sub
I mitted to vote OF the district before
r can be made. II the district board wer
;. required TO make this levy each yea
{ after bonds we're issued, q court Nigh
4 compel them TO make the levy in case {
neglect or refusal, but what power ca
be invoked to compel voter to cast b
ballot for or against the proposition
This peculiarly in the law will alway
have it's effect upon the sale OF scho,
, bonds aud the price to be obtained Il
:, them when they can be sold at all. Il
section 30 this same provision applies
levies for the sinking funds with whc
: to pay the principal of the outstandin
. : district bonds. And suppose the levy
rejected by the voters Of the distriC
what theni Whatever may be said
:, defense of these provisions, they raj
= questions and present entanglemen
- which cripple the schools, and ought n
to appear iu q school law.
'. Sections 80 aud 80 provide for surve
70 aud the marking Of the boundaries
al school districts before a special levy
a. any kind can be made. and for the pa
4. mebt OF the expense thereof by Il
Di board OF county commissioners, mot c
is esedino ten dollars" As the actual co
ia OF Q compliance vith tbis requireme
ID would. 10 many cases. bo from slOO
no 600. aud ~ there is no way provided I
d. the payment of the difference betwe
20 sl0 and the cost OF tho work. the whC
ar provision becomes farce. the effect
v. which is TO make II impossible to levy
ID special tax for school purposes, and Il