The Monitor-register., 1896-01-31

From every section of the State for
long time there has been great dissatis.
faction with the township school law.
Farmers Institutes and clubs have from
time to time entered their protests, but
without avail. Assemblyman Fighter
introduced repeater to this law on
Tuesday, but will not press this, as
amendments are now being prepared
to cover Objectionable points in the
present law. These amendments will
in all probability be agreed upon by both
branches of the Legislature.
State Superintendent Poland has been
in conference with dissatisfied citizens
for week or more, and on Tuesday the
Legislative Committee of the State
Board of Education discussed the various
amendments asked for an most of them
have been agreed upon.
The two chief objections to the law
were the increased taxes in certain dis
tricts aud the manner of selecting the
members of the Board OF Education.
The increase in taxes came about in
this way: In township there may be
two districts which have been prosperous,
built fine school houses, and improved
their property until it vas worth double,
according to the appraisers, that of an
adjoining district, where the people have
been too poor to make the same improve
ments. Under the law, as it stands. the
property Of all the DISTRICTS ID appraised,
and the poorer districts are required to
pay rebate every year for q certain
period to equalze their property with
the richer. This makes the burden come
very heavy at the beginuing upon the
L HJafriatc laac ohla n fnr N
| amendment will probably be made wiping
| out this provision of the law in reference
to rebates, and letting all the districts go
under township control on an equal basis
There is also much complaint in town.
ships that are largely rural, and with olny
one or two towns where population
centres, that the members of the Boards
of Education are nearly ali chosen from
the towns, while the outlying districts
have no representatives TO whom they can
refer their complaints. An amendment
to obviate this evil willprovide that a
township shall be divided into nine dis.
triots and member of the board shall
be .selected from each district, though
elected by the vote of the whole township
The rural districts are also complain.
ing OF the manner in which the money is
provided for teachers and 1t is likely that
an amendment will be offered enabling
country schools to get an additional
appropriation for teacher where one can
be employed for five months. In thit
way some districts can afford to have two
teachers during the winter moptha, vher
they have tha largest attendance
laltnough;they have but one the rest Of
the year. Under the law ss at presen,
constituted they cannot do this.
| State Superintendent Poland recently
sent out to all the counties circular
containing the following questions: *Hal
the character'of school boards impyovet
under TIE TQvaahip actsn rHas th,
Equality Of teaohers improveda' s'Hal
the attendance and interest Of. pnpili
increased?" Has the supervision By board
or supervising principal if1pfoveda'
"Has the Township sot iq esneEal 6eon
an improvement upon thes old sadistric
systema' The replies ere nov d6m tn
| ii, spd nine tsntha Of them are fovorsble
go