The San Francisco call., 1897-07-08
None Can Be Supplied While
the Printing Office
Is Closed.
OPINION OF THOSE VERSED IN
STATE LAW.
Say the Instructors Must Wait
Until the Next Legis-
lature Meets.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, July NEARLY
1000 teachers OF the public schools of the
State of California will be unable to draw
any pay for their services until the next
session of the Legislature. Such is the
opinion of those versed in the school laws
of the State, and it is claimed that the
subject mas been brought TO the attention
of the Attorney General and that he has
been requested to render an opinion.
This is owing to the fact that Governor
Budd saw fit to veto the appropriation for
the State Printing Office. In consequence
The school registers, which are requisite
under the present laws, cannot be OBJ
Iained for the teachers, and unless these
registers are in their possession and prop
erly filled out the County Superintend-
ents are for hidden TO draw warrants in
their favor.
Section 1896 of the Political Code. SUBJ
division 8, provides that every teacher
''mus: keep a State school register, in
which shall be left at the close of the term
a report showing programme of recita-
tions, classification and grading of all
pupils who have attended school at any
time during the school year. The Super
intendent shall in no case draw a requisi-
tion IN favor of the teacher until the
teacher has filed with him certificate
from the clerk of the Board of School
Trustees to the effect that the provisions
of this subdivision have been complied
with"
And section 100 provides that: mo
warrant must be drawn in favor of any
teacher unless the officer whose duty it is
TO draw such warrant is satisfied that the
teacher has faithfully performed all the
duties prescribed in section one thousand
six hundred and ninety-siX."
These registers must be provided, like
all other supplies, by the Superintendent
of Public Instruction, and the law ex-
pressly provides lin section 1882 subdi-
vision 81 that be must prepare, have
printed and furnish all officers charged
with the administration of the laws relat-
ing 10 the pu olic schools ami to tea acherS
such blank forms and books as may be
necessary to the discharge of their duties,
including blank teachers certificates to
be used by county Boards OF Education"
1t is also expressly provided that they
must be printed in the State Printing
Office.
The language of the code is clear and
unmistakable. and unless the State Print
ing Office can supply the registers the
teachers can draw no pay.
The State school register is an elabo-
rate record of the attendance, progress
and conduct of each pupil, and consists of
fiIty-seven pages of various records and
reports, requiring no less than thirteen
different kinds OF ruling and as many
different forms of questions. Besides
these there are five pages OF solid non
pareil containing instructions to teachers
and extracts from the Political Code.
The book measures 121&x8 inches and can
be gotten out only in one or two offices in
the State outside OF the State Printing
Office. and even if these were permitted
to prepare them the expense would be
much greater.
The problem that now confronts the
State and its people is Will the teachers
be willing to proceed with their work
without pay, or will they close the schools
until the Governor calls an extra session :?
1t is clear they can draw no pay without
filling in their blanks in book they can
not obtain, and there seems at present no
way out of the difficulty.