The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-28
COUNTY NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
This Department of the Teachers AS
ISOLATION Also Met Yesterday.

The county superintendent section met
in Room 20 in the Statehouse only nine SUI
perintendents Of the State being absent In
connection with the topic of What Shall
Be Done with the Graduates from the Com
mon Branches" Superintendent w. S. Glib
bons, of Fulton county, discussed the idea
of making the common school work more
thorough, and to provide hgh-school oppor-
tunities in all townships for all scholars
who desire them. superintendent III. E. Coe
after discussing the subject favorably, in
troduced the following resolution:
Resolved, That it is the sense of this body
that all graduates of the common schools
in the districts should be furnished high
school advantages al the expense of the
township, either by maintaining township
high school, or by the payment of tuition
to some other school corporation.
Superintendent Ellis A. Hutchins, of
Hamilton county, suggested that one year
be added TO the common-school course Su-
perintendent Frank E. Cooper, Of Lake
county Endorsed this plan and added that
free barns should be erected for the benefit
of such pupils who were compelled to drive
to school from a distance. Following the
discussion there was a musical selection by
the pupils of the Broadway Colored High
School, OF Madison.
The subject of Needed School Legisla-
ton was then taken up by Superintendent
w. +. Landes, of Marion county, who acted
as the father of State Superintendent Geet-
ing many recommendations The Journal,
some time ago, printed the substance of all
of them as follows: That all licenses be is
sued by the state board, to be good in any
county; only one twelve months certificate
TO be issued to any teacher; that the pres
ent school-book law, by which the county
superintendent is compelled to act as book
agent, is unjust to those officials and that
law he enacted under which the hook
publishers be compelled to do their business
through dealers.
Mr.. Landes also recommended the doing
away with small districts and their con-
solidation into larger districts, where the
pupils can have the benefit of better SANTA
ton In the buildings With regard to county
superintendent Mr. LandeS thought the
terms of office should be heightened to four
years; that there should be an educational
qualification and that the County Superin-
tendents Association should be represented
on tho State Board of Education. He also
than twelve weeks, and that pupils be re-
CURED to go TO school greater number of
years, suggesting that the age limit be
raised from fourteen to sixteen years.
superintendent e. Mcfarland, of Martin
county; warmly advocated the reforms sug-
gested by Mr.. Landes, but Superintendent
c. +. Mcintosh, of Owen county, thought
that the association should go slowly in
such matters and be sure a new move was
likely to be productive of good before ask
ing the Legislature, to take 1t up. He sug-
gested that the plan of having the aSsocia-
ton represented on the state board was q
good one, but thought that the representa-
tive should be selected by the association
and not taken, as matter of course, from
the most populous county, as recommended
Superintendent Firmer, in speaking of
revenue, said that some counties paid more
than their share of the total revenue. He
also said that, in his opinion, the grades in
district schools did better work than grades
in the cities, and his ideal school was a
graded township school. Superintendent
GLADDEN. gave the state colleges slap when
he said the State should improve both the
graded and district schools so as to make
any of them capable of furnishing a pupil
with a good education, but that if people
wanted to have a college education, they
should be compelled to pay for it, as it has
been demonstrated that the state colleges
benefit the masses but little. Superintendent
Lee o. Harris raised the point as to Wheth-
er or not it was constitutional to raise all
the school revenue by state levy. State
Superintendent Geeting suggested that a j.
cent state levy would raise more money
than 9 or 10-cent township levy. Superin-
tendent Goss. of Indianapolis, thought it was
a better plan to raise all the school funds
by state levy and let the State control
the schools.