Evening journal., 1898-03-24
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE

In view OF the fact that the thousand |
copies OF the educational bill now un-
der consideration in the General AS |
semhly ordered printed by that body |
for distribution, can only reach a small |
| fraction ofthose deeply interested in the |
measure; and of the further fact that
the length OF the bill makes 1t a matter
OF doubt that many OF the actual recip-
tents OF copies will have sufficient time
/ to gain a clear comprehension of its
| provisi0ns and OF the yet further fact
! that / am constantly in receipt OF let
| ters asking for copies and explanations
of various portions of the bill; have
been requested by number Of our leg
islators TO give a simple and concise ex-
PLANTATION Of the terms and plan of the
| proposed measure, which, through the
medium OF the press. may reach to the
relnotest part Of our state.
For the better understanding of the
public, therefore, / ask space for the
following in your columns;
The new bill is a long one, but It Is
from one-quarter TO one-third shorter
than our present school laws, whose
place It purposes to fill.
! The bill is far from being perfect
one which should be enacted as It
stance of the legislative educational
committee that the bill was introduced
in its present shape. 1t was intended
to give the measure a thorough revision
before its Introduction, but the com
mittee considered II best TO avoid fur
/ ther delay, and to have the general
plan and policy OF the bill under con-
/ siderajion and discussion at the same
time that the process Of revision was
being carried out by amendments In
committee. ! have already some dozen
. amendments to the bill in course of
! preparation; amendments which would
not have been necessary had more time
/ been given for revision.
For the above reasons, / shall give an
! explanation which embodies also the
purposed amendments of which | have
| spoken.
The bill itself begins first with the
! state control. and then the county con
= troll Of the free schools but In explana-
! ton, it is simpler to start with the dis
7 Iuict control. This part Of the bill com.
mences with section &.
y Il must be borne in mind that this
= portion Of the bill does not relate q
= nCr affect incorporated districts.
7. Under our existing laws. the schoo
q AAoAiiNL - Nit Mtll nlEn HUSOlNlt dNl
10 independent seat of school government
II. Its boundaries were drawn over half
= | century ago, subject only to the altera
u tiOns Of succeeding Legislatures an
~ Levy Courts. The location of tn
=, school-house was the controlling facto
a in the marking Of those boundaries
"A and alterations of them have fallen ia
I, short Of keeping pace with the growt
=, and fluctuation Of population.
~ The school district. as now const
!, tuted, is but small segment Of on
- | territory, based upon absolutely no pC
"A litical or geographical division. Ther
u I are some three hundred Of these indt
~ | pendent seats OF school gOvernmeI
n within the limited area of our llttl
,o comm 0nwealth. Each is a separate an
~ complete sovereignty in itself so far a
~ | school matters are concerned, and nc
~ one has an interest common to anOthe
except that 1T be that each is a share
in the general school fund of the stat
~ One school district may (and fac
"a show the actuality of this possibiht,
- establish methods and systems discor
~ \ ant and conflicting with those mai
~ tanned in another district, separat,
~ from one another only by some thir
.ar feet OF public road So far as any m'
"a luality Of interest is Concerned, eas
NJ ichOcl district might be separated fro
bs lll its fellows by the entire breadth
~ our nation.
~ These are the present conditions.
'v would be difficult to match such a
~ anomaly.
~ The new educational bill proposes
"a clear the pathway TO a community
'o+ interest aid and assistance anon
- these school districts, and aims at un
~ fOrmity in school methods and sy
- TENS
~ To this end. 1t takes the new repr
N sentative district as the unit III
- school district, as it now exists. is n
IN changed or abolished. It is, hOWeve
,o termed a sub-district, the represent
~ tive district being called the school di
"a trict. 1t must not be thought that Il
,os addition of the prefix Sub" works,
itself, any revolutionary change in e.
~, isting conditions. A clear cOmprehe,
- sion Of this portion Of the bill cam
y, be gained II the fact that the term su
~ district simply means the school di
M tIict as now bounded, Is once 10
me sight Of
.sd Each sub-district then holds It's ele
he tion just as at present; the only di
nm ference being that one instead Of thr
Of commissioners is elected. IL may beWt
,at to remark here, parenthetically tn
nd tho qualifications of school voters an
for males. the same in the bill as no
to by law; but women may vote und
To- property qualifications. Page "a, wh'
a1t read In connection with page 2l of Il
led printed copies, will make this clear.
an may be wise TO add further in this co
me noctiOn, that the cOlCrCd voters C,
he only vote fer the sub-district c0mmi
ost sicner Of the colPred sub-district al
ar have 10 parcel id the sub-district
In white schools.
-tv The enc commissioner Us substitute
M fer tho present three because, first,
of centralizes the responsibility, and sc
md because experience has shov
fIe tha, I'm the majority Of cases, the pre-
mr. mt system means one competent al
BILE ,wC incOmpetents.
he Each sub-distriCt commissioner tn
of- meets with all the other sub-distri
"a commissioners elected in the san
no. representative district, and they all [
is yether elect from their own number