Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-12-20

tDOrs who frequently feEe psesu
. moro numerous pr0geny Inc
#pector appointed In thu case, ls 2
In Of large experiecce ID eoucationaI
Ork- haYing been Or quiee = numDeI
= y,sS6S pr0mincpt teacher, although
Got now engaged In that capacity, ana
who was twice dected county suPelin-
chsreed the dutf z NAT important
ONCE during the tE fSr which he was
elected. He Is why disinterested,
and after having healN the testimony
in the case, and the arg( (sents Of c0un-
sci for the respOndenfa4 and giving
careful and deliberate confederation to
the case-we see no reaAk tN diner
from the conclusion reachSN by him.
When q system of education Ny COM
mon school was first adOpt0Nby the
Commonwealth but . comp lively
small amount of money was alss. Opri
ated by the State. The expenses Of
maintaining the schools and building
SCHOOL houses was raised almost entirely
by local taxation, levied by the direc-
tors Of the several townships. The con-
sequence was that many districts. ow-
ing to their sparsely settled condition,
were unable to maintain efficient
schools. The appropriations from the
revenues of the State were increased
and an effort made to increase the efti-
cheney Of the schools and afford better
facilities for those who wished to obtain
creased, as the advantages to the State
from an intelligent citizenship became
more apparent, until the people by the
adoption Of the constitution Of 1874,
made 1t obligatory OH the legislature to
appropriate not less than 81, ,OOO, 900 Tor
| the support of theeOmmOn schools. zee
Art. 10. Section I. This was not In.
tended to he wholly in relief Of the local
taxes. but was intended that those pOr-
l tiOns OF the State in which the proper
| ton of wealth to population was great
est should bear a portion of the expense
Of the education of the children Of less
prosperous and poorer communities,
that all might as nearly as possible
have equal educational advantages
And this policy should prevail in the
different school districts. We are not
unmindful Of the fact that the law vests
a very large discretion In the board OF
school directors and much deferenct
should he shown to their judgment
But when fully satisfied that they have
erred in the exercise Of that discretion,
or from an undue regard for the COM
plants Of taxpayers failed or refused t
perform their duty in providing sufii
cient aud reasonable accommodation
for all the children I'm said township O
school district between the age Of sia
and twenty.One years 1t Is our duty t.
saw so, and to enforce the remedy which
the Act Of Assembly has provided.
At the argument there was consider
able discussion as to the location OF Z
school house. With that ut present We
have nothing to do. 1t il to be pre-
sumed that the board Of directors vii
select and secure a suitable and advan
tageOus site.
At the argument, counsel for respOn
dent asked the question what would b,
done in the event that the Court remOv
ed the present directors and appointed
Others in their stead and they also re
fused to provide suitable accommOda
tiOns? 1t is unnecessary to answer thii
question or decide what would be dOnt
in that event until the exigency arises
| We may add that the fifth paragraph
Of the respondents answer alleges thai
the map accompanying the report Of thu
inspector is inaccurate and as used cal
culated to mislead. We understand II
was not drawn to q scale, but in view
Of the fact that the inspector visited thu
proposed new sub-district and all of the
judges have some personal knOwledgt
of the location, We are no tmisled by 1t
And now December 10th, A. ID. 1899,
having heard the testimony read in Op
en- court and the case fully argued by
counsel for petitioners and respondents
and the cOrrt having carefully cOnsid
cred the matter and being fully satisfied
that the board Of school directors of Mil
ford township have neglected and re
fused to establish sufficient number O
schools for the education Of every indi
vidua' between the ages Of six and
ltw. years As the law requires
this rule is made absolute, and the
court do declace and decree that the
seats of the present board Of school di.
rectOrs, viz, Jacob Lauver, B. +. Burns,
George GrOnninger, Jerome Kerchner,
James Stake, and w. s. Clemens, va
cant, and they are removed from the
office Of school director, and do appoint
John II. Jenkins, Harry A. GrOninger,
VIM. Guss. Lewis Leonard, E. o. Me
loy, and VIM. q. McCAhan, school di'
rectOrs In their stead, uatil the next an
nual election, and that Milford town
ship school district pay the costs Of THU
proceeding.
And now December 10Th, A. ID. 1899
counsel for respondents except to thu
findings Of fact and the order and de
cree of the court and at their instance
this bill is sealed.
(sEAI..) JEREMIAH LYONS,
President Judge.