The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1899-09-20

tendent Hammond reviews the history
Of textbook legislation In this state,
and concludes by expressing the con-
viction that the only law which should
receive the COMMUNICATION and encour-
agement OF those interested In educa-
ton Ia such an one as shall amend and
simplify the optional free textbook
law now on our statute books. He says
he is convinced that any law under
any guise whatever. involving the Gre
alton of textbook board or commits
sion. should he looked urnn with 4 -
trust as absolutely unsafe and liable
10 INSCRIPTIONS manipr lation.
Superintendent Hammond concludes
an extended discussion OF the question
of city school organization by advocat-
ing changes In the law that would bring
about the following notifications Of
the prevailing system Boards OF edu-
cation should ne less cumbersome: the
members should. in part AT least be
appointed. and those elected should be
elected at large; the board should con.
sist of but two commttees-the bust
ness and the education committee the
former to have absolute control OF the
financial affairs Of the school. and the
latter OF the educational affairs; SUI
perintendent should be chosen for not
less than three years and should have
general charge of the school work no
teacher being employed against his
protest: there should he no Sub-commit-
tees, except n building committee. and
each member should receive fair re-
Enumeration for services rendered.
These changes would. in his opinion.
insure the taxpayer value received for
his money. and the students would reap
the benefit 10 which they are entitled.
Causes Considerable Talk.
Considerable talk has been occasioned
by the action of the state tax commits
sion in calling upon registers of deeds
and county treaSurerS throughout the
state for information which IL will
take them n great deal of time TO col
lect from their records. The law makes
no provision for paying these officers
for this work. and some of them have
decided not to do il. 1t has been sug-
gested publicly that the law requires
them TO furnish whatever information
any state officer may call upon them
for. An examination of the statutes
shows that this is not the case, the
only officials whose command they are
required TO obey in this regard being
the secretary of state, state treasurer
auditor. and general commissioner or
the land office. They can. therefore,
politely consgn the tax commissioners
to much hotter climate than this,
and possibly realizing this the latter
have suggested that ii would be proper
for the boards of supervisors TO allow
the county officials reasonable compen-
satiOn for doing the work. This has
raised the question of the right of the
supervisors TO do this 1t is certainly
not their duty TO do ii. this fact having
been settled three years ago when the
supreme court decided that it was not
the duty of the county clerk TO do sim
liar work for the state tax Statistician,
nor the duty Of the board of supervis-
ors TO pay for such work. The law
creating the state board of tax commits
sioners does not contemplate that the
county official shall have any work to
do i'm connection with it, and the indi-
cations are that they will not do any
unless they are first assured of receiv-
ing pay for it from some source.
Fact cf the Matter.
The faCt or the matter Is tllat the
law does not contemplate that any Off
cial other than the commissioners and
their secretary should have anything
to do with the execution of the law,
and all work that is done by others is,
in the opinion of competent lawyers,
wholly unauthorized 1t is altogether
probable that this law will find its
way into the courts before many
months and then all the mooted ques-
tons concerning il will he disposed of.
The commissioners are now in the
upper peninsula where il is expected
they will find condition of things
that will call for radical treatment.
Nothing has been heard from them
since they struck the copper and iron
districts where most of the alleged
unjust conditions complained Of are
said to exist. but il is fair TO presume
that they are giving these complaints
careful attention.
The annual exhibition Of the state
the state fair. will be held in Grand
Rapids next week. Unusual prepare
tons have been made for this event
and good weather alone is needed to
insure its success. This will be good
news to the host of friends of this
cOmmendable enterprise throughout
the state JAMES V. BARRY
Another Reason.