The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-12

townships on n per capita basis, - pro-
vide Tor teachers institutes by deyot-
ing $40 TO that purpose, to hold nieeeingS
on the second Monday of January and
July To transact busin Ss. examine cooks
and vouchers. audit accounts and fix
the maximum salary of first grade
| teachers. The county board also has
power To punish any one interraoriug
their meetings. The compensation Of
the school director is $500 per day and
mileage.
The township school trustees are re-
quired to meet within . days after
their election and organize by choosing
Il chairman and secretary. the latter 10
| keep Il ord of proceedings. Within
Is days n ar2 also required to elect
three committeeman for each .hn3l in
their township. 1t is their duty 10 ap-
portion school funds among the schools
Of the townships in such way
that each shall have term of pracfi-
cally the same length. Township Nr1 :
| tees fix all salaries except the maxi
mum for first grade teachers. They
| furnish TO school committeeman and
| county superintendent Il statement of
the amount of money apportionel 10
each district
The district school committees
men have control OF all school
| property. are required to fur
| niSh under cath to county super
intendent and township trustees cen
sus of the children in their district. to
organize in the same way rs township
trustees. to employ and dismiss teach
eFs, but not to contract for more than
one years apportionmgnt Of money or
to pay Il second grade teacher over S25
per month out of the public fund or to
| employ any teacher for less than one
month. They must close the school in
districts Of less than $50 pupils if less
| than Il fifth of the census number of
children in the district are in attendance
An accurate account Of all moneys spent
| and contracts made must be kept and no
contract for more money than accrues
during one fiscal year is valid.
The county superintendent of schools
| is cX-officiO secretary of the county
board of school directors, examines all
teachers and advises them as to inStruc-
| ton and government, visits the schools.
distributes blanks, reports township
| trustees to the county board for incom-
petonce. makes an annual report to the
State superintendent. &c. He receives
not less than two nor more than four
dollars per day for such days as he is
actually engaged in the discharge Of his
duty
This, in brief is the machinery pro
vided for carrying the school law into
effect. If IN earnest and efficient coun
lty board of school directors is provided
the system Will doubtless prove salts
| factory enough. otherwise not.
| The Importance of the township trus-
tees and their duties will not escape at
tention. The power vested in them to
! app0rtion school funds of the township
among the schools in such way as to
make the school terms of equal length
| is salient feature Of the law. It also
takes away the temptation of commit
teeGIen to use false economy by employ
ing "A cheap teachsr to lengthen the
school term. Since colored teachers US
ualy receive less than white this proyi
sion advantages white schools.
Provision is made for holding clec-
toliS in towns aud townships to leyy
ereclal tax for schools on petition If
one third Of the qualified voters
The other features Of the law are
largaly the same a. those of ths cid Law
with which the public IS already fami-
liar.
Speaking broadly the General Assem-