Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-04-03
TIE SCHOOL Library Bill.
Measure Passes the Iowa Legisla-
ture That Affects ALI Edu-
cational Districts.
PROVIDES FOR BOOKS IN ALL SCHOOLS.
Hoard of Control to BE Free from
Politics-Vistt to the Agricultural
College-Railway Assessments In
creased-PrincipalA Appropriations
Notes of Interest,
lspecial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
The Trewin school library bill has
passed both houses and will be in
operation July 4, 1900. 1t is one of the
most important bills passed by this
legislature, affecting as it does every
school district in the state and MAX
ing it mandatory that every school
shall have a library. State Surerin-
tendent Barrett will prepare instruc-
ITEMS for the working out of the new
law for which he has labored ear
nestly ever since coming into Office.
The bill as passed is as follows:
Section /. The treasurer of each school
township and each rural independent dis
trict in this state shall withhold annually
from the money received from the appor-
tionment for the several school districts
not less than five nor more than Is
cents, as may be ordered by the board, for
each person of school age residing in each
school corporation as shown by the annual
report of the secretary, for the purchase
of books as hereinafter provided. When
so ordered by the board of directors, the
provisions of this section shall apply to
any independent district.
Sec. 2. Between the third Monday of Sep
TENDER and the first day of December in
each year the president and secretary of
the board, with the assistance of the coun-
ty superintendent of schools, shall expend
all tAeney withheld by the treasurer as
provided in section one ~ of this act, in
the purchase of books selected from the
lists prepared by the state board of educa-
tional examiners as hereinafter provided,
for the use of the school district; in school
townships the secretary shall distribute
the books thus selected to the librarians
among the several subdistricts, and at
least semiannually collect the same and
distribute Others
Sec 3. 1t is hereby made the duty of the
state board of educational examiners to
prepare annually or biennially lists of
books suitable for use in school district IL
braries, and furnish copies of such lists to
each president, secretary and each county
superintendent, as often as the same shall!
be published or revised, from which lists
the several presidents and secretaries and
county superintendent shall select and
purchase books.
Sec. l. 1t shall be the duty of each sec
rotary to keep in a record book, furnished
by the board of directors, a complete rec
ord of the books purchased and distributed
by him.
Sec 5. Unless the board of directors shall
elect some other person, the secretary in
independent districts and director in sub
districts in school townships shall act as
librarian and shall receive and have the
care and custody of the books, and shall
loan them to teachers, pupils and other
residents of the district, in accordance
with the rules and regulations prescribed
by the state board of educational eXamn-
ers and board of directors. Each librarian
shall keep complete record of the books
in a record book furnished by the board
of directors. 1t is further provided that
during the periods that the school is in
schoolhouse and the teacher shall be re-
sponsible to the district for its proper care
and protection. The board of directors
| shall have supervision of all books and
| shall make an equitable distribution there
| OF among the schools of the corporation.
To BE Free from Politics.
The legislature is determined to re-
move the board of control entirely
from politics. That was the inten-
ton when the law creating the board
was passed, but by an oversight there
was nothing in the law to prevent the
solicitation of employees of the board
and of the state institutions for polit-
ical purposes. They were made liable
to removal for contributing, but they
were not protected from the annoy
ance of being solicited for campaign
funds. This has been remedied and
it has been made a misdemeanor, I'M
der bill reported from the senate
ways and means committee, for any
person to solicit any member or en-
ploye of the board or any officer or
employee of any state institution for
funds for any political purpose.
Visit rnl rDIyou.a
A large number of the members of
the legislature with their families and
friends Went to Ames last Tuesday
and spent the afternoon visiting the
State College of Agriculture and the
Mechanic Arts. 1t was Il revelation to
many of the members and other Wis
itors to see how wide a range of work
is being done in this institution. 1t
was in full practical operation, so the
visitors could see what the institution
is doing in it's everyday work. The
engineering and other mechanical de-
partments. the dairy school. the horti-
cultural and agricultural depart
ments, the veterinary school, the
school of domestic science, where
housekeeping anu cOOklnS ufe Sclen-
tifically taught-all these and the
usual collegiate departments that
supplement and go with them were
shown to the visitors. The impression
was a very favorable one upon the
legislators and their friends. The
college has been most literally pro-
We'd for by this legislature. It's prac-
teal work for the farmers boys and
girls and its development of great
modern school of technology have
greatly strengthened it with the peo-
pie.
To Improve Capitol.
The proposed plan to improve and
beautify the state house has been de-
veloped by the senate committee out
of IL bill introduced by Senator Smith
providing new elevators for the build
ing. The elevators are worn out and
very slow. Senator Smith introduced
bill and it was referred to the APP.
preparations committee and has been