Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-16

is a strong educational factor in the state
and deserves recognition by the legisla.
ture, something which, as yet, It has not
received. Perhaps the most imports nj
action taken at the session was the an.
pointment of a committee Of Ave on the
revision of the school laws. This cons
mlttee Is to report to the next legislature
sucn amendments as it thinks ought to be
made, and urge their adoption. That the
school laws need a thorough revision has
been strikingly demonstrated by the de-
cision In the special tax case.
Inc year 1899 has been made memoir
aole, ed~ucationally. by the publication of
the first ever published in the state. II
was IN preparation for a considerable
period or time n much labor has been
given to it.. 1t its preparation most VAL
uaoie assistance was rendered by DR.. o.
Gar :; Craig. president Of the University.
PRESIDENT -. r. Sanders of the Normal
School and Prof. ]. E. Klock, city SUPER
%lntendent of the Helena schools. To these
gentlemen desire to express, in this mn.
TIC manner. my sincere thanks for their
most valuable aid in the preparation OF
this work. -
The course of study provides for grant,
ing OF diplomas to all graduates Of the
common schools. These diplomas will ha
UNIFORM. and examinations for the COM
mon school diploma will be held twice a
year-in May and November. There
seems to be some confusion regarding the
expression common schools 1t is some-
times used by different persons in a dir
ferent sense. AS used in the course of
study and by this department. it means
an pubic schools. except hight schools.
Wnetner In the city or country. The law
requires that the course be used in all the
schools Of the state.
"There is the greatest disparity in the
wages o. n teachers of the. state. even in
dlstrlcts OF the same size. The teachers
salary wares from $50 to 5000 a month.
me salary of the principal or superin-
Iendent varies from SIS to $3.50 a month. /
some school boards pay their i~anitors
more than they do their teachers. With
boards of schoo trustees the teacher
VINO Will work for the smallest salary is
employed. 1t should be remem-
bered. however. that teachers, those who
are worthy of the name, cannot be found
VINO Will teach for $50 or $40 a month. or
Tor any similar amount. This is less thar
the wages of a sheep-herder or a cowboy
VINO receives as much and his board he
SIDES. while a teacher must pay from 500
to $50 a month for her board out Of her
salary. A very romeo and fatal no.
hon that obtains among some school
trustees is that five or six months of
school, taught BY a $50 a month teacher,
Is better than a three months school
Taught by a SO a month teacher. This
a great mistake. The time the pupil
spends in school Is Of small consequence
with what he does and what
accomplishes while there. The aver.
ase salary OF teachers for the state is.
male $69.4 female $49.15 per month. In
he north Atlantic states tn. average sal
Try Of male teachers is $50, Is, of female
$41. In the western states the
'verage for male teachers is $751; 80 per
MONTH. In California, which u~ndoubted-
y has the best public school system s.
lie racine WEST. a Cv0fnrn that ce..-
qual school privileges to all, and where
ne rural and suburban teachers receive
same salary. being equally qualified I
o teach. the average salary for male !,
eachers IS $a..4o a month. and for female !
eachers is $685. a month. The uncon-
clonably low salaries paid in a great ma
oIrlty OF our rural districts account for
ne low average in Montana, and xplain :,
ne unsatisfactory progress made in many
f the schools.
Another evil of gigantic nronortior.
as been and still is the reckless extrava-
expenditure of school, money bv
fustees. Many school districts are heav- +,
y In debt to-day, and paying enormous !
ulns' annually, with little or no prospect !
I paying it when it becomes due. In |
instances no sinking fund has been 7
roVlded' as the law requires. with which :
, pay the indebtedness when due. In I
ome cases school houses nave been built
t the expense of the district and ADAM
oCSduSe IlOC HeeQeQ. In the lOca.
on of many school buildings private
ather tina public interests seem to have
cen consulted. The wanton disregard
the rights and interests Of the dis
net In these cases suggests the necessity
legislation which will safeguard the in G
of the district and protect it from !
xtravagance and extortion. I desire {
cal the attention of school boards, in Q
lstricts having a large indebtedness. to o
ne DUTY resting upon them of reducing c
ms Indebtedness as rapidly as possible, I
where it is impossible to pay the p
onds at maturity, to secure the lowest p
ossible rates of interest upon issuing T.
eW bonds to replace the old ones. Q
w enter upon the new year with the t
rm belief that the public schools of the Il
ate viii take no backward step, but, on $
he contrary, will continue to advance n
nd improve. as they have in the past. p
,ith needed legislation they should and +;
lll'take rank among the very best in the II
'untry. but until such legislation is had. |.
'ere is little chance for improvement l.
lough greatly needed, in the rural