Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1901-03-21
VICIOUS MEASURE KILLED.
The Governor VetOes the Gunlerson Bill
"A Bill That Aimed to Destroy the
Uniformity OF the state
School system.

The Governor yetoes the GunslersOn Bill.
"A Bill That Aimed to Destroy the
Uniformity OF the state
school System.
Governor Rogers has returned to the
secretary of state, House Bill No. 81,
known as the Gunderson bill, with his
disapproval. The Governors objections
to the bill are in direct line with those
advanced by the HERALD on March 4,
and, to our mind, are unanswerable.
The following are the reasons given by
the governor for his veto:
"The object sought to be attained by
the passage of this bill is the destruction
of state uniformity in the selection OF
text books for use in the common and
graded schools OF the state. 1t is claim
ed by the advocates OF this measure that
the selections made by the state board
of education, for five year terms, in 1870
and in 1900, were not well adapted ana
in fact were bad. Therefore it is claimed
that the particular, difficult and respon-
sible duty of selecting text books to be
used by the children Of this state should
be turned over to the Heterogeneous COL
lections OF school officers in the thirty
six counties of the state. Thus provid-
ing thirty-six different opportunities Tor
book agents and companies to impose
thirty-six different selections OF books
upon a suffering public. Possibly three
or four counties might secure better
books than those now in use, but it is
now extremely probable that thirty out
of the thirty-six would not. Already l
am in receipt of great Chicago book
house asking whether the bill under
discussion will be approved. The wolf
if preparing to descend upon the fold.
Some of the selections made under the
terms of this bill would undoubtedly,
however hardly it might bear upon the
children compelled to study them, afford
laughter and scorn for both gods and
men, 1 cannot think it my duty to APP
prove so heartless scheme.
"The law, as amended at the recent
session of the legislature, provides for
the addition to the state board OF educa-
ton, for the purpose of the selection OF
text books at the next selection to be
made, OF the six superintendent OF
schools OF the six largest cities 'of the
state, thus making board of eleven
which, it would appear should be ex-
ceptionally we'll fitted for the purpose
had in view. Now, if the next legisla-
ture should provide that the school dis
trict of the state be divided into two
classes, namely, those that maintain
high school and those that do not, and
provide, likewise, that the very compe-
tent board OF selection referred to might
select books suitable for the two classes
of districts, if though advisable, all diff
ficulties arising might be removed and
the unseemly spectacle of thiity-six
counties ravaged by smooth tongued
and INSCRIPTIONS book agents be avoid
ed.
"The step which it is proposed to
take in this bill is not only, in my opin-
ion, a step backwards, but it is also in
direct opposition to the mandates OF the
fundamental laws Of the state. Sections
and 2, OF article 8, of the state con-
stitution, are as follows:
"'Article TX. Section lit is the
paramount duty OF the state to make
ample provision for the education of all
children residing within its borders, with
out distinction or preference on account
of race, color, caste or sex.
Section 2-The legislature shall pro-
vide for general and uniform system OF
public schools. The public school system
shall include common schools, and such
high schools, normal schools and techni-
cal schools as may hereafter be estab-
lished. But the entire revenue derived
from the common school fund, and the
state tax for common schools, shall be
exclusively applied to the support of the
common schools
cit is openly stated by those who favor
this bill that it is their intention to do
away with state uniformity in school in
struction, thus turning over the country
schools to their own devices and taking
from them the support and protection OF
state authority and assistance. Ibelieve
the motive an1 the attempt to be unwise
and ill advised. 1t should be the care
and the desire of the state authorities to
raise to higher plane the methods of
instruction employed in the common
and graded schools, where nine-tenths of
our boys and girls are to obtain all the
instruction they will ever receive, rather
than to attempt to turn them back in
the matter OF text books to methods en-
ployed fifty years ago. For these reasons
the bill is hereby disapproved.
The Way to Force Plants to Branch.
There is only one way in which plant