The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-17
Superintendent and County
Commissioner Are at Outs.
They Refuse to Appoint a Tru-
ancy Officer.
MAY FORCE MATTERS.
Mr.. Wright Says Law Makes
appointment Imperative.
Talks of Mandamus to Force
Board to Act.


The board of county commissioners
does not believe in truant officer for
the country and has so far refused to
elect anyone nominated for the place by
s. F. Wright, county superintendent of
public instruction.
Superintendent Wright nominated
George Bushong of Riehland, and the
board has refused to elect him. If the
board persists in refusing to elect, then
Wright will probably bring mandamus
proceedings in the district court to COM
pei the county commissioners TO elect
the man he dominates for the office
The commissioners have not taken
final action on the matter and will not
90 SO before the meeting next Friday,
but the intimation given out by the
board is that that body does not believe
the truancy law. passed by the last ses-
sion of the legislature. to be good law
and that furthermore truant officer is
not needed and the county does not need
him en- the pay roll.
Superintendent Wright believes in the
truancy law and believes that a good
truancy officer. in the country. wiz dc
much toward increasing the discipline or
the country schools. besides being a
means of compelling parents to send
their children TO school
The truancy law provides that THE
county superintendent of public in
structfon shall divide their respective
counties into not less than one nor
more than five truant districts, and the
board of county commissioners SHALL
upon the nomination of the county
superiutepdents of public instruction of
their respective counties, appoint a
truant officer for each district thus Gre
ated, who shall hold his office at the
will of the county superintendent of
public instruction. -. In case any
pupil becomes an habitual truant, or
becomes a menace to the best interests
of the school which he is attending,
then it shall be the duty of the truant
officer to report said facts and cOndi-
tiOns to the parent or guardian of said
child. The parents shall be held liable
under the provisions of this act for the
regular attendance and good conduct
of the said child, unless said parent
or guardian shall state in writing to
said truant officer that said child is be-
yond the control of said parent or
guardian. Then it shall be the duty of
the truant officer to proceed against
said pupil under the provisions of the
law governing Juvenile disorderly per-
sons
Superintendent Wright CONSTITUTES the
law to mean that when he dominates
truancy officer that the board of COM
missiOners shall appoint him and that
the board has no alternative. The board,
however. seems to Jhtnk that if a tru-
ancy officer is not appointed by them
that the matter is settled. Wright thinks
missioners and that twill be only nee
essary to bring a mandamus and secure
an order of the court directing the COM
nlissioners to appoint whoever he nomi-
mates if the board persists in refusing
to make an appointment.
Superintendent Wright has decided
that one tFuancy district, to embrace all
the country schools in Shawnee county,
will be better than several with several
truancy officers Wright chose Bushong
and says that he was formerly a school
teacher and is we'll qualified to fill the
new Office. Bushong is waiting for the
commissioners to appoint him. The law
provides that the truant officers shall re-
ceive 81 per day for each day actually
employed and that the number of days
that he shall serve each year must not
be greater than the number of days in
the school term.
County Commissioner Sterne said to-
day: The board has not taken final
action on the matter of a country school
truancy Office, but the opinion of the
board is that such an officer is not
needed and that such an officer. to live
at Richland in the southeastern corner
of the county, would have little effect
on the scholars in the northwestern
part of the county. 80 miles away. The
board does not feel that tTuancv Off
Ger is needed or that such an officer
would amount to much. County Supt.
Wright however. advocates such an
officer being appointed and the matter
before being finally decided"
County Supt Wright said this morn
ing; "A truancy officer is needed in the
country to complete the school system
and TO bring the discipline of every
school up TIC the proper standard. In
the city the school janitors are gen
orally sworn in as peace officers. and
they, together with the regular police
force. can be called upon at any time
n needed to assist teachers with I'M
ruly pupils In the country, however,
the women school teachers have no one
In authority to appeal to directly if a
pupil is unmanageable. The truancy
and an officer to enforce the attendance
at school of all children of school age.
] certainly believe such an officer to be
needed. I think the law good one,
and think that its provisions should
be carried out"
SUPERINTENDENT Wright said that one
woman school teacher at least in Shawnee
county was waiting anxiously for the APP
pointment OF the truancy officer Mr..
Wright says that one of the big boys at
the teacher and that nothing can be done
with him The teacher tried to apply the
rod. The boy took the rod away from
her, broke it to pieces and went home
The boys father seems to either uphold
him in his actions or be unable to control
him. As soon the TIT anc,- officer is
appointed =" viii be seat forthwith to in
Yesugate this young man If the father
says he can not control him then the
truancy officer will take legal steps TO
have him sent to the reform school, If
not admit that the boy is incorrigible then
the father will be liable to arrest and a
line Of from $ TO SIS.
Female Prisoners in France
A French newspaper. in giving an ac-