The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-04-16
SCHOOL SALARY BILL SIGNED.
Measure Fixing Minimum Wages
Of Teachers Becomes Il
Law.

Snyder bill fixing the minimum
salary of school teachers at $50
per month. The following is the
measure
Section +. That on and after
the first day of June, 1904, the
minimum salary of school teach
ers teaching in the public schools
of this Commonwealth shall De
S3j per month.
Section >. 1t shall be the duty
of the President and Secretary
of the School Board of each school
district in this Commonwealth to
make report under oath to the
Superintendent of Public Iu-
struction that the requirments of
this act have been fully complied
with.
Section 3. Every school dis
trict of this Commonwealth fail.
ing to comply with the require
ments of this act shall forfeit It's
State appropriation for the whole
time during which this act has
been violated.
The people of Fulton county
have reason to be thankful that
the bill passed as it is, for Il most
desperate effort was made TO
make it forty instead of thirty
five dollars a month. Had it been
made forty instead of thirty five
dollars, it would have meant that
many townships, not only in Ful
ton but in other counties, would
have been obliged to forfeit the
State aid, and manage their
schools with reference to salary
and length Of term as well as pos
sible without il.
This is one Of the instances in
which special Legislation would
seem to have its advantages.
The fact should not be over
looked that Fulton county does
not possess many Of the advauta
ges had by other counties. 1t is
sparsely settled, and must, of ne
cessity, have more school houses
than if the population We're more
dense. BY referring to the late
reports issued by the School de
partment it will be noticed that
there are but 6 pupils to every
square mile of territory; and
while we have but one school
house to every )! square miles.
there is still only 30 pupils to the
shcool.
From an exchange we learn
that Perry county will close about
20 Of her schools, and hire per.
sons in the several districts to
convey the pupils of these schools
to adjoining schools. This plan
/ is, no doubt, feasible in Fulton
county. Where adjacent schools
are small, it would be far less eX-
pensive to "double up"
Some of the school boards of
the past are partly responsible
for legislation on this matter. A
few years ago the schools were
conducted almost entirely by To-
cal taxation. Then, to help them
have better schools, the State
stepped in and offered its assist.
auce When this came, the schoo'
boards relaxed their efforts and
allowed the State practically tC
do it all. The d StrictS Of Bethel
McConnellsburg and Wells arc
the only ones in this county that
raise as much money at home as
they get from the State, When q
sympathlzing nelghbor sees you
toiling in the field, and comes il
and shares your work, it woulC
not be IN good taste to climb ~
on the fence and make him do i
all.
There is "A constant unuecessa
ry leakage in the school funds Il
connection with the purchase o
school books and supplies. Books
are bought at high prices, anC
then at the instance of oily
tongued, and often oily.fingered
agents, they are thrown out anc
a "new kind" put in before tn
first are half worn out. Appara
! tus, Charts, Maps, etc, are 10
infrequently purchased at enor
nous prices, and often but littl
: used in the school. Whore d