The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-10
PEOPLE WILL ELECT
COUNTY SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS IN
GEORGIA
IF BILL THE HOUSE PASSED
PASSES THE SENATE AND BECOMES
THE LAW.


the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Princi-
pies of Agriculture and Civil Gov
eminent May he Taught in the
Common schools.
Atlanta, July 9.-The House of Rep
resentatives to-day passed two impor-
tant bills relating 70 the school system
of the state. The first of these was
the bill by Messrs. Steed and Hixon of
Carroll, providing for the election of
county school commissioners by the
people. The present method is cleo
ton by the County School Board of
Education. these boards being appoint
ed by the grand juries.
Advocates of the bill claimed that
under the present system the election
of county school superintendent was
down in the mire of politics, and Mr..
Steed declared it was Rotten from
center to circumference.
Opponents of the bill declared that
with election by the people there would
be more politics than ever; that the
undesirable negro vote would be
DlOuSnl lHlO dCllOils anu lliell illC NOuiA-
ty school commissioner would be under
many more obligations which would
doubtless cause the erection of many
school houses, where they were not
really needed.
Mr.. Stovall of Chatham was to have
made a concluding speech against the
bill in the twenty minutes allowed the
chairman of the committee, which made
the report, but as the committees re-
port was adverse to the bill, he was not
permitted to speak under the rules.
The House disagreed to the adverse
vote of the committee, and then passed
the bill by a vote of 95 to Al.
1t is understood the measure will have
a hard fight in the Senate, where 1t is
predicted it has little chance.
New branches of study.
The other school bill passed by the
House was by Messrs. Hartman of
Jackson, and Shackleford of
Clarke. This bill provides for
teaching in the common schools
of the state the elementary
principles of agriculture and the ele-
ments of civil government. Some MEM
bers seemed to be in doubt about the
constitutiOnality of this measure, as
the constitution permits only the sup
plying of an elementary English edu-
cation by the state. There was no
doubt, however, that the House was al
most unanimously in favor of the bill.
The argument was very brief, and all
on one side, and the measure went
through by vote of 121 to 5.
This measure is not applicable to the
city school systems in the state, but
requires only that these studies be
taught in the common schools. 1t pro-
vides also that applicants for teachers
licenses after Jan. /, 1904, must stand
examinations on these subjects.
wouldn't Bring II Up.
BY vote of rs to 66, the House de-
clined to reconsider it's action in de-
feating the child labor bill yesterday,
though Mr.. Houston, its author, prom
Used that its friends would not urge It
for passage again at the present ses-
sion.
Bower Turned Down Again.
The motion to reconsider the action
of the House in defeating the motion
by Mr.. Bower of Decatur relative to
dividing the state school fund between
the negroes and whites in proportion
to the amount of taxes paid by each
race, was also defeated.
For "a Memorial Board.
Among the bills introduced in the
House to-day was one by Mr.. Norris
Of Cobb to provide for a Confederate
Memorial Board of five members to
carry out the suggestions made in
Gov. Terrells message with regard to
state care of the graves of Confederate
dead. The hill provides that this board
shall secure all information relating to
cemeteries in the state containing
graves of Confederate dead. 1t is to
have power to receive in the name of
the state any cemeteries which may
be turned over and decided to it, and
among it's duties will be the proper
marking of the graves of Confederate
dead with headstoneS.
StOvaIPs Two Bills.
Mr.. Stovan of Chatham, introduced
two bills, one to provide for the in
cooperating of telephone companies in
the state and extending to them the
same provisions as now apply to tele-
graph companies.
The other bill provided for an APP
preparation of $4,000 to aid in complet-
ing the Winnie Davis Memorial at
the State Normal School, the con-
struction of which has been undertaken
of the Confederacy.
Operations of COnvicts.
Mr. Spence of Ware introduced a bin
which will be Of interest to all counties
operating their own chaingangs He
proposes to strike from Section 1899 of
the Code the words following the word
work" which are as follows: cor
on such other works as the county au-
thorities may employ the chaingang."
In the senate.
BY vote of % to 16 the Senate to-
day refused to reconsider its action Of
yesterday in defeating the Australian
ballot bill. This action was somewhat
Of a surprise in view of the large
vote the bill received yesterday. 1t
effectually kills the bill for this ses-
sion
Charles J. Reaves. secretary of the
Legislative Committee of the st. Louis
Exposition, was introduced to the
Senate by President Howell and made
O short speech in which he explained
the great scope of the big show which
is to be held next year.
Mackay Congratulated.
A resolution, congratulating Clar-
ence H. Mackay on the completion OF
the Pacific cable, introduced in the
Senate by Senator Smith, was unani-
mously passed. The resolution desig-
mated the cable as q great public serv-
ice and Mr. Mackay as a public bene-
factor
Several local bills were passed.
In executive session the Senate con-