Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-02-17
FREE TEXT BOOKS
FOR POOR CHILDREN
House Bill No. 1903, introduced by Hon. Martin
Sanchez, Provides That the Children
of INDECENT Parents Shall be
Supplied With School
Books.
EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT TO SPEND
$50 ANNUALLY FOR THAT PURPOSE

county, today introduced House Bill
No. 103, and, should it become law, it
will prove godsend to the children OF
INDECENT parents and guardians
throughout the territory. The new
measure is framed along lines laid
down in the present law relating to
compulsory attendance upon some
fsGhooI, private, denominational or pub
lie for at least three months in the
year, except that the age limit is
changed, The method of executing the
law is materially simplified and
the clause in Section 1855 of the Com
piled Laws of 1897, authorizing school
directors to supply children of INDECENT
parents with free books is remodeled 50
as to make such free books purchased
through the county or city superinten-
dent, the property of the school dis
trict. These may be loaned to the pu-
pill for the term, then to be returned to
the custody of the clerk of the district
school beard. In this way it is the aim
of Representative Sanchez to establish
the nucleus of library in every school
district in New Mexico. Another
strong feature of the bill consists in it's
economic regulation of expenditures as
it is provided that not more than $50
may be expended in any district in any
one year to supply poor children with
free books. The plan for giving this
COMPULSORY school law publicity
through the district judges in
their charge to all grand jul
ries is also good and will serve
as a frequent reminder to the people
that such law exists and must be
needed. The cut in the age limit is a
most desirable change also as the pre-
sent statutory requirement of to 16
years is entirely too broad to be readl-
ly effective, for at or Z, the mother is
10th to permit her children to leave
home; and after girl or boy attains
the age of IA, they are usually needed
to aid in earning living for the fam
| lily. The bill in full is as follows:
| Section 1. That Section 1855, original
school statute of 1891, as it appears in
the Compiled Laws of 1897, is hereby
amended to read as follows, viz
| That the school directors or board of
any school district, town or city in this
territory are hereby empowered and
required to compel parents, guardians
or other persons having the control,
care or direction Of children, when
such children do not attend some pri-
vate or UNCONVENTIONAL school, to send
such children under their control to the
public school for at least three months
in each year, except that children re-
ferred to in this act shall not be less
than nor more than IA years of age,
or of such physical disability as to un-
fit them for school duties, which disa-
bility shall be certified to by some reg
ular practicing physician.
Section 2. Any parent, guardian or
other person having the control OF
children and who shall fail or refuse
| to send such children to school as re-
ouired by this act, after the clerk of
the school district or the clerk of any
town or city school board shall have
given public notice containing the SUD-
stance of this act, written or printed IN
both English and Spanish, by posting
same in some conspicuous place at
three separate points within the dis
trict. or publishing the same in some
newspaper within the district, shall be
punished upon conviction thereof by a
fine of not less than SIS nor more than
s25. or by imprisonment for not more
than ten days in any county jail;
Provided, That if such parent or
guardian is not able, by reason of pow
erty, to buy books for any such Child
it shall be the duty of the school poaro
of any town, district or city, upon the
facts being shown to their satisfaction
Of a majority thereof, to purchase,
through the county superintendent or
through the district, town or city sup
erintendent, If there be one, the neces-
Isary books for the use of said child or
children, which books shall be loaned
to said INDECENT pupil during the school
term, yet shall remain the property OF
the district under the care and custody
of the district clerk;
Provided further, That sum not ex-
ceeding fifty G5O) dollars may be ex-
pended in any district in any one year
! for supplying INDECENT children with
such necessary books, to be paid for
out of the school fund of such district,
by warrants drawn as in other cases;
and
Provided, also, That there Is no
school taught within two miles Of the
place of residence of said child by the
nearest established road.
Section 8. County superintendents are
hereby vested with general supervisory
powers in this matter and shall require
directors to comply with the provisions
of the preceding section; and 1t shall be
the duty Of the presiding judge of the
district courts to give, at each session
Of the court, the substance Of this law
as special charge to their respective
grand juries, and 1t is made the duty Of
the district attorneys to give particular
heed to the prosecution Of causes grow.
ing out Of violations of this act; and
all fines SO collected for the violation Of
this act shall be paid into the county
treasury and placed to the credit Of
the school district in which the offenst
occurs.
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