The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-04-09
What is that, mother?
GENERAL EDUCATIONAL LAW.
Some Provisions of the Law Just
Enacted by the Legislature.

Enacted by the Legislature.
The bill requires the levy of a tax of Is cents
oil. the 500 for school purposes, in addition to
the levy of II cents for free books, making the
total school tax I6l cents. The direct tax for
all other purposes-that is, for the public debt,
interest and sinking funds-is A cents. To
this must be added one cent for 1905 for the
new State loan and two cents for the new State
loan in 1906 aud thereafter. This will bring
the total State tax up to 224 cents on the 500
in 1905, and 231 cents thereafter.
CHANGES NOT RADICAL
The financial changes wrought IN the county
school system by this bill, with the exception
of the greatly increased appropriations, are
not radical Among the changes are that the
$50. 900 appropriated to negro schools Is in
cluded in the general distribution to each
county, leaving il 10 the respective school
boards to make the proper application. The
provision made by the act of 1902 for the pen
sion of retired teachers is included IN the bill,
and the appropriation is increased from So
600 to $50, 600 year.
Permanent provision of $1,000 year IS
made for the Frostburg Normal School, and
that institution is put on the same basis.
The State Board of Education is reorgau.
lied and made continuous. two new members
board, six in number. are to be appointed BY
the Governor. The Governor aud State SG-
perintendent of Education are ex ofhclo mem
bers of the board, aud the presidents OF the
two Normal Schools are made honorary mem
bers.
MINORITY REPRES ENTED.
The minority party is to have two members
Of the board. The two normal schools and
the normal department of Washington Col
lege, Chestertown, are under 'he supervision
of the Board Of Education.
The Superintendent of Education IS to be
appointed by the Governor. and the State
Board Of Education is to fix his salary. which
is not to exceed s., 600 year, with $500 for
travelling expenses and 81, 600 year for Office
expenses, with q clerk al salary not 70 ex-
coed 81 200 a year. The duties of the State
Board of Education remain as at present
AS TO TEACHERS.
The school district trustees are unchanged,
except that the principal teachers are made
the secretaries Of the trustees and II is made
clearer that the principal teachers only are TO
be elected BY the trustees and confirmed by
the Board of County School Commissioners.
Assistant teachers are TO be appointed by The
county boards, as has been the practice here
tofore A new and important feature OF the
bill Is the following:
are primarily intended, under this article, 20
nav the salaries Of teachers Of the several couu-
ties, and to provide school books and station.
cry for the children Of the State; il. however,
10 apportioning the said school tax among the
different counties and the city Of Baltimore,
the share of any county should prove made
ouate for the purposes aforesaid, then the
County Commissioners OF such county are
hereby authorized, empowered, directed and
required to levy and collect such tax upon
the assessable property Of such county as The
Board Of County School Commissioners shall
designate as sufficient to make good the deb
cheney; provided that said tax shall not ex-
coed is cents on the 500. nnless the County
Commissioners shall approve and sanction an
additional tax; taxes so levied aud collected
shall be pGid quarterly, on the day hxed for
payment of the State school tax TO the several
counties but the proceeds from special taxes
may be paid ofiener. upon the order Of the
Board OF County School Commissioners to
the treasurer of said Board Of County School
Commissioners ia order that the schools Of
said counties may be kept open tot the time
herein set forth, and said tax shall be levied
and collected as other taxes; any suuls Of
money which may have been specially Collect
ed or levied on any election or schooihuuSe
district for educational purposes connected
applied 10 the purposes so intended originally
and shall be used for no other purpose; and
il said funds have been used otherwise, they
shall be returned and applied as aforesaid.
sALART or TEACHERS.
Other important features OF the bill are as
follows:
The salaries of the teachers Of each county
shall be fixed by the Board Of Corniy School
Commissioners; provided, that no white teach
er regularly employed in q public school OF
the State of Maryland, having an average at
tendance Of Is pupils or more, shall receive
as salary less than $500 per school year
Whenever any person in this State has
taught in any of the public or normal schools
thereof 25 years, and has reached the age OF
60 years. and his or her record as such teacher
has been without reproach. and by reason of
physical or mental disability iufirmity IS
unable to teach longer, the said teacher may
lay his or her case before the State Board OF
Education and the said board shall proceed to
consider the same, and if the facts are found
as above stated the said teacher shall DE placed
upon list, a record of which shall be kept by
the said board, TO be known as the teachers
retired list. and the names upon the SAID
teachers retired list shall be regularly eerti-
fed to by said board to the Comptroller OF the
Treasury of this State, and every person so
placed upon the said retired list shall be emit,
tied to receive a pension from this State OF
$500 per annum, to be paid quarterly by the
Treasurer of this State upon the warrant OF
the Comptroller.
BOOKS FOR SCHOOLS.
That the sum of $4,000 per annum, or as
much thereof as may be necessary. Is hereby
appropriated out of any moneys in the Treasury
not otherwise appropriated, to carry into effect
the provisions of this act
The Board of Public School Commissioners
of Baltimore City and each of the board OF
county school commissioners shall adopt and
purchase textbooks fer use III the pablo
schools of said city and OF the severa. counties
of the State, as such new textbooks are re-
quired, and when so purchased and necessary
text books shall be furnished free Of cost tor
use in the public schools of the State, subject
to the order of said boards; but said boards
shall have the right at any time to change any
series of text books already in use or hereafter
adopted; provided, that textbooks shall be
furnished under the provisions Of this act to
the several grades in the public schools sue
cessively, beginning with the first grade; and,
provided, that the said board shall not be re-
quired to expend during any school year tor
said textbook more than the several amounts
of money received by said boards, respective
", under the provisions of this act; and, pro
vided, that INDECENT pupils of all grades shall
receive textbooks free of cost, as provided
under provisions of existing laws; and, pro-
vided the said respective boards shall adopt
means for the purchase of text books by com
petitive bidding and at the lowest possible
price; and. provided, that parents or pupils
NAV purchase their own textb books when they
NAV think proper; and. provided, further,
that the several boards of school commission.
ers shall furnish annually to the State Board
of Education the title. the name of the pub
Usher and the net price paid for each text.
book so purchased, which information shall
be set forth in full in the annual report made
10 the State Board of Education.
TWO IMPORTANT PROVISIONS
An important restriction in the clause pro-
yiding for the distribution Of school funds to
the city and counties Is as follows: