The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1905-01-04
Governor Johnson Submits His Message to the
Legislature.---Deal Principally With
Railroads and Rates.

along this line by preceding 1egisla-
lures, but in every instance such legis-
lariOn has been found unconstitutional.
The defects having been pointed out
by the supreme court it is possible to
pass law which will be approved by
that court. An inheritance tax law
which is proper and just would in
crease our revenue fund and would
not be serious burden to the class of
property coming under the provisions
of such law
EDUCATION.
Minnesota has just reason to be
proud oil her splendid school system
and easily takes rank with progressive
states such as New York, Massachu-
setts and others. In fact our public
school system is unexcelled in the ma
ton. Our high and graded schools
are we'll established and well organ
lied.
The branch of our educational sys.
TEN which demands the most careful
attention and in which there is yet
great room for improvement and ad,
vancement is the rural school. III
these schools at least so per cent OF
the public school population is enrolled
and the great majority Of the pupils
and students attending them receive
no instruction beyond that received
there. Of over half million pupils in
all the public schools during the past
year more than one-half are enrolled
in the rural schools. BY reason of the
primitive method still employed tho
pupils attendant upon the rural schools
lack the advantage of well construct
ed buildings, adequate books and Ii
brary, trained and experienced teach
ers, and in addition thereto are sub
ject to the disadvantage of living re-
mote from the schoolhouse. The pri-
mary education of the youth is the real
basis of our citizenship and every op-
portunity for the encouragement Of
the early training of our youth should
be employed. The inducement for a
more general attendance should be
held out by every possible assistance
OF the state. | suggest that there is
much occasion for improvement in our
rural schoolhouses with regard to heat
ing, lighting and ventilation, with a
view to the greater comfort Of the
pupils. To secure this result would
recommend the adoption of some gen
eral plan whereby all rural school
houses should be constructed in the
future upon plans submitted to ana
approved by competent authority.
believe the special state aid provided
during recent years has done much to
raise the standard and increase the
| efficiency of rural schools, and trust
this liberal policy will be continued
Adequate and intelligent supervision
for this class of schools is as. essential
as for those in towns and cities. To
obtain this 1 think a change in our
law is necessary whereby our county
superintendents will not only be paid
adequately for their services but
which will also insure more competent
supervision. Their salaries should be
at least commensurate with those of
other county officers and with those
OF school supervisors in cities who do
like amount of work, and in return
for a proper compensation there should
be some requirement which would
guarantee professional service in the
supervision of our rural schools. Be-
lieving that the educational system of
our state should be divorced from par
tisan politics as far as possible and
that superintendents should be chosen
because of their educational qualifica-
tons instead of their partisan politics
would urge and recommend such
changes in our laws as would provide
county board of education whose
duty would include the appointment of
county superintendent and such
other school duties only as are now
performed by the board of county com
missiOners.
During the last ten years the duties
imposed upon the department of public
instruction have practically doubled,
while the working force during all this
time has increased with but a single
clerk and the funds at the disposal Of
the department have been only CORE
spondingly increased. In view of the
increased duties of this department.
touching every branch of our public
schools and other educational service,
I recommend that the legislature make
provision for another assistant and
that the permanent fund of the work
ing force of the Office be made st, 900
annually.
TIMBER TREsPAss AND MINERAL
LEASES.
The public examiner of Minnesota
states in his official report that hun
dreds of thousands of dollars are due
the state by reason of timber trespass
and urges suits for the collection of
the amounts due He states further
that suits have been instituted for the
recovery of back taxes due the state
from railway companies. The work OF
prosecuting these cases has been de-
layed, he reports, by the inability of
the attorney general to reach them
because Of a multitude of other duties.
There should be no cessation in the
prosecution Of these claims and /
would suggest to you the advisability
Of making provision with sufficient ap-
preparation for the employment Of spe-
cial counsel to take up the work Of
collecting the amounts claimed to be
due the state. The auditor In his re.