The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1906-02-02

| AIiOi uloCuSSiOH. consequently III Ut-
comes necessary to secure some who are
not in the country work. The smallest
amount that such persons can be paid is
their expenses. One of the speakers,
Supt. 0. j. Kern, was from out of the
state. When wrete the various school
clerks for questions which they would
like to have discussed, many asked for
consolidation" and SO engaged Supt.
Kern who perhaps knows more about
this subject than any other one man in
| this section of country. 1t is hardly
fair to ask one who has put both time
and money into the study of a subject to
talk for nothing. I recommend, there
fore, that the expenses of the school
| board convention be paid by the county.
| 1t is held for the county's good, and, |
think, should be borne by 1T. AS these
expenses will vary from year to year,
| recommend that the superintendent of
the first district submit his plans for
such convention or conventions each
| year with their approximate cost to the
| educational committee of his district,
and it approved by it, that the county
clerk be directed to draw an order on
| the county treasurer for such amount as
| the superintendent shall certify has been
| actually expended, not exceeding the
| amount for which the committee has
given its approval. This will enable the
superintendent to proceed more intelli-
gently in the matter and at the same
time give this board an effective check
on unwise expenditures.
For many years the town treasurer
has been compelled to withhold ten
cents for each pupil of school age in his
town. This money was expended by the
town clerk for library books for the re-
spective districts. This law was repeal
ed last winter. Under the new law the
county treasurer is to withhold the
money while the county superintendent
is required to select and order the books
for all the districts of the county. What
thirteen men formerly did now devolves
| upon the county superintendent. In
addition to this he is expected to make
a list of all books now in each school
library, arrange such lists by towns in
alphabetical and numerical order, index
the books under proper headings, state
its condition and price, etc. The magni-
tude of the work will be the more read
lily comprehended when you consider
that the number of books now in libra
ries, as reported by the town clerks is
1O,O54, while the number purchased last
year was 8O4. This work is similar to
that of copying old record books and the
making of indexes and in the case of
other county officers has been paid for
fore recommend that he be allowed to
hire someone to copy, classify and index
the books now in the school libraries, to
be paid for by the county. Of course
this does not apply to the selection Of
books for the coming year, which can be
best done by him.
The matter of the diploma examina-
tons needs mention at this time. The
number who write increases each year
and this is as it should be. The work
| and expense increase also. Last year
the cost was $15.13 more than the ap-
preparation while this year it was $1,000.
The number who wrote the first year
was forty, seventeen of whom were sue
cessful. This year 125 wrote and 81 we're
successful. Another thing that has in
creased the expense is this: AS you know
two teachers act as examiners at each
place for two days. When we began
most of the boards allowed their teacher
the day and the county did not pay for
it. Last year few of the boards allowed
the day on the theory that the county
should pay the expense of the examina-
ton and not they This is right, Con
sequently there were more days to pay
for. Teachers should not be paid less
than their regular per diem This year
the per diem of the examiners exceeded
the appropriation. The present system
is giving results and should be contin-
ued. The total expense of the examina-
ton was 1898, thus leaving a deficit of
S29.33. Part of this was charged to in
cidental fund, but part was compelled
to bear individually. I therefore find
myself compelled to ask this body to in
crease the appropriation for this year.
The attendance last year was hardly
what it should have been. In the strict
ly country schools the average number
of days that each pupil attended was
los, but five days more than the law re
quires. If we include the city and vii
lage schools the average is lis, less than
six months. There were 1886 children
between the ages of and IA, every one
of whom the law says shall attend school
A i