Connecticut western news., 1907-02-07
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY ', 1907.
TRADE SCHOOLS

There is now under consideration a bill providing for the establishment of free public schools for instruction in the principles and practice of trades. There are many people in the state who believe the bill should become a law inasmuch as the establishment of such schools would make it possible for many child ren to obtain an education along the line of mechanics that they would otherwise be denied because of lack of financial means.
 The provisions of the bill are, in brief, as follows:
 Any town or school district may estab- fish and maintain a public school for instruction in the principles and practice of trade. Said school shall be open, under rules prescribed by the board of school visitors, town school committee or board of education, as the case may be-. to all children over fourteen years of age; but said school officers may admit, under rules as to scholarship and other qualifications, children over twelve years of age.
 In addition. towns may establish and maintain evening schools or courses for the same instruction for persons legally employed in trades and may provide in the schools established under section one or in said evening schools, for part-time classes of children over fourteen and under eighteen years of age.
 Two or more towns may unite for the purpose of establishing schools under the provisions of this chapter. The school officers of towns so united are hereby authorized to make all arrange ments, agreements and regulations nec- essary to the organization and maintain ance of the trade school district Said school officers of each of the towns con- stituting separate district shall ap- point one of their number as the member of the trade school commute, and the committee so appointed shall be joint committee on behalf of the several towns constituting the district. Each town shall be entitled to one vote in said joint committee. Every district organized under the provisions of this section shall continue five years, and at the end of five years any town may dissolve the district by withdrawal.
 Every town which has established, under the provisions of this act, trade school, approved, i'll respect of building, equipment, courses and qualifications of teachers, by the state board of education, shall, annually in July, receive from the state treasurer an amount equal to one- half the running expenses of siad school, including teachers wages, fuel, material and tools, but excluding buildings, re- pairs, and interest charges; provided, that not more than twenty dollars shall be paid by the state for each child in average attendance in said school.
 Any town in which school is not es- tablished and maintained under the pro- visions of this act, shall pay the whole or any part of the tuition fee of any child who resides with his parents or guardian in said town, and who, attends free public trade school in another town. Such tuition fees shall be annually paid by the town treasurer.
 Every town shall, annually in July, receive from the treasurer of the state an amount equal to Gwo-thirds of the aggregate of the sums which have been actually paid by the town for tuition fees; provided, that not more than twen- ty dollars shall be paid by the state for each scholar attending from any town The number and names of the children so attending public trade schools in towns other than those in which they reside, and the trade school which they have attended, shall, on or before the first day of July i'll each year, be certi fled under oath and the comptroller shall on application of said board, draw all order on the treasurer i'll favor of the town for the amount provided as above