Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-05-22


school he had attended one day.
When l called him to me and asked
him why he was absent, and if he
had been sick he said "No, / had to
help set posts" am well aware
that there are times when it seems,
and probably is, necessary to keep a
boy or girl at home day or two to
help in some kinds of work, but it
should not he necessary to keep them
at home to so great an extent that
they are prevented from securing a
common school education between the
ages OF five and fifteen
Teachers are requested to observe
carefully the provisions of the law
relating to notification of the secre-
tary as to non attendance of pupils
Planting Shade Trees Neglected.
Section 2787 of the School Laws
saws: "The board of each school
corporation shall cause to be set out
and properly protected twelve or more
shade trees on each schoolhouse site
where such trees are not growing.
The county superintendent, in visit
ing the several schools of his county,
SHALL GALL THE ATTENTION
OF ANY BOARD NEGLECTING
TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIRE
MENTS OF THIS SECTION TO
ANY FAILURE TO GARRY OUT
IT'S PROVISIONS. Periodically
during the past five years there have
been sent out from this Office letters
to boards calling attention to this
matter of planting out shade trees
and providing for their protection but
in several districts there are still no
trees or but few. l am required by
the above cited section to call the at
tention OF boards to any neglect of it's
observance, and section 2740 of the
laws says, 1.-THE county superinten-
dent shall see that all provisions of
the school law so far as it relates to
the schools or school officers within
his county, are observed and enforced,
and TO this end he may require the
assistance of the county attorney, who
shall. at his request, bring any action
necessary TO enforce the law or re-
cover penalties incurred" Section
1922 of the School laws says, ANY
school officer wilfully violating any
provision of this chapter (Chapter IA,
Title Mi of Iowa Code), or wilfully
failing or refusing to perform any
duty imposed by law, shall forfeit
and pay into the treasury of the par
ticular school corporation in which
the violation occurs the sum of
TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS. action
to recover which shall be brought in
the name of the proper school corpor-
alton. and be applied to the use of
the schools therein -
The time for planting trees is about
past for this season, but it is not too
late for hard maple, elm, box.elder,
'"Aho', i'ShOiN VI ooh.
Any of these may be planted within
a week if proper care is taken to pre-
pare the ground before the tree is put
in, and proper care taken to protect
the roots from sun and wind while
transporting the tree to the school
ground. Most if not all the top should
he removed from any tree before set
ting it ont as the top draws too much
sap that should go to the roots the
first year, and too the top sways in
the wind and loosens the soil about
the roots before they are we'll estab-
lished by growth in the newly made
bed for them. The present looks of a
tree set out should receive no con-
sideration for it can be soon shaped
as desired by proper trimming after
it has grown two or three years on
the grounds. Trees may be obtained
in any wooded tract of any size.
There Is no need of waiting to secure
them at high price from nursery.
men. Returns from teachers indicate
that in large proportion of the dis
tricts trees have been planted and are
growing. One very important thing
needed after trees are put out is
PROPER PROTECTION OF THEM.
Fencing the grounds is, probably, the
best means of protecting the trees.
Law as to Fencing School Grounds.
Section | of Chapter IS, Acts of
9th General Assembly SAYS, 1T shall
be the duty of all boards of school
directors in school districts where
the schoolhouse site adjoins the cul-
tivated or improved lands of another
TO build and maintain II lawful fence
between said site and cultivated or
improved lands. From this section
it will be seen that the owner of land
adjoining the school site is not re-
quired TO build or maintain any por-
tion of the fence surrounding the
school grounds.
Barbed Wire Not to be Used Tor Fencing
School Grounds.
Section 2Sl1 of School laws says,