The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-01-14
NOTES FROM HARTFORD.
THE PROPOSED ABOLITION OF
 THE SCHOOL FUND.

History of This Interesting and Im-
 pOrtant Fund Reviewed--The Pro-
 posed Consolidation of Commissions
 --The HawIey-PIatt MemoriaI--Gov-
 ernOr Woodruff's Special Messages.
 Hartford, Jan. 12.-The abolition of the school fund by constitutional amendment and it's distribution to the towns of the state, as recommended by Governor Woodruff in his message, will be a radical measure to be dealt with by the general assembly. This fund has been safeguarded by the con stltution since 1918 as "a perpetual fund, the interest of which shall be in violably appropriated to the support and encouragement of the public or common schools throughout the state The original school fund act was passed by the legislature in May, 1795. The constitution adopted in October, 1913, reafirmed the act and it has not since been meddled with by the general assembly. Governor Bulkeley recom- mended the transfer of the fund to the state treasury and its management by the treasurer. In 1897 the interest on the fund was transferred by the legis- -lature to the treasury department, and the treasurer has been it's custodian for the past ten years, the fund itself being under the management of the school fund commissioner The histo- ry of the fund is important from a GtQfa efanrait1t oA bo end of the Revolutionary war laid claim to territory extending west as far as the Mississippi under the char ter received from King Charles. This territory was known as the Western Reserve. Congressional complications entered into the case and the attitude of Connecticut was assailed bitterly in parts of the country. An adjustment was reached in 17S6, An act was passed by the general assembly May Il of that year ceding to the general government jurisdiction, title and in terest in the lands lying west of a res ervation one hundred and twenty miles in length between latitude forty-one degrees and forty-two degrees two minutes north and west of the boun- diary of Pennsylvania. The general government released all right, title and claim to the soil in the so o7called West ern Reserve. The section was accept ed by congress May 23, 1786, and the transaction was completed September IT. The lands in the Western Reserve were sold for $1 100000. The area com prised 5,260 square miles, exceeding tho area of the state by 173,921 acres. The first dividend from the fund was made in March, 1T99. For thirteen years the dividend averaged thirty-five thousand dollars a year and was distributed for common school support. In 1910 Uni ted States Senator James Hillhouse, of New Haven, who had served in the senate sixteen years, resigned in order to accept the position of school fund commissioner. Up to that time the fund had been managed by commit tee of four appointed by the state. When the office of school fund com missioner was created by the legisla- ture Senator Hillhouse found it not in consistent with his distinction as a public man to give up the United States senatorship and take upon him self the duties of the school fund man agement. He held the office for fifteen years, increasing the annual income seventeen thousand dollars by the end of his term of service He was suc- ceededby Seth P, Beers, who retained the office until 1849. For one hundred years the school fund has been regard ed as inviolable, being a sacred factor in the Connecticut system of public school education. Tl:e management of this fund might reasonably be placed in the hands of the state treasurer. But It's elimination from the state con stitution will hardly receive the sup port of the best friends of education in Connecticut.
 The consolidation of commissions re- commended by Governor Woodruff is in the line of public utility. The measure suggested in the message is wholesome in every way. Back in the days of Governor Hubbard the abolition of a labor bureau was brought about by that fearless public official in a way that was not forgotten for a good many years. Governor Woodruff has not gone so far as to recommend the summary abolition of the bureau, but his idea that it shall be reorganized with the factory inspectorship is sound and business-like. The Building and Loan commissionership can be trans- ferred to the commission on banks at a saving of five thousand dollars been nially. Of course all of these consoli- dations of state commissions will be opposed by men holding the offices. But the governor has done the state an important service in pointing out the way for reform.
 Charles Hopkins Clark of the Hart ford Courant and Arthur l.. Shipman, of the state sculptors' commission, have been appointed by the Hawley and Platt Memorial commissions to submit the report concerning the me- morlals, which will be recommended, to the general assembly The commits