Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-10-15

this court was sS496.3s. the amount al.
lowed $3.3S17S. and the expense OF the
court was s.. $50 g. For the biennial tern
ending Jun, 30, 1903, the amount OF claims
considered was sG323 Of, tho amount nj.
lowed 49, 1886. and the expense OF the
court s1,36274
While the work OF the court OF claims
has In all respect been we'll conducted
In my opinion there IL no
good warrant for its continuance.
and It should therefore he abolished Tho
auditor of accounts should be charged
with the duty to hear such claims. He
should he given powers with respect
thereto similar to those now possessed
by this court, without, however render
Ing final Judgment, but reporting his
findings Of law and fact to the General
Assembly. He Is we'll qualified to perform
this duty and could do so without addi-
tional expense to the State The average
Of such claims is small and n hearing
before the auditor could be managed with
less Inconvenience to claimants than un-
der the present system. The payment
Of claims would not be delayed for at
present Judgments Of tho court Of claims
the next LEGISLATURE. Any reference 10
this court by the General Assembly or
executive. now authorized by sections All
and 472 OF the public statutes. could he
made to the auditor Of accounts or the
attorney general or both, according to
the nature Of the case.
EDUCATION.
The policy or skilled supervision
through the voluntary formation OF
supervisory districts. begun two years
ago. has been most successful. and has
already accomplished for tho public
schools OF Vermont all that its most
sangu!ne advocates predicted. During the
first year OF it's operation twenty districts
were formed. and now there are twenty
SIX districts IN the State under the i'm
mediate charge OF skilled educators.
These districts embrace 40 per cent. OF
the towns, cities and incorporated dis
tricts OF Vermont. g per cent. Of ali
the schools in the State. and IS per cent.
OF the children IN school. 1t was wise to
provide that tho formation OF these dis
tr!cts be voluntary. and that policy
should continue for the present. at least
school supervision should be made COM
pulsory throughout the State.
Under the present law no district can
be formed with less than thirty schools
This should be changed so that a district
can be formed containing not less than
twenty-five schools Where schools are
much scattered and It Is necessary to
travel long distances to visit them
twenty-five schools are all one person
can satisfactorily supervise.
The Office Of county examiner should
be abolished and provision made for the
examination OF all teachers by the super
visors The supervisors are SO generally
scattered over the State that plan can
easily he worked out for them to do this
work.
One OF the greatest needs OF our educa
tonal system to-day Is the establishment
OF high grade normal and Industrial
school. While our normal schools have
been conscientiously and in general ably
conducted. many conditions exist to pre-
vent their doing the character OF work
needed now IN Vermont Their build |
ings and equipments are in many re-
spccts not up to date. Some OF them
are so situated that it is impossible TO
secure sufficient number Of pupils for
a practice and training school. The best |
work cannot be done for normal students
without an opportunity for training In |
sufficiently large practice schools We |
cannot bring our educational system 70 |
the high point OF efficiency at which we |
are aiming unless we provide more we'll |
trained teachers. To provide these |
teachers we must have normal schools |
that are thoroughly up to date and In
every way equipped to do high standard
work.
None OF the present plants are owned
by the state, and the State cannot do
with them as she could and should do
with property Of her own. This whole
question is fully and ably set forth In
the report Of the special commission APP
pointed to examine into the condition OF
the normal schools. This repor, is the re-
suit OF a careful and impartial cxamina-
tion and should have your very careful
consideration.
While the building and equ,pmcnt Of
normal school means the ~xpenditure OF
money, II must come sooner
or later. and AZ Vermont is TODAY
earnestly striving to advance tho