The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1911-06-23
NEW LAWS TO
HELP SCHOOLS
O.sume of Legislation Beneficial
to School System
EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM
. Dir Suit That VIII Probably Bring An
Additional Million Dollars II to the
State School Funds

Cato Superintendent of Public In
..u'eton w. NJ. Holloway, when asked
sor a statement concerning the attitude
- tho recent legislature towards public
sdncaton, and the outlook for the cause
~ education in the State said:
awhile the Education Commission
.rnointed bv Governor Gilchrist did not
squire spp all of the legislation it had recon-
mended, the following are some or the
MEASURES enacted into law:
IAN act repeating the law requiring
the school census to be taken by the
county superintendents of public in
strnctjon. The repeal of this law was
wise in that the compensation allowed
Tor such services was so inadequate
that il was impossible to secure a cor
reef census; besides, the same informa-
firm can be procured in a more accurate
form BY the persons employed to take
the State and federal census every five
and ten years respectively.
"An act imposing Il heavier penalty
! for fraud in connection with teachers
Examinations. Under the former law,
only school officers and teachers could
| be punished for violation of the laws
regulating examinations, by being bar
red from teaching a public school. or
holding school office; but under the
present law fine Of $500, or sentence
Of six months in Jail, may be imposed
| upon anyone convicted of such violation
'"An act providing for State uniform
| ity of text books for use in the public
schools. Under this law the text books
|from the first to the eighth grade, in
elusive, throughout the State, are to
be chosen by State text book COM
mission, composed of the board of Com.
|mssioners of State Institutions, instead
Of by the County Board of Public In
|struction for each county. Besides the
Estate Text Book Commission, there is
Ito be sub.commission. appointed by
1.-THE governor, which shall be composed
|Of four county superintendent OF pub
|lic instruction and five teachers holding
mot lower than first grade county
teachers certificate whose duty it will
|be to aid the State Text Book Commits
|siOn in the selection of books.
ut is to be hoped that the commits
sion will meet, organize and adopt books
lat as early a day as possible, in order
that the children of the State may be
enabled to secure the books so adopted
in time for the beginning of the COM
ling school term.
IAN act. emitting holders of State
certificates to apply for life certificates
after teaching in any high school or
college for eghtheen months, instead
Of thirty months, as heretofore.
"A resolution proposing an amend
ment to allow special tax school dis
tricts to bond for school purposes. If
this proposed amendment be ratified by
the people at the next general election,
special tax school districts will be au-
thorized to hold elections for the pur-
pose of determining whether bonds, not
to exceed five mills per year, on the
dollar taxation therefor, may be issued.
IAN act appropriating "a, 600 per
year for the years 1911 and 1913, for
the maintenance of teachers summer
training schools. These schools are
Conducted at time when most of the
teachers are unemployed, and may
therefore spend few weeks in academic
and professional Improvement at the
expense Of the State, except in the
matter of transportation and board.
!, concurrent resolution requesting
the trustees of the Peabody Fund to
appropriate not less than 500, 900 from
sald fund to be used for the establish
ment of State normal .chOO for
Florida. The trustees have in charge
tne sum of 81, 300, 900 to be distributed
among the Southern States for educa-
tlohal purposes, and it is believed, there
lore, that Florida will not receive less
'han amount named in the resolution.
:, An act appropriating $43l, 900 for
- ene maintenance and equipment of the
State Institutions of higher learning:
Inns sum is equitably apportiOned
among the University of Florida, the
florida State College for Women, the
florida Ir School for the Deaf and the
nsInd, and the Florida Agricultural and
Mechanical School for Negroes. These
institutions as we'll as the public high
schools. academically and financially,
are now on a firm basis. More than
Ine million dollars have been expended
aJllng the past four years for high
'c nc buildings alone"
i, Inc In real problem of public education
~ florida especially involves the rural
s,;snools. Looking to the proper solu-
. ,u OF this difficult problem, Superin-
ssendent Holloway has created the Of
ase OF state inspector of elementary
i raai schools. This position is filled by
captain &. M. Lynch, of Gainesville,
VINO began work on the 18th of Febru-
si,y OF the present year. The funds
,rs me payment of Capt. Lynch's sal