The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-11-14

the Board of Agriculture. Through
the efforts fthis Board much good
| has been accomplished in the way OF
correlation of schools, avoiding dupli-
cation and thus saving many thousands
of dollars, and at the same time maxi
ing the schools serve much better
purpose than they have hiterto served.
Much work yet remains to be done by
this Board, and | am sure that its
work, when finally completed, will
Justify in full measure the claim of
merit in the bill contended for by its
advocates.
would recommend that you still
further enlarge and extend the powers
of this Board by comforting upon it the
fright to prescribe entrance require
ments into the various institutions un-
der its control. This power may al
ready be possessed by the Board, but
1.-THE statute is not clear; and that there
may be no doubt upon the matter, a
bill passed by the Legislature conferr-
ing such power is desirable.
would also recommend that you SO
amend the law with regard to text
book adoptions as to make it impos-
sible for the owners or agents of book
companies, who are submitting their
books for adoption, to appear either in
person, by agent or attorney before
| the Board in the advocacy Of the adop-
ton of their books. The law at pres
Ient leaves it to the discretion of the
Board whether or not these bearings
shall be granted the agents of book
,, companies. The experience of this
and other States in the matter of text
book adoptions has convinced me that
the amendment l suggest will be a
wholesome one, and would save the
school board, whose duty it is to adopt
the books, from much needless worry
and harsh criticism. The spectacle
recently exhibited in. this State where
more than fifty representatives of book
companies spent weeks in this city,
limportuning members of the Board OF
Education to adopt certain books for
the school children of this State, GER
tainly argues convincingly in favor of
the passage OF a law that will exclude
such representatives from the deliber-
Iations OF the Board.
Good teachers in the primary grades
OF the schools are of the first import
lance. The history of education in
most States is the same. The person
desiring to teach, unable to get en-
lplayment in city schools, drifts to the
country districts and too frequently
finds employment in our rural schools
Holders of third grade certificates are
too frequently found occupying the
position of teachers in public schools
Graduates of grammar grades feel that
they are qualified to become the in
lstructors of children in rural districts
and with the result that many thus
poorly equipped are trying to teach the
youth of this State
| suggest that you enact a law that
will raise the standard of teachers in
Oklahoma, and that you provide, at the
end of a period to be definitely fixed
that no teacher shall be licensed to
teach in this State who has not iinesh-
ed an educational course equivalent
to four year high school graduation.
That the University may be fixed
upon a basis of permanency and ac-
complish its purpose as the head Of
our educational system, it should be
placed upon financial basis of sup
port that will relieve it from the neees-
sity of annually importuning the legis-
lature for appropriation The best
state universities in the Union are
those that have fixed millage tax
levied for the support of the univer-
sity
recommend that such law be
passed in this State, placing the uni
versity upon this substantial basis.
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