The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-12-16
County, Board of Education.

Aue ANNUAL meeting OF JUe burlington
County Board of Education was held in
Burlington on Friday, with about one
hundred members present.
Hon. Lewis H. Carris, superintendent
of the Manual Training Department of
the State Board, was the first speaker.
and he gave general outline of the
work that can be done in manual and
vocational education. Mr.. Carris spoke
on the value of training pupils in agricul-
tural pursuits and said there should be
especial attention paid to this feature in
all schools where manual training is in
troduced.
At the close of Mr.. Carris' talk the
president OF the Board said that any sub
Ject OF interest to the schools might now
be discussed. The first taken up was
that of compulsory education. There
was little objection to the system, but
there was much opposition to the man
ner in which it is now necessary to get
the law enforced. Rural districts, town
ships without a police justice or recorder,
are compelled to go to the county courts
to get the law enforced. 1t was the
sense of the meeting that this should be
changed and a resolution was adopted
requesting the State Federation of Boards
OF Education to prepare an amendment
to the law so that justices of the peace
may have jurisdiction in cases of truancy.
This resolution brought forth discus
sion on the subject of the State Fedora
ton. 1t is not generally known that
such an organization is in existence 1t
is young, having been organized within
the present year. 1t is composed of one
representative from each township Board
of Education and its object is to secure
betterment of the public school system.
1t is undoubtedly a good organization
and Burlington county is well represented
in it, but there are several townships
that should join the Federation. Among
other committees it has one on legisla-
ton and all matters affecting the present
laws, which were presented to the meet
ing Friday, were referred to that COM
mittee.
Otis b. Read, secretary of the Burling-
ton County Young Mems Christian AS
ISOLATION, spoke on the subject of agricul-
ture and corn growing contests, reciting
the success that attended the contest re-
Gently closed in this county. He ex-
hibited an ear of corn which was one of
the prize winners and told that il was
possible for boys to become successful
along that line if they were given some
encouragement.
In this idea Mr.. Read was corroborated
by Samuel $. Fort, who called attention
to the work done in that line by boy
II years of age, on a piece of land in the
much decried pine district, land which
MIR. Fort said the majority of those
present would not consider worth walk
ing on, but the boy made money on it.
The subject of apportioning the school
moneys was thoroughly discussed. The
members from the rural districts thought
they were unjustly Disseminated
against. They pay into the state
treasury as portion of the school tax
from this county a sum of money that is
then divided among the different dis
tricts, and in many cases, it was claimed,
the money returned was but fraction
over what was sent out. The balance
must be taken from the pocket of the
individual taxpayer. To overcome this
situation resolution was offered that it
was the sense of the meeting that the
money sent to this county by the state
should be apportioned on enrolment
rather than on attendance as is now the
custom.
This brought out much discussion and
after long talk the resolution was de-
feated. The opinion seemed to prevail
that if the apportionment was made as
suggested it would work to the benefit of
the large cities of the state as it must not
for a moment be thought that the law
could be changed to apply only to Bur
lington county. If enrolment were to
be the basis of distribution there was not
the slightest doubt that rolls would be
padded just as the census was made up
in the days when that system was in
vogue.
At the meeting in 1912 motion was
adopted, but which seemed to have been
lost sight of, contributing SIS to the
school which made the best showing in
what is known as the corn growing
contest" but which really includes work
| by girls in sewing and other household
work. The Marlton school had the high
est average in 1912, and in 1913 the
Mount Holly school was the winner, SC
it was ordered that SIS be given to each
of those schools.
| The subject of offering the prize for
next year was taken up and there was
an opinion expressed that schools with
small attendance did not have a chance
with those of the larger towns. 1t was
suggested that the prize be confined tC
the schools entirely within agricultural
1
| favor, and it was finally decided that a
prize of SIS be offered, the awarding to
be left with the managers of the contest
| Another subject that came in for dis.
cussion was the tenure of Office act. I'm.
der the law teacher who has been en-.
gagged by a Board of Education for three
years cannot be removed except upon
charges preferred for inability to perform
the duties of her situation. While this
us supposed to work for the benefit of a
teacher it was shown that it really is
detrimental to her. If Board of Educa-
ton wishes to get rid of teacher who
has been in its employ for three years
charges must be preferred or a resigna.
ton asked for. If the former course is
taken and the charges are sustained the
| usefulness of the teacher is at an end as
it would be impossible to secure another
position. Almost the same situation
would ensue in case of a resignation as
the question would at once be asked why
did the teacher resign. Another point
brought out was that in many cases
capable teachers had failed of reelection
after two years of service because the
Board of Education feared it would be
unable to make a change after the third
year. 1t was the sense of the meeting
| Jnat tne tenure OF Office law should be re-
pealed, not only for the benefit of the
Boards of Education but for the welfare
of the teachers.
Election of officers for next year re-
suited as follows: President, Charles G..
Hatcher, Smithville; vice president,
Nathaniel r. Evan, Ewanville; secre-
| tary, |. Edward Harrison, Jacobstown:
treasurer, Joseph c. Kingdom, Mount
Dol II
Evans, Masonville; Richard p. Hughes.
Florence; Samuel S. Fort, Wrightstown;
Thomas b. Candy, Burlington; Charles
;. Norhis, Palmyra; Arthur f. Prickett,
Medford; Benjamin Lippincott, CHINA
minson; William A. Donaghy, Palmyra:
Harry w. Citizens. Smithville.
The Board then adjourned and par
took of the annual banquet at the
Metropolitan Inn.