The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1913-02-13
BRAY SUBMITS
BIENNIAL REPORT

n NoPN VI tht DieuHidl report OI
John Edwards Bray, superintendent of
public instruction. has been received
by the Silver State. 1t contains many
recommendations chief among which
are the following:
!. To provide for auditing school
bills. The present practice of indis-
criminate payment of school bills is
financially weak and loose. Without
additional expense, and to the advan-
tage of the schools, this can be done
by an officer or board of officers in
each county, much as state bills are
audited by board of officers and
finally by the state controller.
2. To provide working plan for
consolidating two or more small neigh
boring one teacher districts into one
school wherein two or more teachers
can be employed. Provisions should
then be made for transportation of
children TO this central school at the
expense of the district. There would
be only about the same number of
classes in the one consolidated school
as in one of the two or three consoli-
dating schools, and thus each teacher
would have double the time, more or
less, for instructing a given class, TO
the manifest advantage of the child
ren.
B. To require every school district
to raise sufficient funds locally 70 pay,
in whole or in part, its running ex-
penses, other than the teachers sal
airy.
The law now requires state school
moneys to be used exclusively toward
payment of teachers salaries in the
various districts. I believe this wise
provision should be extended to eoun-
ty school moneys, provided that such
apparatus as is called for in the state
course of study, and all needed lbr-
airy, desk, reference and supplement-
airy books as are prescribed in such
course of study for the use of teacher
and pupils may be paid for as at pres
ent out of the county school fund.
Such a law would, in my Judgment,
be direct step towards securing long
er terms and better instruction in the
rural and small village schools.
4. To provide some state aid for
district and county high schools that
have courses in manual and domestic
arts,in commercial branches and in ag.
riculture; provided. that the instrue-
eided by the State Board of Education
to be standard in quality.
3. To provide for training in the
manual and domestic arts for the
boys and girls of the State Orphans
home. For many years the law has re-
quired that this should be done, but the
directors of the home have never had
the funds with which to do it, Now,
under the legislation enacted two
years ago, these children are being
educated in the Carson City public
schools. TO equip a proper plant and
provide teachers in this work Just for
the home children would be rather ex-
pensive. But a direct appropriation
made to the Carson City schools, in
consideration of instruction being Civ
en- them there in these subjects, would
require but small amount compare
lively, thus giving the home children,
as each is ready for it. this valuable
life training right in connection with
their own school work
6. To provide free textbooks, not
merely for "indigent children, as at
present, but for all children. They
can be bought by the districts for
much less than individuals can buy
them. and then every child will be as
sured of having necessary books, with
out his parents having to confess
noverty in order to get them from the
district. The schools are not really
free so long as pupils have to pay for
the tools necessary for doing the most
of their work under the present curri-
eulum.
Juvenile Delinquents.
At the 1911 session of the state leg
islature, provision was made for carr
ing for the juvenile delnquents of
this state in industrial training schools
for such young people in California.
Oregon. Idaho or Utah; and the sum
Of $500 was appropriated for this
purpose.
Soon thereafter there were appliea-
tions from the probation officer and
court at Reno for sending juvenile Of
tenders to some of the institutions in
the states designated. Inquiry de-
veloped the fact that none of the
states named could take any outside
students. as they had found difficulty
in providing sufficient room for their
own delinquents. Again it was found
that in some of these states the law
did not authorize the managers to ad-
NIT delinquents from other states.
There were private institutions in Cal
ifornia which would receive and train
such young people. and there were
public institutions in other states that
would take them; but our laws did not
Give specific authority for sending
them elsewhere than the states named
and the attorney general of the state
held that tha apnropriatiOn coul1 not
be used to provide for these young
people in any other way than desig-
mated in the statute.
The situation has thus become ev
tremelv unfortunate. A consiaereN
number of bows and girls in Man.
need the direct protecting care Of ~
state. They are growing IN in idle
~ess and in immortality, and are oe-
oasionallv committing misdemeanors
- varions kinds. These boys are on