Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-19
NEW SCHOOL BILL

The committee which was appointed
to draft new school bill for Illinois
has finished its labors and the bill has
been approved by a conference made
up OF committees of Illinois Bankers
association, Illinois State Federation
of Commercial Clubs, Illinois State
Federation of Labor, Illinois farmers
institute, Illinois State Teachers as
ISOLATION, Illinois Manufacturers asso-
citation, Institute Commercial Law and
Criminology, every university and
state normal school In the state, the
City club, Commercial club, Civic fed
Grafton and Association Of Commerce
and women's clubs of Chicago, togeth-
er with various public and county
school superintendent and teachers
and individuals from various parts Of
the state-the only large and widely
representative conference ever called
for the purpose IN this state.
B. F. Harris Of Champaign was chair
man of the conference and W. @. Ed
ems OF Chicago the secretary, and the
members OF the committee which fol-
lowed the direction Of the conference
in drawing the bill were: Edmund J.
James, university of Illinois; Frank I.
Mann, Illinois farmers institute; o. J.
Kern, county superintendent OF
schools; E. R. Wright Illinois Fedora
ton of Labor; F. NJ. Leavitt, Illinois
State Teachers association; George NJ
Reynolds, Illinois Bankers association;
F. G. Blair, superintendent of public
instruction; Edwin G. Cooley, and
Julius RosenWald.
| The bill is designed to encourage,
/ through state aid, boards of directors
and boards of education to establish
and maintain vocational and pre-voca-
tional courses of instruction and train
/ ing in agriculture, commerce and in
/ the domestic and industrial arts and
to encourage the preparation of teach.
ers to teach such courses, ETC.
Among the several good features Of
the bill is the one which provides for
the formation Of associated districts.
and country and village schools form
ing association with high schools main
tanning approved vocational or pre-vo-
cational courses of instruction and
training, as provided in the bill, may
be reimbursed annually to the extent
of one-half the cost of maintaining
such courses.
Under the provisions of this bill
rural and village schools may group
for the purpose Of employing teachers
or supervisors to give instructions in
the courses provided for, and may be
reimbursed annually to the extent OF
one-half the cost of maintaining such
courses.
The chairman of the conference, B
F. Harris. says: Much more in dol
lars and otherwise has been done fol
the town boys and girls than for those
in the country. But many states are
at work on the problem and | am glaC
to say the business men and business
, clubs Of Illinois and all it's primar,
interests, through this conference o
| all interests, which it was my privilege
, as president of the Illinois Bankers
association, to call, are expecting state
wide legislation that will improv
, conditions"
Anyone desiring further informatio,
in reference to this bill can secure /
= and full text of the bill by addressin
request to the secretary Of the col
r ference, W. G. Edens, Central Trus
: Co. Bldg, 119 South Clark street, Oh
cago.-Illinois Farmers Institute Blu
letin.