The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-03-29
CENTRALIZED POWER
BY ROBBING TOWNS
Is One Of Ide G. Sargent's Chief oblec-
lions to the Educational Bill Sub
stituted for Former Meas
ure in Legislature

/ fsAltUi VI bN''N
and Jacob went near unto Isaac his
father: and he felt him, and said, The
voice is Jacobs voice, but the hands are
the hands Of Esau.'
II. 462 has been rewritten to some
extent by the legislative committee, but
in substance it is still H. ITO, the bill OF
the educational commission, which voiced
the plea OF the Carnegie report for cen
| tralization and the removal OF praetl-
eally all control OF the schools from the
neonle. The new bill is still the central
| izinp voice of the Carnegie report, al
though il may be Vermont hand that
wrote it. The new bill Is an improve
ment over II. ITO in the following re-
spects
II removes the ridiculous restrictions
as TO membership on the state board OF
education.
II provides that ten people having
twelve pupils may petition for school
but il should be six pupils instead OF
twelve and be made mandatory II we.
are to induce people to settle our back
towns.
ID provides minimum wage Of - lot
teachers. Which is a step in the right
direction. $500
But otherwise il is the same old bill,
over which there has been so much con-
tention. In short, II creates state
controlled system OF education, taxing
nearly all voice in school control from
the communities and vesting It nominal
| v in the hands of a state board OF five
men. but in reality in the hands of one,
the state commissioner Of education, and
he i placed beyond their reach. Not
even the governor can remove him. no
matter how distasteful his acts may be-
come TO our people.
The bin is less frank in saying what il
means than II. 10.
II. ASP pretends to give full power OF
control Of their schools TO local school
directors, but in reality it takes IT all
away. For wherever II seems TO give
such power we find il subject TO the
approval Of the superintendent A
careful reading Of the bill shows II gives
but very little more power to town
directors than did II. 40.
A great play is made on the words
adding the rural schools A big bld
is also made for consolidation OF schools
in that by this bin the state assumes
all expenses of transportation and board.
An easy way for our poorer towns TO cut
expenses would be- to put all pupils into
one school. Then most Of the expense
would be saddled on the state for trans
lportation. as long as any residents were
ieft a mile and a half from school.
In plain English. the bill does this.
II makes no provision for the colleges.
II makes no provision for the normal
schools,
II takes nearly al control from town
school directors.
II takes away from the communities
the right to say whom they viii have
for supcrintendents Of schools.
Ii takes away from the communities
The right 10 sav what sort Of high
schools they will have.
Il makes vocational training eompul-
sorry in every high school n the state
and 81 some extent in the elementary
school. with the further provision that
the expense Of this vocational work
shall BE- paid BY the towns.
when Ne get away from al subtertuge
81 words. H 49, does just exactly what
1 n. ITn would have done. u takes away
every xestiee 81 real control from the
/ local oammunfties and places 4 In the
hands If one man For that IL whst the
ehief executive officer amounts e. in any
case where b. De- an expert and his
board are laymen.
II the majority Of car people wish
4 far = state sFstern 81 educatlon. entirely
Z divorced frum local csntrol. vel and
ruaH Bat = that case we should D. ean-
sisterf and support The schools entirely
I ~ state TAXATION ard d. away VITA
/ local school taNrs aitogethtf-
After our etpsEiende With TIE expenses
E 81 fisf atfornff rrneraIs ufiar. e 4 wise
T - have uussftisd uhat salaries shaH 10
nsN a. saafe Commissioners ni eduea-
fian. k5s nss starts. thf sursfF rten1ftts.
che sunsst5srrs. tas numlaE e sn.h Cd
c.sis cirk htrf. str
+ b uauia b. asn.rut ias nlF legtslatoEs
F A. fr tta srnft nmmrt BE- eaah casf,
( luf d wmala ~ thf IaFt Hi wisdom 81
les $50 nar5frrr ffsunt rt1rh tHr stete
iaar shall uat ST.
~ rnar = mare arsraHt thaH ufssli
80 49, nuY state hasea1 wth shpels ei
F tif tshast nrafs. an1 fartunstf.f J an
+ ar stustrE o. 60 tnTf We rterrst uhat-
rrn h tfH rutrrnf rf she etuaatirtai
trnsrr e. rsssrs a. wtlEarf 81 Aanie1t
- - lasErr Ser fFsrFn Ens
re - pc fas g. raaas h3
f a. treN flrnast go frea s.i.a.ls
arz a rarrr faa ta s
H.=rff trEf - esd rrrrz trir FfHa-
azs srrrsir.Hs saEsesrsasa ~ ths
IHn II uw - ar-~ntfs ts kass thts
tt-r rrar AZ mtrf a. ras ir So asn-