The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1917-01-30
News From, The
State Capitol
Five Bills Introduced To. Govern Election
County School Boards :.

(BY IleWxaml

+.
(By Llewxam)
RALEIGH, Jan. 30.-The biggest
fight in the legislature this week is be-
;np pulled off in the Senate over the
manner of electing the county boards
of education. The trouble is scheduled
to begin Wednesday, when the consid-
Grafton of four bills on the subject all
of these originating in the Senate, is
set as the special order after the ex-
piration of the morning hour.
Two of these bills are statewide
measures and both of them differ mater
tally from the statewide bills Of Page
and others introduced in the House.
The bill of Senator Turner Of Iredell
nrovides for the selection of the coun
tv school committeeman by a central
committee, subject to approval and
election by the legislature, the county
boards to elect the county superintend-
ent Of education.
Senator Oates bill, the most recent
" introduced measure on this subject
and prepared and predicted since the
caucus on the subject set for the past
week failed to materialize for it's set
tlement, departs from the custom of
electing the board by the Legislature
It provides for the selection of the
county school committeeman by the De-
mocratic county primary and stipulates
that the governor SHALL appoint the
names certified as the choice Of the pri-
mary in each county. AS in the Turner
bill, the Oates bill says that each coun-
ty school board SHAH choose aad-elect
| the county superintendent of education.
The other two bills set for the same
! day are local measures providing for
the election by the people at the polls
Of the county schoo committeeman in
the counties of Berte and Frankln. The
Republicans in the Senate nine in num-
Der, will vote for these and against
both statewide bills.
Senatorial Courtesies
n There having been two close test
votes already taken on these local bills
(with five senators absent or not vot-
Ifng) the result this week is unquestion-
ably in doubt Had the matter been
left to caucus of the dominant party
either the Turner or Oates bill or a
like measure l7ould have been adopted.
For majority Of the Democratic SEN
ators are opposed to both the Franklin
and Bertie county bills and the Page
statewide bill along the same line. That
is so pain that the advocates OF coun-
tv elections for school comm1tteemen
insisted that they would not be salts
fed with caucus action.
Several times during the last ten
days Person Of Franklin has valnly GU
deavored to get action on his bill and
in doing so he has used language III
criticism of the education committee
Of which Senator Oates is chairman
that was regarded as "objectonable
by other senators. Last Friday Sena
tor Person added several words TO h1s
vocabulary of epithets, which already
| included the words "ring'', moiiy
Goddess, and some Of the Roosevelt
coinage of 1912, which senator oates
y disposed of by informing the senator
ffS.n Franklin that he stdeclined to ar
que the question on so low a plane
If the Bertie and Franklin county
bills pass they will make a total Of
eight counties, only, of the one hundred
in the state which have. such law
They cannot pass without the votes o.
the Republican senator's.
The next step will probably be tht
Remand of the Republican senator's fo1
be law to apply to the Republican
Punties-which would place the schoo
stem and the cause of education II
er twenty counties in the hands o.
republicans and later in possibly
eF number Of counties This is on,
lie arguments of the supporters o1
turner and Oates bills and the op
hts>of the Page bill (House) bill
all accaim Keep the schools ou
plitics!''
adly Needed Law-Two Of 'En
State Forestry Association Will,
e It's annual meeting in Raleigl
sss sss days ago, urged the passage Of
endment to the present excellen'
nre law by which it's provisions