The Holt County sentinel., 1917-03-16
County SchOO, Notes.

Free Text Book Law, Section l.
District may furnish free textbooks,
How-"The qualified voters of any
school district in the state may at
any annual or specified meeting. fif-
teen days notice having been given
as required by section i0sii. vote to
authorize the board Of dirccors of
such district to purchase from the
incidental fund and furnish all the
text books for all the pupils in the
public schools Of said district. A ma
jority Of those voting upon the rrorp-
sition shall be sufficient TO decide the
question"
Section .. County court TO appor-
ton foreign insurance money to dis
tricts furnishing free-teXt books
Whenever the board Of directors OF
any school district in this state certi-
fes 10 the county court that they are
furnishing textbooks free Of charge
10 all the pupils in at least four
grades in the public schools Of such
district. Il shall he the duty Of the
county court to apportion annually 10
each such school district from the
county foreign insurance tax moneys
received from the state treasurer. -
and shall order the county
treasurer to place to the credit Of the
incidental fund Of each such district
the amount thus obtained"
Resolution adopted by the Missouri
State Teachers Association: RE
solved, that we commend the Lcgis-
laturc Of Missouri for the enactment
Of the Free-Text Book law. and refer
with satisfaction to the fact that
within two years Of L. operation the
following cities: st. Louis, Kansas
City. 50. Joseph. Joplin. Hannibal.
jefferson City, Nevada. Webster
Grove. Chillicothc. kirkwooi. Mary
vile and others. representing more
than onc-half of the population Of the
entire state. are now furnishing free
textbooks for the free use Of the pu.
pills IN their schools. while added To-
those are numerous smaller towns
and village, and over unc-half Of the
rural districts of a number Of coun'
ties"
come from. and what l. the amour.
of IT,"
Answer--"Thc Foreign Life and
Fire Insurance Companies doing bus
mess in Missouri pay a, tax 20 the
state per cent Of all premiums col
lcctcd on insurance policies. One.
half Of the total amount Of this tax
is apportioncd TO the several counties.
The number Of school children of
school age in the county H. the basis
used 10 determine how much money
such county gets. The annual an.
portionment Of this insurance tax 10
the several counties by the state Is
from S3O0,00O to s323.0DO. An aver
9gc county receives about S2j0O.0O a
year
Question" Does this money now
go 10 the school districts >"
Answcr--"it does not. TIC county
court apportions to each city and
town the amount IL H. entitled to IL
based on the number Of children of
school age; the remainder Of THE mon.
cy goes into the general fund of the
county. The "Crossley Orr" Free
Text Book law makes this money
available for the purpose of furnish.
ing books for tho free use of children
in ruSal and city schools. All that any
district needs 90 do H. to vote "ycs"
on the question at the annual meeting
or at special meeting called for the
purpose"
Qu"stion-s"tan this money be uscl
for any other purpose"
Answer-"lt can not. II becomes
permanent fund for the purchase
of Textbooks boy the district"
Ques,ion-"llow much money will
30 20 each district? ="
AnsNcr-"Thc amount distritr'cl
IN 1913 was a. cent, Tor each person
of school age thro CHOU, tho tai ="
Question Has the free textbook
plan been tried elsewhere"
Answcr-"Eiftcon rtatos have free
textbooks throughout their entire
elementary schools, and In fifteen
other state, tcSt-books are free ~
some extent, State sipcrin,cndcnts
IN the states that have free text
book say that IN" plan enhances the
efficiency Of teaching, and prolongs
the school life of the child, while the
books cost about 20 per cent less
than when owned by individuals. The
city Of -, Louis has had free text
books for long time. II furnishes
all books and supplies AT an average
cost OF y cents per pupil per year.
Philadelphia has been furnishing free
books TO her children for over a hun
dred years. While in other states the
money for free books Is paid by each
district from its own funds-in Mis-
sour, the free textbooks are not
bought by money furnished By the
district, bu, by money which the dis
trict would otherwise not have. I'm
other words, in our state the Free
Textbook law supplies text books a.
free gift TO the school district which
may be had for the taking"
Anna Markt and Ellen Pencil had
the pleasure Of spending two DAYS in
the Woodville school; the second OF
these days, the teacher, Miss Kurtz,
enjoyed day with the superinten-
dent in Miss Greene's school at Ben
ton.
Miss Ora Munkres is teaching ut
bar finishing the term for Mr..
ROCK, who resigned some time ago.
AIRERTA GREEA AgUynnIiU