New Britain herald., 1919-02-19
HOLMES BILL MAY
 REPLACE MORRISON
Several Changes Noted Though Opposition Is Said to Be Keen

which was to provide for q change in the school affairs in the state, there was presented to the legislature yes terday bill drafted and composed by Stanley H. Holmes, superintendent Of the local schools. This bill was pre- sented by the State Board of Educa- tion of which Charles F. Smith, pres 1dent of Landers, F'rary & Clark's in this city, is a member.
 The Morrison bill met with much opposition in the legislature. In Hart ford yesterday the new bill was dis cuSSed, although there was no hear ing set for it. The opposition to the local mans bill was considerable. One report states that the local bill, except that the language is softened, is just as vicious as the Morrison bill.
 There is always going on a general reform movement concerning schools and this reform must take certain courses. In the first place the burden as borne locally must be considered and the taxes which have to be paid must also be discussed in the matter. The new bill provides that the tax alton will be made statewide instead of locally. That is, the state will have charge of the schools and the state will get the revenue to run the schools. That would mean a state tax for schools. For instance, under the new bill if Q fVe-mill tax was laid it would mean that the tax ' would be over the entire state and the money taken in would be for the schools. This money would then be divided equitably among all the schools of the state. This would have the effect of providing all the schools, large and small, with sufficient funds and the taxes would not be borne To- cally.
 The city of New Britain is power full only in taxing real estate, person. al property, etc. The state on the other hand has other and larger powers of taxation. The state is able to tax incomes francises, etc. 1 which alone would add thousands of l dollars each year to the state treasury. 1 This method of taxation by the state
 would mean that the schools would l be provided for If the schools were ! under that management the local tax rate might not be nearly as high and 1 the five or six mills paid the state 1 might not be as much as present tax
 rates. Smaller communities which i now provide hardly any revenue for 1 the state would then be doing their 1 share and would be receiving money l for the support of their schools The 1 underlying principle in any reform l movement concerning the schools is to have the schools bettered and at the
 same time keep the burden of taxa
 tion down to a minimum.
 Under organization in the state 1 government of schools the Morrison 1 plan gave as much power to the 1 commissioner of education as to the ! board of education. This was en- 1 tirely wrong in the opinion of many,
 so in the Holmes bill the state board
 of education is placed higher than
 the commissioner in power Under
 the terms of the new bill, the state
 board of education is placed on a 1 democratic basis. There are 12
 members on the board and thing
 never before provided for. of these 1 12 members, four shall bze women. 1 This does away with the present plan l where there are five mem bers on the l board and only four counties are
 represented. The new bill makes it ] compulsory that at least each county | be represented Under the new bill,
 and opposing the Morrison plan, the
 state board of education is given
 
 rison bill would confer upon the 1 commissioner of education. com
 mittee of appeals, consisting of three l members, is provided for under the ] Holmes plan and this also is another
 feature. It checks the acts of the l commissioner and allows him at no
 time to become despotic. Every
 teacher in the state under that pro- ! vision would have recourse to this 1 board of appeals and this is only fair.
 committee on finance is also pro- l vided for and that committee would ] also appear to be necessary.
 ! The commissioner of education was one of the points that the people have l raised so much opposition to. Under 1 the new bill the power given this of flee by the Morrison bill is eliminated , The commissioner is placed under the i state board and his many great DOW | CTS are also transferred to that board. ] All necessary power is given him and | he is at liberty to take all the initia- tive he desires, but the check is | placed on him because every act of
 his is subject to appeal Thus he is i able to do what a conscientious and { initiative man would do but if he out 1 steps the bounds there is something 1 to take him to task. The position
 would naturally require @ man of initiative, thus initiative power is aI- 1 lowed him.
 Under the Morrison bill there was 1 much opposition to the school dis tricts as provided for. Under the
 Holmes plan the opposition is easily 1 answered. The new bill provided that each school district shall remain as 1t is now constituted. The local school 1 committees are untouched by the new bill and will still retain their old powers.
 Tho