Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-02-02
NEW GOVERNOR WOULD REOPGANZZE HIGHWAY !

not n safe thing, however, to under
take to develop any public institu-
tlon beyond tho limits OF a safe and
sune economic bnsio. Otherwise, n
temporary and premature develop
ment may DO followed by IL long pe-
riod OF reaction. Therefore. I re-
assert that. with due regard to the
resources OF this State, l favor as
liberal appropriations to the public
| school system AS can. with feason.
| DO provided. especially for meeting
the urgent needs OF our elementary
| schools.
Tho other consideration refers to
| the plan of local school administra-
ton. I have high respect for the
| hundreds OF trustees who have In
the past given thoir time and SER
vice to the public school aystem. ana
who have oftimes led In movements
Tor local school Improvement. To
my mind, II appears TO be u matter
os primary importance to adopt IN
tho administration OF public con-
Germs TINT plan OF operation. which
appears to be the simplest most cf-
ilcient. and most directly responsive
to the demands OF the people.
The demand for Increased funds for
operation goes hand In hand, / think
with need OF that reform OF local
school administration. which would
give tho best guarantee of highest
returns on tho Investment. /, there
fore. favor the county as the unit or
operation. rather than the district
mud county school board to act for
the entire county as a whole. rather
than series OF more or less indie
pendent district boards. Towns with
n certain minimum population should
have the right of maintaining their
own school boards. and should thus
be constituted rs related units Of
school operations.
Tho Constitutional Convention Of
1901. by changing the composition OF
the state board OF Education and by
assigning to that board large con-
stitutional functions. sought to CEN
tralize the work of the educational
system. In the circumstances which
then existed. this action was doubt
less wise and proper.
Within tho twenty years which
have elapsed. great changes have
taken place with reference to the
public ATTITUDE toward education. In
my opinion. the time has now come
when serious consideration should be
given to the question of local militia
tives being permitted to participate
more largely In the general scheme
OF central control. The county
school board should have Legislative
and judicial functions, hut there
should be reserved to the superin-
tendent and teachers certain par,ic-
ular professional functions.
would propose that the county
superintendent be recommended to
the State Board OF Education from
list OF cliglbles presented to the
county school board by the State
Board OF Education. When once APP
pointed. the county superintendent
should become the real ndmlnistra-
tive head OF the local school system.
1t should be his duty to carry out the
plans and policies OF tho local scnool
board. and to stand as the RESPONSE
BILE agent and representative Of that
board.
While tho people OF Virginia are
looking to the cngthen!ng OF tho
public schools and institutions Of
higher education. they should. by aIi
mcans. however. pay greater
amount o: attention than they have
ever heretofore done to tho estab-
lishmcn; and maintenance Of ade.
quate FREQ public Libraries aa parts
OF tho board educational system OF
the State.
feel that. as chief executive or
the Commonwealth. T should be very
derelict were ! not to call attention
10 the loyal serving spirit OF the
alumni OF our State institutions In
raising subscriptions to thosc inst-
tutions. Especial praise is due one or
them In securing in n recent drive
approximately 100000. May this
spirit of alumni pride and generosity
be fostered and nourlshed In all o!
our Institutions OF learning. In
this way such Institutions may be
able more quickly to meet their real
needs.
workmcn'n Compensation Act OF
Virginia.
The workmcn's compensation act
became effective on March 81, 1913.
It's provisions went fully into effect
on January /. 1919. 1t has. there
fore. been In operation for IL PERIOD
OF three years. The results achieved
have fully met the expectations OF
its supporters. and It has been alike
satisfactory TO employers and en-
ployes in establishing better rela-
tons between employing and en-
ployed classes and in giving prompt.
though moderate. compensation TO
injured and TO the dependents OF
those killed in line OF duty. II has
also benefited the community at
large by relieving the courts of n
vast number o. personal injury cases
which had heretofore encountered
their dockets.
Compensation laws now exist In
every state OF the Union. with the
exception OF five OF our Southern
states where Industrial activities are
small. The last State To adopt n
compensation statute was Georgia.
which practically re-enacted the vir-
sinia statute.
Al the 1920 session of the Genera
Assembly. this act was amended ana
compensation provided i'm the origi-
nal act was increased from 20 TO %
per cent.
There are some changes which /
feel constrained to suggest:
% The Supreme Court In the case
OF Mann VS.. the city of Lynchburg,
has held that a policeman is not an
employc within the intcndmcnt of
the act. 1 would recommend that the
act he amended so as to include with
in the benefits Of the act this class
of public servants. and fremen, as
well as employees of the counties,