Imperial Valley press., 1923-02-20
President State Board of Education
States Views on School Budget Cut

,ior colleges, listing of high school
Textbooks and other phases of edu-
cation. These increased activities
explain and justify gradual in
crease in the budget
As an illustration of how the
work of the state board of educa.
| ton has increased, / may cite the
fact that in 1913 when we com
meneed our work, we began the adj
ministration of the retirement sal
airy law, passed at the legislative
session that year. That department
has grown until we now have over
800 annuitants who are receiving in
excess of 100000 year. The in
vested funds amount to over 81 ,250,-
90. The board in passing retire
mcnt eases acts in judicial capacity,
and the financial responsibility in
the investment of funds is very
great.
Law Still in Force
The physical education law is still
in force and requires the state
board to employ supervisor. The
budget as submitted makes no pro-
vision for his payment or for other
expenses of this department. The
law under which California avails
itself of the Smith Hughes federal
Diet for the promotion of vocational
education is also still in force and
requires the state board of educa-
ton to employ supervisors of agri-
| culture, home economics and trade
and industry. The budget makes
no provision for the payment Of
those people. Unless these laws are
repealed, and l believe the members
of the Legislature will think twice
before taking that step, the state
board Of education is put in this pc.
sition: we shall be required by law
to do certain things, and by another
law, the budget act, we shall in eff
feet be forbidden to do them.
! Ny sincere conviction is that our
budget as submitted did not con-
template unnecessary positions, "
but simply provided for the expedi-
tious and efficient handling Of the
work definitely imposed on us by
law. If economies can be effected
without sacrifice of efficiency, we
shall certainly be glad to carry them
out.
'Junketing Trips
You speak of many junketing
trips to summer resorts / do not
know what you are referring to,
but assume that you may be critics
ing the plan followed by the state
board in meeting annually with the
state convention of city and county
superintendent. That convention
is called by the state superintend-
ent and we have no voice in deter.
mining the place. Superintendent
Hyatt called that convention at
Shasta the year. the state board was
organized and urged that we meet
at the same time, on the ground that
the problems of administration and
legislation discussed at this meeting
related directly to our work. Acting
again on his suggestion, We met the
lfoilinw geyar with the superintend
/ ents at Tahoe, and have in genera
lowed that plan since. The meeting
however, is always combined with
the regular meetings of the board
and i'll addition to attending the
sessions of the convention, we have
held daily meetings for the trans
action of board business. The ex
pense has been but very little more
than If the meetings had been held
in Sacramento, because none OF
the board members live in that city
] The meetings are always periods OF
exacting work, involving long hours
Served Ten Years
l will presume on an acquaintance
with you extending over many
years and on relations, that have
been uniformly friendly, to add q
personal word. / have served on
the present state board of educa
ton ever since it was organized
nearly ten years ago, with no Other
thought or ambition than to pro
mote the cause of public education
in California. I have devoted on an
average third of my time to the