Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1937-03-27

to the levy of supplemental taxes for
schools, despite the fact that they ap-
parently decided not to make a fight
for higher salaries, pensions for teach
ers sick leave and other things the
teachers wanted in the hope that they
could get these two changes made in
the school machinery law AS re-
suit, the school machinery act re-
mains. virtually as it was enacted in
1885 and contains none of the major
changes advocated by the school
forces.
One thing the leaders of the school
forces wanted more than anything
else it is now agreed, was the enact
ment of Section of the school bill.
as reported into the House, which re-
moved the lieutenant governor as
chairman of the State School Commits
sion and made the State superintend-
ent of public instruction chairman,
with complete control over the per-
sonnet. This would have reduced the
members of the school commission to
mere puppets and made of it little
more than a rubber stamp to approve
the wishes of the State superintend-
ent as chairman and the executive
secretary, VIII would have been ap-
pointed by the chairman, it was point
ed out. This would have had the eff
feet of putting the allotment and
spending of the school appropriation
of almost $25, 100000 a year almost ex-
clusively in the hands of the State
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES is regarded as
hoiY nNyo hot o4n4
intendent and the 1853 county and city
superintendent who dominate the
North Carolina Education Associa-
ton wanted.
The House refused even to consid-
er this section, however, and the bill
to the finance committee where it was
removed in short order. The section
was rewritten so as to leave the
iuetenant governor chairman of the
school commission and leaving the
commission the authority to select its
own executive secretary and person
mel. The State superintendent was
left on only with the status of a mem
Der and as vice vice-chairman in the
absence of the lieutenant governor,
as is the case under the 1885 law. The
House agreed to the creation of an
executive committee, to consent of the
state superintendent, the tSate treas
urer and three members of the COM
mission. This amendment was so
worded that if it had been adopted.
the school commission would have
had authority only to make rules
and regulations, the executive COM
mittee having the authority to exc
cute and enforce these rules and reg
ulations, thereby becoming more pow
erful and important than the commits
sion.
But this amendment was soon SPOT
ted and crloroformed when the bill
reached the Senate, where it was
amended to provide that the lieuten-
ant governor should be a member of
the committee and it's chairman and
where the powers of the executive
committee were limited to merely lad
vising with the executive secretary
between meetings of the school com
mission.
= The second main objective of the
school forces was to secure the adop-
ton Of Section IA of the bill as re-
ported into the House and passed by
it, giving school districts with a
school population of 1000 pupils or
more the right to hold elections and
levy supplemental taxes This would
have made it possible for numerous
fs'n'l districts to hold elections and
levy :"'.r'cmental taxes with which
to have ninth month, increase teach
ers' salaries above the State salary