To strengthen and perfect the supervision of the schools, the State has made it lawful for any town to require its school committee to annually appoint a superintendent of schools, who, acting under direction, and as an agent of the committee, shall perform all those acts that are peculiar to school supervision.

About sixty cities and towns have availed themselves of the provisions of the law, by requiring their school committees to elect superintendents and commit to them the genera' care and supervision of the schools. The schools in these towns are the best the State. The reasons for this are obvious. The conditions necessary for the exscence of good schools are not likely to be secured, except through the service of those who know what the conditions are, and who have been chosen for the special

the schools in towns employing efficient supervision are supplied with better teachers; the schools are directed in accordance with a plan towards some definite

All chose things that come under the head of means of teaching are promptly aadid, and the whole school population is in school. The schools of the small Boxing for the want of good management. They are falling behind the wowded with special supervision, as may be seen by their annual returns, why phenom advantages they offer to the children who attend upon their in

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cocheage and observation both prove that the conditions necessary to good schools Xem they are provided with efficient superintendence. There is a a agreement among educators on this subject, that the cause of popular eduever languish" in towns not provided with an intelligent and special this opinion prevails among the people themselves of such towns, and pray willing to do all in their power to secure, in common with the wowa, pio advantages of special school supervision.

support such an agency is the obstacle in the way of its general introthe large towns are able to provide each its own supervisor. This they ally done. The smaller towns may unite into districts and support union There is already a permissive statute providing for the union of towns As for the support of such officers. Five districts have taken advantage w of the law, and have the district system of superintendency in acse successful operation. The small towns need aid in supporting their &cutions, and no aid could be given that would produce such radical retores in our common-school affairs as that given in support of an edu

UNIFORM SCHOOL TERM.

#yoom cognate of Hon. J. W. Holcombe, superintendent of public instruction of Indiana.] some to have come for making our school system really uniform in affordnike equal school privileges to all the children of the State, according copeñout of the constitution (art. 8, 1).

at privileges is far from being enjoyed at present, and cannot be see mandatory legislation. A few figures will show existing inequality. AAG YO4 1881 86 the averago terms of counties varied from 90 to 178 days, youpal average for the State being 129 days. In a certain county the term

A was 120 days; in another, 65 days. In another county the term in A 479 days; in another, 107 days. The unfairness of this is obvious. pipe of justice can the State, while professing to maintain a "general cxystem of common schools," give to some of its children so much less of loos than are enjoyed by others. The practical inconveniences are also Sapestul classification is hindered, the enforcement of a course of study d. and the administration of the schools of a county as an organized and The apportionment of revenue equally among the children, basis, will not secure equality of school privileges. The same amount poxide more and better instruction for an equal number of children in as a scattered population, and other local conditions make as great a he expense of maintaining schools.

evented.

ation of terms can be secured through the local levies by which the Comment is supplemented, but it will be necessary to fix by law a miniwhich the term shall not be allowed to shrink. The experience of teachers fonts seems to indicate seven school months (140 days) as a safe minisuch a length of term would interfere but little, if at all, with the farm for boys. Indeed, it is noticeable that, as the country schools have been de more efficient by classification and improved methods, the older boys the work for which they are absolutely needed, out of school hours. vekkelsa, 16 would perhaps not be wise to require by law a longer term than

FREE TEXT-BOOKS.

[From report of Hon. J. W. Dickinson, secretary of State board of education, Massachusetts, for the year 1884-'85.]

The advantages of the free text-book system are:

1. Economy in time and money. Under the present system the schools may be supplied, on the first day of the term, with all the necessary means of study. This prevents the long delays that were formerly experienced in organizing the classes, and enables the teacher to make a better classification of his school. Experience has proved that the expense of books and supplies, by the new method of purchase, is reduced nearly one-half.

2. The new system furnishes a good occasion for training the children to take good care of those things not their own, but which they are allowed to use.

3. It has, without doubt, increased the attendance upon the schools more than 10 per cent.

4. The public schools of the State are now literally free schools, offering to all, on the same free terms, the advantages of a good education.

The labor of purchasing and distributing the books and arranging plans for a proper care of them will be much less after the system has once been introduced. Before the act of 1884 was passed, sixteen towns in the Commonwealth had voluntarily adopted the free text-book system. In all cases of fair trial the most satisfactory results have been produced. The few objections that have been made to the free system are: 1. It prevents the children from owning the books they use, and from preserving

them for the future.

2. It cultivates a spirit of dependence.

3. Contagious diseases may be communicated by second-hand books.

4. Why not furnish board and clothes as well as books?

5. It requires the expenditure of a large amount of time in purchasing and distributing the books and supplies among the schools.

These are the objections usually made.

The use of the free text-book system does not prevent a pupil from becoming the owner of the books he studies, nor, if that were possible, of preserving them. This may be done even at less expense than under the old system.

Experience, however, has proved that school books are generally worn out by the use to which they are subjected in the school room, and that future reference is more profitably made to new books, representing the latest phase of human thought on the subjects of which they treat. Old school books are interesting relics. They are even useful as occasions for revi、ing old associations; but they are not always safe guides in the acquisition of new knowledge. School books should be bought for present use, as they will be quite surely out of date when the future arrives.

If the statement that the free text-book system takes away the manly feeling of independence, which should be strong in every mind, has any force, it presents an argument against the whole system of free schools. Why is not the manly spirit corrupted by furnishing free teachers, and free school-houses, and free apparatus to be used as the means of teaching? On what principle may we furnish everything else free with good results, but cannot furnish free books without harm? As a fact, neither are the schools or the means of study free to the people in any absolute sense. The expense of supporting them is borne by those for whose benefit they were established. This is done by a general tax levied in such a manner that the burden of support is made to rest equally on all. With this understanding the people accept their free-school privileges, not as a charity, but as a gift presented by theinselves. Free text-books have been used for many years in some of the towns in our own State, and in some of the cities and towns of almost every other State in the Union. No complaint has hitherto been made that these books are the media through which disease is actually communicated.

The sanitary objections to the use of second-hand school books may be more reasonably urged against the use of books drawn from our circulating libraries, and handled by persons exposed to all the conditions of social life, or against paper money, that by its associations may become the media of many kinds of exchange.

It should not be forgotten that the Legislature has passed stringent laws regulating the attendance of children who are suffering with contagious diseases, or who have been exposed to them; and that the free text-books are all committed to the care of the teachers of the schools.

TABLE 10.-CHIEF STATE SCHOOL OFFICERS.

[NOTE. This list has been revised to date of going to press.]

SUMMARY OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO
EDUCATION IN THE SEVERAL STATES AND TERRITORIES.

ALABAMA.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

The General Assembly shall establish and maintain a system of public schools for the benefit of children between 7 and 21 years of age, separate schools for the races being provided.1

TOWNSHIP INCORPORATION.

The inhabitants of each township are incorporated by the name of "township — and range" according to the number of the United States survey.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

I

Every township and every incorporated city or town of 3,000 or more inhabitants I' is a school district, and may hold and own property.3

LEGAL SCHOOL POPULATION.

Every child between 7 and 21 years of age is entitled to admission into and instruction in any public school for its own race in its township, or in some other school in the State, as provided by law.*

SCHOOL CENSUS.

An enumeration of all children between 7 and 21 years old, by race and sex, in each township is made by the superintendent thereof, and reported to the county superintendent, who makes a like report for his county to the State superintendent. This census is taken in August of years having odd numbers."

LOCATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

When only one public school is established in a township, it must be so located as V to accommodate the largest number of pupils; but the location may be changed from year to year so as to accommodate those children who were not within reach of the school in previous years. Preference should be given to localities having a schoolhouse already built or a site procured."

If more than one school for each race be needed in a township, more may be established by the local school officer.7

Preference in locating schools should be given to communities which will supplement the district revenue with the object of sustaining free schools for as long a session as possible.

White and colored children must not attend the same school."

No more than two schools for either race can be opened in any township wherein the school revenue for said race does not exceed $50.

The school revenue of each township is apportioned as nearly as practicable per capita of the probable school attendance.

Children may be transferred to schools in other than their own school districts, but they carry their share of the school revenue with them; and, if, after deliberation, it is determined not to have one public school for each race opened in a township, and the children of the race, so left without a school, cannot be transferred readily to another school district, their share of the school revenue shall be paid to the parents or guardians of said children; Provided, Said children attend some other school the same length of time.10

SCHOOL YEAR, MONTH, DAY.

The school year begins October 1 and ends September 30; the school month is 20 days; the school day is not less than 6 hours."

The (annual) session of a public school usually must be at least 12 weeks long, i. e., 3 scholastic months."2

1 Const., art. 12, sec. 1.

2 Code of 1870, sec. 963.

Sch. Laws of Feb. 7, 1879, sec. 48.
Ibid., sec. 49.

Ibid., sec. 39. Ibid., sec. 28. 7Ibid., sec. 29.

8 Ibid., sec. 36.

Ibid., sec. 52.

10 Ibid., sec. 31.

Ibid., sec. 50.

12 Ibid., secs. 31, 34.

PRESCRIBED STUDIES.

Physiology and hygiene, with special reference to the effects of alcohol, stimulants and narcotics upon the human system, must be taught to all pupils in all schools and colleges receiving any public money or under State control.1

SCHOOL OFFICERS.

A superintendent of education, elected by popular vote, shall supervise the public V

schools.2

The State superintendent is chosen at the general election every two years. He must give a bond of $15,000 for the faithful discharge of his duties.3

The officers of the public-school system shall be a superintendent of education for the State; a county superintendent for each county, and a township superintendent or 3 school trustees for each township or other school district.1

A vacancy in the office may be filled by the Governor for the remainder of the term.5 His duties are to supervise the common schools, to require reports thereon from his subordinate school officers; to remove them for official delinquency; to visit and inspect schools annually; to encourage the forming of teachers' institutes; to apportion the public-school revenues, prepare and furnish all school blanks and record books, keep accounts with all school districts, and of all permanent school funds; file bonds of subordinate school officers; prosecute defaulters to the school fund; exchange reports with other school officers; collect an educational library; prepare and publish school laws, and also an annual school report. His office must be at the State capital.

STATE TAX.

The Legislature may provide for a poll-tax, which shall be applied to the support of the public school in the counties in which it is collected."

The poll-tax is assessed by the county tax-assessors, confirmed by the county commissioners, and reported by the probate judge to the State superintendent.8

The poll-tax assessed is debited to the county tax-collector, and amounts collected and paid by him to the county superintendent are credited to said collector by the State superintendent. Amounts collected should be paid at the end of each month." Moneys arising from sale or other disposition of lands and other property granted or intrusted to the State for educational purposes, must be preserved undiminished. 10 Lands and property given by individuals or by the State for educational purposes, and all estates of persons who die without will or heir, shall be applied to the maintenance of public schools,"

The public-school income consists of interest upon the permanent school funds, the proceeds of other property given for school purposes, and of the poll-tax and a yearly appropriation of not less than $100,000 from the State treasury."

Only 4 per cent. of the public-school income may be expended for purposes other than the payment of teachers' salaries, but this restriction may be suspended by a concurrent two-thirds vote of both houses of the Legislature. 13

The public-school income cannot be used for the support of any sectarian or denominational school.14

PUBLIC-SCHOOL LANDS.

School lands are sections numbered 16 in every township granted by the United States for the use of schools in the township; also other lands granted therefor; all of which are vested in the State in trust to execute the objects of the grant.15

The public-school revenue, except that part resulting from the poll-tax, must be placed to the credit of the public schools at the beginning of the school year, viz, Oc

tober 1.16

The auditor must notify the State superintendent of the amount of public-school revenue set apart for each scholastic year, stating source and nnexpended balances from previous school years.17

The public-school revenue shall consist of interest upon proceeds of sales of lands granted by the United States for school purposes; of interest upon the United States deposit under the act of Congress, June 23, 1836; income from proceeds of other lands given for school purposes to the State; escheats; $230,000 annual appropriation, proceeds of poll-tax of $1.50 on each male between twenty-one and forty-five; rents collected from unsold school lands; and proceeds of license taxes, which are to be expended for public schools. 18

VIT