TEACHERS' INSTITUTES.
Mr. Staley's bill [H. R. 121] to provide a fund for the holding of teachers' institutes, coming up on the second reading -
Mr. PLEASANTS: I move to strike out the enacting clause.
Mr. STALEY: I sincerely hope this motion will not prevail. The bill proposes that the sum of $50 shall be furnished to the County Superintendent by the county for the purpose of assisting in paying the expense of an institute which shall be at least a five days' session, and further that a very small fee shall be charged the applicants for teachers' license who apply for examination for such license, the same to be put into a fund which shall be held to pay institute expenses. There institutes should and will, if given an opportunity, last about two weeks. The cost for session like this is about $150 in anything like a good institute. A Superintendent is not going to hold an institute and bear the expense himself for fun. As it is now, with these examinations free, a large number attend Saturday after Saturday, costing the county a large sum of money, for the examination or grading of their papers takes the time of the Superintendent at $4 per day. Applicants appear again and again for merely the trial - not expecting to teach. A small charge for examination will have a tendency to decrease the number of applicatns, lessen the work and the expense of the Superintendent's office, besides creating a swelling fund for the payment of institute expenses.
Mr. SMITH, of Tippecanoe: In the first place the bill aims to lessen the expenses County Superintendents by taxing those who apply only for fun or mere trial. These take as much time as any. Instead of Tippecanoe County having 600 applicants it will have no more than 400.
Mr. PLEASANTS: My objection to the bill is that the proposed plan to raise an institute fund does not lessen the $4 per day salary of the County Superintendent. He might continue the institute on and on, in order to draw, his per diem.
Mr. SMITH: He would hardly do that, when if he were disposed to draw $4 for every day, he might, instead of doing the hard work of an institute go on a visit to some small school.
Mr. LOYD: I would like to ask the author of the bill this: Does the bill in any way increase the per diem of the County Superintendant?
Mr. STALEY: Not in the least. It is to provide an institute for the teachers - that's all.
Mr. FRENCH: I do not favor the proposition in the bill to tax teachers for library to be held by the Gounty Superintendent. I prefer to invest my money in books on my home shelf, and not invest in one twenty or thirty miles away where it do me no good. The bill should be amended as to that
On motion by Mr. STALEY, the bill was recommitted to the Committee on Education.
The House adjourned.
