The Commissioner of Common Schools. The school funds are derived from the income from school lands set apart by the National and State governments for educational purposes and by state and local taxes, the state contributing about one-eighth of the total amount. The state commissioner of common schools has supervision of the school funds to the extent of appointing examiners in cases where misapplication or fraud in the management of the same makes it necessary. The following statistics taken from the annual report of the state commissioner for the year ending August 31, 1900, will give some idea. of the magnitude of the educational work being accomplished in this state at the present time. Number of districts: City, 62; Village and Special, 1005; Townships, 1335; Sub-districts, 11097; Number of School Houses, 13073; Number of School Rooms, 22661; Value of School Property, $44,017,179; Number of Teachers, 26017; Enumeration of youth between six and twenty-one years, 1,226,366; Enrollment in Public Schools 829,160. In addition to the enrollment in the public schools it is estimated that 50,000 pupils are being educated in parochial and private schools. Number of high schools, 836; Enrollment in high schools, 56952. There are 36 colleges and universities with 1118 instructors and 8148 students. This does not include professional schools, normal schools, academies, et cetera, of which the state has its full proportion. STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS. There have been a number of changes in the law relating to the state board of school examiners. When first enacted in 1864 the board consisted of three members who are appointed by the state commissioner. Since 1883 the number has been fixed at five. The term is five years and ends on August 31. The following have served on the board since its creation. Marcellus F. Cowdery, Thomas W. Harvey, Eli T. Tappan, Israel W. Andrews, William Mitchell, Theodore Sterling, John Hancock, Thomas C. Mendenhall, Andrew J. Rickoff, Alston Ellis, Henry B. Furness, John B. Peaslee, William W. Ross, Charles R. Shreve, Chas. L. Loos, A. B. Johnson, Henry M. Parker, William G. Williams, Elmer S. Cox, Chas. C. Davidson, Marcellus Manley, Chas. E. McVay, Thomas A. Pollock, E. E. White, W. J. White, E. A. Jones, R. W. Stevenson, Edward T. Nelson, Jas. W. Knott, J. C. Hartzler, L. D. Bonebrake, J. P. Sharkey, Charles Haupert, C. W. Bennett, J. D. Simkins, W. W. Boyd, W. H. Meck, M. E. Hard, W. H. Mitchell, and C. C. Miller. The last five named are the present members of the board SCHOOL-BOOK LAWS. The first law relating to the use of text books in the schools of Ohio was pased April 22, 1885. It required boards of education to adopt text The Commissioner of Common Schools. books and prohibited any change in the same within five years, except by a three-fourths vote. A provision was also made authorizing boards to provide free text books. On the 28th day of April, 1890, an amendment to this law was passed providing for a school book board, composed of the Governor, State Commissioner of Common Schools, Supervisor of Public Printing, and two persons to be appointed by the Governor: This board was authorized to pass upon all books used in the schools and to fix a price upon the same not to exceed eighty per cent of the publisher's wholesale list price, and in case no satisfactory books could be secured the board was authorized to receive bids from publishers and authors for furnishing text books, and report the result of the same to the next session of the General Assembly for action thereon. On May 4, 1891, the last-mentioned law was repealed and a new law enacted changing the membership of the "State School Book Board" to the Governor and Secretary of State with the State Commissioner of Common Schools as secretary. The principal provisions of the former law were retained, with further provisions in regard to publication of text books by the state and a reduction in the maximum price to seventyfive per cent of the wholesale list price. The law now in force was passed April 22, 1896, making the State Commissioner of Common Schools a member of the State School Book Commission together with the Governor and Secretary of State. The main provisions of the former law were retained, the method of enforcing the law and carrying the same into effect being simplified. Under this law the schools of Ohio are provided with good text books at a reasonable price and with a few minor amendments would undoubtedly give general satisfaction. M R. J. C. MORRIS, Commissioner of Railroads and Telegraphs, was born in Youngstown, Ohio, August 18, 1856, and was educated in the public schools of that city. But while yet a boy he secured employment in a local grocery store and continued in that employment until his nineteenth year, when he began railroading. His first employment was as a brakeman. Then he became baggagemaster. From this he was promoted to the position of conductor of a freight train. After a number of years' service in this capacity he became general yardmaster, remaining in that position until he secured a passenger train, which he continued to run as its conductor until he was appointed Chief Inspector in the office of the State Commissioner of Railroads and Telegraphs, faithfully performing the duties of this appointment until the 16th day of March, 1901, at which time he was appointed Commissioner of Railroads and Telegraphs. During all this long period of railway service-26 years in allhe was in the employ of the Erie Railway Company, a fact that speaks well for the character of the service he rendered. He is a married man, having been married to Miss Emma Morris of Youngstown, Ohio, on April 28, 1878. They have four children, all boys. Mr. Morris is a Mason, a K. of P., and a member of the Order of Railway Conductors. The Commissioner of Railroads and Telegraphs. THE DEPARTMENT OF RAILROADS AND TELEGRAPHS. The Department of the Commissioner of Railroads and Telegraphs was created by an act of the Fifty-seventh General Assembly passed April 5, 1867, which required the appointment of the officer within fifteen days after the passage of the act, and prescribed his duties. He has a general police authority over roads operating in Ohio, and is required to give careful attention to the construction, operation and maintenance of the roads and their equipment so far as these matters relate to the safety and general welfare of the public. The following extract from the report of the Commissioner for the year 1900, just ended, is a tribute to the friendly readiness of the railroad companies to safeguard the public, as well as an indication of the watchfulness of the department: The Railroads of the State, taken as a whole, were probably never in better physical condition than at the present time, and they were never operated with a greater degree of safety. Extensive improvements are continually being made both on roadway and equipment. An especial effort is being made by the management to reduce the liability to accident to the minimum. The equipment of rolling stock with safety appliances is. practically complete. Extra efforts are being put forth by all of the trunk lines to reduce grades and curves and to separate dangerous street and highway crossings so far as it is practical to do so, and a great many have been eliminated. New ones should not be established where it is possible to avoid them, for they are more or less dangerous even with the best protection in use. The policy of all of the larger Corporations is to interlock all crossings where they intersect with the tracks of other steam roads at grade. A large number of the most important crossings in the State are already interlocked and the work is being carried on very rapidly with a view of interlocking all crossings that can not be separated. Never in the history of the State has there been such activity displayed in the making of permanent and substantial improvements on the Railroads of the State, as has been made in the past year. More modern and better facilities are being provided for every Department of the Service, and from present indications, the improvements will continue until all of the principal roads operating within the State are brought up to the highest standard. The volume of business done last year was largely in excess of any previous year in the history of the State. The total gross earnings never reached as high a figure. Ten thousand seven hundred and twenty additional persons were employed, and the sum of $5,114,810.83 more was paid in wages than for the preceding year. The Total Mileage of Railroads incorporated under laws of Ohio in 18,354.57 miles, of which 8,691.46 miles are within the State, or 47.36 per cent. |