only, while those who have passed through an extended collegiate curriculum sometimes fail in the technicalities of the special studies in which they are examined. There should be more equality. The normal schools cannot supply the demand for teachers, and we should encourage the lower teachers, and not debar them at the first.

Prin. Westcott is a graduate of Brown University, and holds an Illinois state certificate; but he could not, without preparation, stand an examination in certain special branches. If the normal schools are of any value, their graduates should be especially able to stand such examinations.

Prof. Emery, of Ft. Atkinson, thinks that if the association would appoint & committee to investigate the character and effect of the examinations, it might remove glaring inconsistencies, now in connection with them. He would not, however, deprive normal school graduates of certificates, as such schools present instruction differently from either colleges or high schools, and more in reference to its being taught again.

Prof. Johnson, of Whitewater, says that a person is expected to know as much in every study as each examiner in his specialty. He thinks that a person should be allowed to name the subjects on which he would be examined as his strong points.

Prin. T. F. Frawley thinks that as teachers are expected to teach everything they should be so examined, and not in specialties. It is not wise to grant certifi. cates by legis lation, but all should have them who can pass the requisite exam. inations.

Prof. Salisbury thinks that the question of normal schools and state certifi. cates are being confounded.

Most have held that professional success in teaching is a matter of scholarship, which is not the case. No board of examiners can pass upon the fitness of a candidate for the work of teaching. There is a philosophy of education, and it is the peculiar province of the normal schools to find it out. It is not to be attained in one, two, or three examinations. The state examinations have not been conducted by specialists, and all unnecessary technicalities have been thrown out. The normal schools give much specific instruction and actual practice in teaching under competent teachers.

Principal Hutton, of Eau Claire, thinks a mistake is made in not discerning that the trouble is in the administration of the law, and not in the law itself. Let tbe law be administered. A man who takes a course in a Normal School makes a sacrifice, as he leaves everything out of sight but his own profession. Still his course gives as much discipline as the collegiate course. There is a prestige in the college course, but the old opposition to Normal School graduates bas disappeared. He thinks the Normal Schools furnish the othordox way to state certificates, but is willing they should be obtained by examination.

Principal A, A. Miller of Waukesha, would say, from his own experience, that there is no humbug in the state examination. He would have credentials on file in the office of the State Superintendent.

Principai Stewart calls for uniformity, and would have every one pass an examination.

Principal De La Matyr thinks the certificates should be given to graduates of Normal Schools and of the University. Such a course is one evidence of cul. ture, while many examinations are passed by special cramming.

Prof. Kerr next read a paper on, “How to Keep out of the kuts." This was ordered to be published in full in the JOURNAL OF EDUCATION.

Pres. Shaw read the report of the committee on securir.g protection from the preparatory department of the State University, to the effect that the Regents had not power to act.

He was instructed to carry the subject to the legislature, and secure relief in

that way

Prin. Emery next read the treasurer's report, which was adopted.

Principals T. F. Frawley, A. J. Hutton, and I. N. Stewart, were appointed a committee to investigate and report on the subject of State Certificates.

The following were appointed officers for the ensuing year, by acclamation:
W. H. Beach, of Beloit, President.
J. Q. Emery, of Ft. Atkinson, Vice-President.
E. H. Sprague, of Evansville, Secretary.
J. H. Chamberlain, of Black River Falls, Treasurer.
On motion, adjourned.
W. G. CLOUGH, Sec'y pro tem.

SAMUEL SHAW, President.

CORRESPONDENCE.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis., Feb. 4, 1879. Hon. J. B. PRADT, 488't Supt. Public Instruction,

Dear Sir: The N. E. Journal of Education, of January 30th, has the following in relation to Wisconsin:

According to a recent decision, non-resident taxpayers in any district are permitted to send their children to the school of such district for such length of time as the taxes paid are proportionate to the cost per scholar for the support of the school, etc.”

Please inform me at your convenience whether the statement is correct. Respectfully,

H. C. HOWLAND.

ANSWER

H. C. HOWLAND,

Dear Sir: I had noticed the statement you refer to. It is probably a mistake in the name of the state. No such decision has been made by our Supreme Court. If some Circuit; Court has so interpreted the law, it is unknown to me. It is held otherwise by this Department. The general principle is, that school privileges, like the elective frachise, are governed by residence. Any other rule would, if adopted, be open to serious objections. The Constitution requires, indeed, that the schools shall be free, and without charge for tuition to all chil. dren between the ages of four and twenty years, but it first requires that the leg

islature sball establish " district schools," a term incompatible with the idea of indiscriminate attendance; and while there is a certain plausibility in the claim that a taxpayer should be entitled to some school privileges wherever he pays taxes, the law makes no such provision. The administration of the school system, proceeds upon the principle that school privileges are determined by residence. It may suffice to refer to subdivision 12 of section 430, and subdivision 1 of section 462. There may be good reason, however, why the tuition fee for a non-resident pupil should be made small or nominal if the parent is a large taxpayer in the district.

MERIT RECOGNIZED.

Mr. E. STEIGER, the enterprising publisher of the Encyclopædia of Education, has obligingly furnished us with a copy of the letter below, to which we are pleased to give a place:

166 BOULEVARD MONT PARNASSE, PARIS, Dec. 6, 1878. Dear Sir:- In recognition of your eminent merits as an education administrator, and especially as editor of the Cyclopædia of Education, which was one of the most valuable contributions to our Education Exhibition, the Minister of Public Instruction has issued a decree, constituting you Officer of the Academy.

I expect to be charged with the agreeable duty of placing in your hands, the Insignia of this Order of the University of France, consisting of a silver wreath of pa suspended from purple ribbon, and a diploma, comprising a copy of the decree, signed by the Minister.

I hasten to offer you my cordial congratulations on the reception of the well merited decoration.

The copies of the Cyclopædia, which your publisher so generously placed at my disposal, have been presented to eminent officials, from whom very interesting acknowledgments have been received.

I beg to enclose a copy of the correspondence with the Minister on this matter.

Yours most truly, HENRY RIDDLE,

JOHN D. PHILBRICK. Officer of the Academy, Supt. of the Public Schools of New York City.

A READING AND WORKING TEACHER.

We are in receipt of the following, which we venture to print, omitting names. The writer is a graduate of 1873, from Platteville:

“DEAR JOURNAL.- Enclosed find $1.00, for which please send the Journal to me, for 1879.

I have taken it for some years, but this year am taking the “Primary Teacher," as that is my line of work; my room-mate takes the “N. E. Journal of Educa. tion," and I thought to omit taking the Wisconsin Journal, but find I cannot get on without it. You may consider me a life subscriber. In a late number, you mention a primary work by James Currie, of Edinburgh ; it is a book I have for 'some time desired, but have been unable to procure it. Should I send you the price and postage, could you obtain it for me?

We have in attendance this term, about 230 pupils. We find our hands in. deed full, but are trying to do some additional work in editing an educational column in a village paper.”

We would state that for the information of others as well as the writer, that finding a demand to exist for the book spoken of, Messrs. Jansen, McClurg & Co., Chicago, ordered some from Edinburg, and if they are all sold, they have doubtless ordered more.

We hope Platteville will continue to send out just such teachers by the score.

SPELLING REFORM.

LA FAYETTE COLLEGE, Easton, Pa., February 5, 1879. Hon. W. C. WHITFORD,

Dear Sir:- I have just received from Senator Paul, a copy of his report on Spelling Reform. It seems to me a happy presentation of the subject, and in its practical recommendation, far more directly operative than my suggestion of procuring Congressional action. I wish very much that we, the Spelling Reform Association, could obtain a large number of copies for distribution. It ought to be sent to Europe, and to the other States. Four or five hundred copies I should be glad to send out. I do not know about the public printing. If copies are at the disposal of members, some of them doubtless would be willing to help the cause by ordering numbers to be sent to me. Or could I buy them ?

Very respectfully,

F. A. MARCH.

EDITORIAL,

IE Text-Book Commission submitted their report to the Legislature on the 31st ult. It was printed in the form of a pamphlet, containing fifty-five pages, and is divided into two parts — the first, on the subject of uniformity, number, and cost of text-books; the second, on the subject of reform in English Orthography.

The Commission have held six meetings during the year. The work was early divided among their members, and consisted (1) in furnishing a statement of the substance of the various bills which have been presented to the Legislature, hav. ing reference to text-books; (2) in ascertaining the character of the existing state utes in the several States, relating to the uniformity, cost, and number of text. books, and to the success or failure of the different plans adopted in these States on this subject; (3) in investigating the advisability of State uniformity; (4) in. quiring as to the best mode of lessening the cost of text-books to the citizens of the Ştate; (5) in finding the number of text-books now used and that should be

used in the public schools of the State;(6) and in investigating the subject of spell. ing reform. Eight distinct propositions on the subject of text-books, have been be. fore the Legislature in the shape of resolutions or bills, in the past eleven years. Five were presented in the winter of 1877. They relate primarily to the reduc. tion of the cost of the books to the schools; and next, to the establishment of some general or State uniformity in the use of these books.

The report furnishes a condensed summary of the present statutes of the dif. ferent States on the subject of text-books, together with reference to the changes which have been effected in those statutes in the past few years. Four systems prevail, the district, town, county, and State. Twelve Siates have adopted the first; eight, the second; six, the third; and eleven, the fourth. The tendency is evidently toward abandoning full reliance upon the oldest system -- the dis. trict, and accepting the largest jurisdiction in which an efficient law can be enforced by the authority of educational boards.

Under advisability of State uniformity, the arguments in favor and in opposi. tion, are forcibly but briefly stated by President Albee.

The Commission entertains the opinion that twenty per cent. of the cost of textbooks might be saved to the State by a reasonable reduction in the number of the different books in use.

Senator Paul, of Milwaukee, prepared the portion of the report on cheapen. ing the cost of text-books. It is chiefly in the form of a bill, which proposes to encourge uniformity, without its arbitrary enforcement; to insure, in the purchase of text-books, the advantages which pertain to their supply in large num. bers; to afford to home talent and home capital, the same opportunity to furnish acceptable text books, that is now afforded to authors and publishers outside the State; and to maintain, under State regulation, the principle of competition in obtaining the books for our schools. The bill is very carefully drawn, and is explicit in all the points presented. It seems to meet with almost universal ap. proval from the leading press of the State. It will be unanimously recom. mended by the Committee on Education in both houses of the Legislature; and should it pass that body, the Commission created by the bill, will be required to enter upon their duties within thirty days after its passage and publication. One effect of this measure will be very obvious, every school district in the State will be induced to use a uniform series of text-books. The Commisssion will aid in securing this result, and the forfeiture of the school income from the State, will tend to enforce the same.

The report on spelling reform was written by Senator Paul. It occupies nearly twelve pages of the pamphlet. It is an able, practical, and most suggestive article. It cannot fail to attract great attention in this county. Within a week and a half after its publication, orders for large supplies have been received from the other States and from Canada. It has been copied into a number of the papers of the State.

The position which our Legislature has taken on the subject, places us in full connection with the movement on reform in our orthography. It should be accepted by the people, and especially by the teachers, with an earnest de. termination to prosecute it until the desired changes in our spelling are se. cured. The American Spelling Reform Association gives every one an oppor.