County Superintendents.—All the charms of variety are to be found in connection with the appointment and duties of the County Superintendent. In thirteen States he is elected by the people. In other places the appointment rests with the Governor, State Superintendent, or County Board of Education. As the various officers having the gift in their hands are elected, the one under consideration is influenced in the second degree by the vote of the people. The duties of a County Superintendent vary as greatly as his mode of appointment. In some States he is chiefly concerned in business affairs; but usually he has to visit and inspect schools, criticise the management and teaching, direct and counsel the teachers, and hold examinations for teachers' certificates. He has generally been a teacher; and in some States-California, for example-a teacher may contest an election for the office while in charge of a school, which he gives up if elected. One of the important duties of the superintendent is to hold institutes for teachers, of which I speak more fully elsewhere.

City Superintendents.-Perhaps because I did not understand the full significance of the remark, I was frequently inwardly amused at what appeared to me an absurdly extravagant use of dignity on the part of City Superintendents in large cities, when they informed me "that the city of is quite independent of the County or State Officers of Education. It manages its own affairs with as little reference to the State Superintendent as if it were in another State, only furnishing him with certain statistical and other information required by law." City Superintendents are often among the foremost educators of the country, and the schools under their care are equally a credit to themselves, and to the splendid cities over which they preside. At the same time, the superintendents, holding lofty ideals and considering that the fine work which has been done, is but

treading on the threshold of the possible, with the frankness of their nation, freely exhibit and court inspection of the indifferent equally with the good. They know that in comparison with others they have little to fear; but in contrast to the attainable the position is humiliating. Merely putting forward the latter comparison; depreciating the excellencies, lest the object of improvement should be defeated; wishing to rouse the people to a sense of the need for continued progress; they sometimes use language which leads to a false opinion being formed by outsiders. This is equally true with regard to the authorities in England and Australia. Before legislation or reforms are possible in self-governing countries, the public must be educated. The means taken to attain this end will be different, according to the peculiar conditions of the people. Unless due regard be paid to this fact, one is apt to attribute many of their actions to those causes which give the drum its value, or to which the pebbly brook owes its murmuring.

Massachusetts.

Mr. J. W. Dickenson, Secretary of the Massachusetts State Board, in reply to my question, "What are the special features of your school government?" said :

"The State Board collects statistics, attends to the appropriation of money, provides and works normal schools, and exercises a control over all the schools of the State. The latter, however, is more by moral force than anything else.

"Each town and district, as a centre or unit of the commonwealth, is called upon to elect a school committee to look after the education of the district. These committees provide schools, and conduct them as they like within the law, which is very elastic. This Board has five agents, who visit the various towns and school

districts, and after doing so, call the committee together, and discuss the state of the schools and make suggestions. The committee may or may not accept and act on the advice; but they generally do, and the visits are productive of much benefit. The agents also hold institutes in suitable centres all over the State."

The District System.

The district system, the extreme of decentralization, was the outcome of the reaction against monarchism, and has given character to American schools and to the people. The interest of every citizen was thereby enlisted in all public affairs. Every resident was supposed to understand the business of the district, the affairs of which were regularly discussed at the annual meeting, when the officers for the year were elected. The schools received their due share of attention, the control being vested in the school committee.

Possessing many advantages, the system was open to evils. As a rule, the best men would be elected to the school committee, and as their intelligence was above the average of the community, it would be their desire to raise the general standard of knowledge. Unfortunately, ignorance is generally not self-conscious; and thus the control would sometimes become vested in men who were apt to agree with the farmer

"There ain't no great good to be reached

By tiptoein' children up higher than ever their fathers was teached."

They did not know how to properly value a teacher, and were not enlightened, even if rich enough, to pay liberal salaries. Like all small communities, they had party disputes; and energy, which should have been given to education, was devoted to quarrelling. Instead of the best teachers being

appointed, the "schools were taught " by those who could secure the greatest influence, or work for the least pay. No doubt the committee generally considered they were appointing the best teachers, but they were not good judges, and apt to agree that

"Whatever is done as to readin', providin' things go to my say,

Shan't hang on no new-fangled hinges, but swing in the old-fashioned way."

Education is either solely a family duty, or it is a State concern. That it is a matter of importance to the State is agreed; and being so, its management should not be left to small communities. If this be done, the portions of the country most needing education will be left without it for

two reasons :

(a) Want of Funds.

(b) Want of Inclination.

The poorer districts need the greatest educational care; but the people are as unable to regulate as to provide it: this was amply proved in many places.

In addition, the plan tended to cause the erection of many small schools where one large one would be more economical and efficient. This wasteful plan still exists; but other reasons are assigned for it. In one town I visited there is one Grammar School, the upper floor of which is devoted to a High School. The building is a new and handsome one, as well adapted to its purpose as the American schools usually are. In the same town are some six primary schools. It would be infinitely better to have one central establishment; but when I asked several people why such was not done, I received the reply that in the severe winters it is impossible for the small children to travel the distance most would have to do if the plan of having one large central establishment were adopted. This is a reason which cannot be lightly dismissed. As I was there on a lovely autumn day, it had not struck me.

The town is following the general tendency to centralization seen everywhere in the States under consideration. The principal of the High School, in which there are only between forty and fifty pupils, is also superintendent of the other schools of the town, having an assistant to help him with his school, and take charge when he is away.

This is again illustrated by Mr. Stockwell, Superintendent of Schools, State of Rhode Island; who, during an address before the Rhode Island Educational Association, at which some seven hundred teachers, and twice that number of friends were present, said :

"Legislation of the State has followed the onward. sweep of the world, which is tending towards centralization. Rhode Island is taking the power out of the hands of town committees, and placing it where it can be looked to do its work." Indeed, I found a growing feeling in all the Northern States in favour of centralization, better supervision, and a more careful attention to compulsory education.

The unit of government in school affairs is being altered and enlarged; and at the same time brought more into harmony with, and more directly under the control of, the State Boards. More uniformity, a better class of men as managers, less party influence in the appointment of teachers, and consequently a better class of teachers, greater economy in management, and altogether a more advanced condition of education, is, I think, rightly expected as the outcome of the movement.

Michigan State System.

The educational organisation of Michigan is a combination of the District and Town systems, the former predominating. It may be taken as a type of many. The State is divided into counties, which are again divided into smaller divisions, known as "townships," consisting of

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