away with county certificates on the expiration of the time for which they were originally granted. The examinations for certificates were still to be given at the county seat and were conducted by the county superintendents. The papers were then forwarded to the Territorial board of examiners for grading. The successful applicant received a Territorial certificate entitling him to teach in any public school in the Territory. Said the superintendent:
By this method a more nearly uniform system of grading and certification is assured, which in my opinion has a tendency to elevate the standard of our public schools to a higher plane.
Rules and regulations making exact provisions for taking these examinations were provided for. but the questions themselves do not appear to be as difficult as those set in the former administration. Graduates of the Territorial normal schools were, on request, granted Territorial certificates without examination.
In his introduction to this period, the superintendent said:
It is with pride that I am able to report the improvement in our system of schools, the keen interest manifested by our people in the education of our future citizens, and the earnest effort on the part of the teachers as a whole in their endeavor to raise our schools to a higher plane.
In 1901 the rate of taxation in the counties for schools was raised from 30 cents to 50 cents on the hundred. By this act the county income was considerably increased, and that year the income from the Territorial school fund was practically doubled, being $11,458 in 1901 and $22,951 in 1902; but, on the other hand, the poll tax fell from $46,554 to $23,943. The superintendent urged the necessity “of a library of carefully selected books in each school in the Territory.”
An act of 1903 revised, defined, and extended somewhat the duties of the Territorial superintendent.[1] He was to superintend the schools, to apportion school funds, and audit the expenditure of the same, whether Territorial, county, or district. He was to prescribe forms and regulations and send them out to teachers and others, publish a biennial report, and print the school laws.
Another act of 1903[2] permitted the trustees in districts with a population of 1,000 or over, at their discretion, to employ teachers of music and drawing. In 1905 this act was extended to all school districts.[3]
During this period occurred the World’s Fair at St. Louis, in which the schools of the Territory were represented. Specimens of the work done throughout the Territory were collected; these specimens represented the actual work done by the pupils under the prescribed Territorial course of study. Each piece of work bore the
