preciate what is being done for their benefit. During vacation we allow some to work out assisting the farmers and hop men near the school. Last year they earned about four hundred dollars. This work gave the boys a sense of responsibility and was good for employed and employer. There have been few runaways this past term and this speaks well for the discipline of the school. Only two escaped without being returned. Eight boys passed the eighth grade public school examination last year.

The reform school is located five miles south of Salem, on the Southern Pacific railroad. Trains stop for passengers. Parents and friends will be allowed to visit the boys once in three months. No person or friend will be entertained more than one night at the school.

Once a month boys write to parents or friends at the State's expense. They may write twice a month if furnished by parents with stamps and writing materials. Letters and presents for boys are always to pass through the hands of the superintendent.

Money and stamps sent to the boys are deposited with the superintendent and paid out under his direction, all shopping for the boys being done by the superintendent or matron.

We have telephone connection with all parts of the State having such facilities.

Officers bringing boys on late trains may remain at the school one night.

PORTION OF REFORM SCHOOL LAW.

Section 3639. Whenever any boy or girl between the ages of ten and eighteen years, shall be convicted before any court of competent jurisdiction of any crime which, committed by any adult, would be punishable by imprisonment in the county jail or penitentiary, the judge of such court shall forthwith cause a certificate of such conviction to be prepared, under the seal of the said court, if it have a seal, or under the name of the judge if it have none, and cause the same to be forthwith transmitted to the county judge in the county in which such conviction is had. The county judge shall thereupon commit, by order, such juvenile offender to the State Reform School; provided, that when the crime for which such conviction is had is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail, the court may, in the exercise of its discretion, commit said offender to the county jail for the time authorized by law for the punishment of the offense for which the offender is convicted; and provided further, that nothing in this act shall be construed to debar any circuit court or county court from punishing any capital offense in such manner as is or may be provided by law; provided further, that any county court in this State shall have jurisdiction in committing boys and girls to the Reform School, and shall have authority to make such commitments out of session as well as in session. If such conviction be had before the county court, the court or judge thereof shall have the same power to commit the offender to the State Reform School, or the county jail, as the said county judge has on conviction certified from other courts, as in this section provided.

Section 3640. If any accusation of the commission of any crime shall be made against any youth under the age of eighteen before any grand jury, and the charge appears to be supported by evidence sufficient to put the accused on trial, the grand jury may, in their discretion, instead of finding an indictment against the accused, return to the court that it appears to them that the accused is a suitable person to be committed to the care and guardianship of the said Reform School. The court may thereupon order a certified copy of such return and report, and his findings thereon, under the seal of his court, to be forthwith transmitted to the county judge of the county in which the grand jury is

sitting. The county judge shall thereupon, by order, commit such juvenile offender to State Reform School.

Section 3642. All youth between the ages of ten and eighteen years, who may be accused of any offense punishable by imprisonment, shall, with a view to the question whether they ought to be committed to said institution, be entitled to a private examination and trial before the county court, to which only the parties in the case and the parent or guardian of the accused and their attorney shall be admitted, unless one of the parents, guardians, or other legal representatives of the said youth, demand a public trial; in such case the proceedings shall be in the usual manner.

Section 3643. It shall be lawful for such board of trustees, under such rules as they may prescribe, to receive into the care and guardianship of this institution, whenever it may be proper to do so, youth between the ages of ten and eighteen years committed to its custody, in any of the following modes:

First-Youth committed by any judge of a county court of this State on the complaint in writing filed and due proof thereof, by the parent or guardian of such youth, that by reason of the incorrigible and vicious conduct such youth have rendered their control beyond the power of such parent or guardian, and make it requisite that from a regard for the future welfare of such youth, and for the protection of society, that he be placed in such guardianship.

Second-All youth between the ages of ten and eighteen years who are incorrigible, turbulent, and immoral, vicious, or of extreme depravity, and who shall be convicted of the same before any county court in this State, shall be subject to the provisions of this act, and may be admitted as inmates of the institution under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the said board of trustees.

Third-In all the cities of this State having a duly organized police force, it shall be the duty of such police to assist in the enforcement of this act, as occasion may require.

Fourth-In all cities, towns, and villages in this State having no regular police force, it shall be the absolute duty of the school clerk and board of school directors and constables to assist in the enforcement of this act, as occasion may require.

SPECIAL REPORTS OF COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERIN

TENDENTS

BENTON COUNTY.

H. L. MACK, SUPERINTENDENT.

A spirit of progression and development has made itself manifest in Benton County. This applies particularly to her school system.

Through the efforts of the undersigned the county court now levies a sufficient tax to create a county school fund of $8.38 per capita instead of the $7.00 required by law. The boundaries of the districts have been so changed that every foot of land within the county now lies within some school district. Our people realize that good schools are necessary to the welfare of the commonwealth, and during the past school year all but thirteen districts made special tax levies for schools.

New buildings have been erected in one-seventh of the districts, with special attention paid to the lighting of the houses. Better equipments have been added, and considerable attention paid to raising the standard of sanitary conditions.

In the Alsea valley we have a four room school made possible by the consolidation of three separate districts.

Three wagons-one hauled by a four-horse team-convey the children, who live more than two miles from the building, to the school. This is made possible by a two mill tax levied on all the property of the district. Splendid work is being done, and patrons and pupils approve of the new plan. Consolidation, with a town school as a center, has long been thought feasible; but the people of Alsea are demonstrating to the county and State that it is equally effective for rural districts.

By means of parents' meetings patrons are kept in close touch with the schools and are quite ready to take up the suggestions made by the State superintendent and others who have given much time and thought to the advancement of Oregon's educational system.

We have an earnest, enthusiastic, class of teachers who, while receiving better wages than ever before, are inadequately paid for the great work they are doing. Much interest is being taken in the establishment of high schools, and, it is thought that the proposition of creating a county high school fund will be successful at the polls in the November election.

H. L. MACK,
School Supt. of Benton County.

Corvallis, Oregon, September 14, 1910.

COLUMBIA COUNTY.

J. H. COLLINS, SUPERINTENDENT.

I beg leave to submit the following brief special report:

BETTER TEACHING NEEDED.

There is urgent need for better teaching in our rural schools. While we have many excellent teachers in our rural schools, we also have many who are drawing salaries without giving full returns for the money. I believe that at least two years' study in high school, or its equivalent, should be required for applicants for teachers' certificates.

SCARCITY OF GOOD TEACHERS.

School boards throughout the country are demanding better teachers than formerly, and are willing to pay better salaries than ever before. The supply of good teachers was not sufficient this year to fill the calls for "a good teacher."

TRUANT OFFICERS.

While the Compulsory Education Law has had a wholesome effect generally, we have experienced great difficulty in procuring efficient truant officers in Columbia county. The compensation is too small to justify an able-bodied man to leave other work to attend to the duties of the office.

CONSOLIDATED DISTRICT.

We have one consolidated district in this county, at Scappoose, employing five teachers. Two wagons are used in this district to transport the pupils to and from school; the plan has worked very satisfactorily thus far, this being the third year. During the severe cold weather last winter, the attendance in this chool was kept up better than in any other school in the county, owing to the fact that the children keep comfortable while riding to and from school.

THE OUTLOOK.

The school work throughout the county is growing better. The school boards, and the people generally, are taking more interest in the school and in the improvement of its surroundings; more improvements have been made upon the grounds and the buildings this year than in any previous year or several years. Several new buildings of modern plans have been constructed during the past two years, and others are planned for the near future. We now have three schools in the county with a four years high school course. The school population is steadily increasing, and school districts are taxing themselves more freely than ever before. Very truly yours,

J. H. COLLINS.

COOS COUNTY.

W. H. BUNCH, SUPERINTENDENT.

Permit me to submit the following special report on the school conditions in this county:

The general outlook for every phase of the educational work of the county was never more promising than at the present. The spirit back of and instigating every uplifting movement in our civilization is clearly in evidence in most every school district in the county.

Out of 83 districts but five are lacking in new, modern, amply equipped school houses; and only one of the five referred to could be classed as unfit for use.

This spirit of enlightenment has given us in addition to good school buildings, five high schools, with full four-year courses, that have few if any superiors in the State. A few of our rural schools have added high school grades to their curriculum. This effort on the part of people living in the country to give their children the advantages of a more extended education, is stimulating the desire for stronger rural districts and thus making consolidation a probability in some parts of the county and an accomplished fact in other parts.

Teachers are receiving a higher average wage this year than at any previous date. This is accompanied with a demand for more efficient instructors. The country districts are especially insistent that teachers with at least some professional training be available for their schools. This demand was so pronounced in our District Board Convention in August, 1909, that a resolution unanimously passed the meeting directing the county superintendent to co-operate with a committee of his own appointing in arranging for a school of methods as a feature of the annual teachers' institute for the present year.

The very liberal and hearty co-operation of the county court made the work of this committee comparatively easy and a two weeks session devoted entirely to methods was held in North Bend, August 1-12 of this year. S. F. Ball and Miss Smith of the Arleta school, Portland, were the instructors. Ninety-one teachers were enrolled during the session with an average attendance of between fifty and sixty. The instruction was very practical and teachers whom I have met since the school closed speak of what they received in the highest terms and as being readily applicable to the greater efficiency of their class work.

The third annual session of the District Board Convention met in North Bend August 9. The first half day was spent in inspecting the work of the School of Methods brought into existence by their action of the previous year. During the afternoon the following matters were acted upon: First, that the teachers' institute of the future shall be a continuation of this year's work; second, that to enable all teachers to get the fullest possible advantage of the instruction given all schools in session when the institute convenes shall be closed for the full time and the teachers under contract be allowed at least half of the time of said vacation. Very decided action was also taken affecting those whose lack of interest should prompt them to slight these provisions for their professional advancement. The consolidation of the rural districts as far as it is practical and the erection of open sheds for out door exercise during the rainy season were favorably considered.

CURRY COUNTY.

W. H. BUNCH, County Superintendent.

WM. S. GUERIN, SUPERINTENDENT.

ANNUAL INSTITUTES.

During my present incumbency, since the first Monday of August, 1908, three annual institutes have been held in this county.

The attendance, in every instance, was uniformly good, considering the fact that the number of teachers identified with the schools at the time rarely exceeded sixteen, and the greater number of those who attended were compelled to travel many miles over rough mountainous trails in order to comply with the requirements of the law; a fact that is certainly highly commendable, and one for which the teachers are deserving of the greatest credit.

Our institutes have always been marked by interest and enthusiasm, and the teachers have invariably expressed themselves as having been amply compensated for the loss of time, the discomfort of traveling, and the expense incurred, and have returned to their respective fields of labor, more thoroughly imbued with the spirit of progress, and better prepared to meet the performance of their responsible duties.

Our evening sessions have always been attended by large gatherings of representative persons which serve to show the interest that has been awakened and which has given added impetus to the cause of education.