have the general charge and superintendence of the school-houses therein, so far as relates to the uses to which the same may be appropriated. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 50.

The school committee are by statute required to have the care of the high school building, and to keep the same in good order at the expense of the town, and, unless the town otherwise directs, they are also required by statute to keep other school-houses in good order. Pub. Sts., c. 44, §§ 41, 46; McKenna v. Kimball, 145 Mass. 555.

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

A city by ordinance, and a town by vote, may require the school committee annually to appoint a superintendent, who, under the direction and control of said committee, shall have the care and supervision of the public schools; or the school committee of any city without such ordinance may appoint a superintendent by a majority vote of the whole board; the compensation of the superintendent shall not be less than one dollar and fifty cents for each day of actual service, and shall be determined by the school committee, and, in cities without such ordinance, by a majority vote of the whole board; in every city in which such ordinance is in force or in which a superintendent is appointed, and in every town in which a super

tendent is appointed and which does not provide otherwise by vote, the school committee shall receive no compensation. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 43.

Two or more towns may, by a vote of each, form a district for the purpose of employing a superintendent of public schools therein, who shall perform in each town the duties prescribed by law. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 44.

Such superintendent shall be annually appointed by a joint committee, composed of the chairman and secretary of the school committee of each of the towns in said district, who shall determine the relative amount of service to be performed by him in each town, and shall fix his salary and apportion the amount thereof to be paid by the several towns, and certify such amount to the treasurer of each town. Said joint committee shall, for said purposes, be held to be the agents of each town composing such district. Pub. Sts., c. 44, § 45.

Any two or more towns, the valuation of each of which does not exceed $2,500,000, and the aggregate number of schools in all of which is not more than fifty nor less than thirty, may, by vote of the several towns, unite for the purpose of the employment of a superintendent of schools under the provisions of this act. St. 1888, c. 431, § 1.

When such a union has been effected, the school committee of the towns comprising the

union shall form a joint committee, and for the purposes of this act said joint committee shall be held to be the agents of each town comprising the union. Said committee shall meet annually in joint convention in the month of April, at a day and place agreed upon by the chairmen of the committees of the several towns comprising the union, and shall organize by the choice of a chairman and secretary. They shall choose, by ballot, a superintendent of schools; determine the relative amount of service to be performed by him in each town; fix his salary, and apportion the amount thereof to be paid by the several towns, and certify such amount to the treasurer of each town. St. 1888, c. 431, § 2.

Whenever the chairman and secretary of such joint committee shall certify to the State auditor, under oath, that a union has been effected as herein provided; that the towns, in addition to an amount equal to the average of the total sum paid by the several towns for schools during the three years next preceding, unitedly have raised by taxation and appropriated a sum not less than seven hundred and fifty dollars for the support of a superintendent of schools; and that under the provisions of this act a superintendent of schools has been employed for one year, a warrant shall be drawn upon the treasurer of the Commonwealth for the payment of one

thousand dollars, one half of which amount shall be paid for the salary of such superintendent, and the remaining one half shall be appropriated and distributed on the basis of the average public school attendance of the towns forming such district for the year next preceding, which amount shall be paid for the salaries of teachers employed in the public schools within such district. St. 1888, c. 431, § 3.

The provisions of section 43 of chapter 44 of the Public Statutes respecting the service of school committees without pay, in towns wherein a superintendent is appointed, shall not apply to towns uniting in the employment of a superintendent under the provisions of this act. St. 1888, c. 431, § 5.

TEXT-BOOKS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES.

The school committee of every city and town shall purchase, at the expense of such city or town, text-books and other school supplies used in the public schools; and said text-books and supplies shall be loaned to the pupils of said public schools free of charge, subject to such rules and regulations as to care and custody as the school committee may prescribe. St. 1884, c. 103, § 1. And in any city or town where hand tools shall be introduced into the schools, they shall be purchased by the school committee,

at the expense of such city or town, and loaned to such pupils as may be allowed to use them, free of charge; subject to such rules and regulations as to care and custody as the school committee may prescribe. St. 1884, c. 69.

APPARATUS AND BOOKS OF REFERENCE.

School committees may procure, at the expense of the city or town, in accordance with appropriations therefor previously made, such apparatus, books of reference, and other means of illustration as they deem necessary for the schools under their supervision. St. 1885, c. 161, § 2.

The income of the Massachusetts school fund received by the several cities and towns shall be applied by the school committees thereof to the support of the public schools therein; but said committees may, if they see fit, appropriate therefrom any sum, not exceeding twenty-five per cent of the same, to the purchase of books of reference, maps, and apparatus for the use of said schools. Pub. Sts., c. 43, § 6.

CONVEYANCE OF PUPILS.

Towns may, at legal meetings, grant and vote such sums as they judge necessary for conveying pupils to and from the public schools, the same to be expended by the school committee in their discretion. Pub. Sts., c. 27, § 10.