Ninth To hear and determine all controversies arising under the school laws of the State, coming to him by appeal from a county superintendent of schools.

Tenth-To grant certificates to such teachers as may be found qualified to receive them, and to suspend the operation of any State certificate for immorality or other unprofessional conduct.

Eleventh To visit such of the charitable institutions of the State as are educational in their character, to examine their facilities for instruction, and to prescribe forms for such reports as he may desire from their superintendents.

Twelfth To report to the Governor, on or before the 1st of November, preceding each regular session of the General Assembly, the condition of the schools in the several counties of the State; the number of schools which have been taught in each county in each of the preceding years, commencing on the 1st of July; the number taught by men and women respectively; the number of pupils in attendance; the number of persons in each county under 21 years of age, and the number of persons between the ages of 12 and 21 years unable to read and write; the amount of township funds; the amount of interest on the State or common school fund, and on the township fund, annually paid out; the amount raised by an ad valorem tax; the amount annually expended for schools; the number of school houses, their kind and condition; the number of townships and parts of townships in each county; the number of books purchased for the use of schools and the cost of the same; the value of apparatus purchased; the number of district libraries; together with such other information and suggestions as he may deem important in relation to the schools and school laws, and the means of promoting education throughout the State; which report shall be submitted to the General Assembly at each regular session.

§ 4. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall have the following powers:

First-To designate the particular statistics relating to public schools which school officers are required to report to the county superintendent of schools.

Second-To authorize the county superintendent of schools to procure such assistance as may be necessary to conduct teachers' institutes.

Third-To require the county superintendents of schools to furnish him with such information as he may desire to include in his report to the General Assembly.

Fourth-To require the trustees of schools of each township to make, at any time, a report similar to that required of trustees of schools, on or before the 15th day of July preceding each regular session. of the General Assembly.

Fifth-To require annual reports from the authorities of townships, cities or districts maintaining schools by authority of special charters. Sixth-To remit, upon the recommendation of the county superintendent of schools, or for other good and sufficient reasons, the forfeiture of the school fund by any township which may have failed to make the reports required by law.

Seventh-To require the Auditor of Public Accounts to withhold from the county superintendent the amount due his county from the State school fund, or the said county superintendent for his compensation, until the report provided for in section 7 of this Act shall have been furnished as therein required.

Eighth To request the president, principal or other proper officer of every organized university, college, seminary, academy or other educational institution, whether incorporated or unincorporated, to submit such report as he may require, in order to lay before the General Assembly a full exhibit of the affairs and conditions of such institutions and of the educational resources of the State.

Ninth To require the county superintendent of schools, trustees, township treasurer, directors or other school officer to withhold from any township, district, officer or teacher any part of the common school township or other school fund, until such treasurer, officer or teacher shall have made all schedules, reports and returns required of him by this Act, and until such officer shall have executed and filed all official bonds and accounted for all common school, township or other school funds which have come into his hands.

COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.

§ 5. On Tuesday next after the first Monday in November, 1910, and quadrennially thereafter, there shall be elected by the qualified voters of every county in this State a county superintendent of schools, who shall enter upon the discharge of his duties on the first Monday of December after his election.

§ 6. Before entering upon his duties he shall take and subscribe the oath prescribed by the Constitution, and execute a bond payable to the People of the State of Illinois, with two or more responsible freeholders as security, to be approved by the county board or by the judge and clerk of the county court, in a penalty of not less than $12,000.00, conditioned upon the faithful discharge of his duties. The bond shall be in the following form, to-wit:

Know All Men by These Presents: That we, A B, C D, and E F, are held and firmly bound, jointly and severally, unto the people of the State of Illinois, in the penal sum of dollars, to the payment of which we bind ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators firmly by these presents.

.......

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals this.... day of

1......

The condition of this obligation is such that if A B, county superintendent of schools of the county aforesaid, shall faithfully discharge all the duties of his office, according to law, and shall deliver to his successor in office all moneys, books, papers and property in his hands as such county superintendent of schools, then this obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue.

This bond shall be filed in the office of the county clerk, and action or actions upon it may be maintained by any corporate body interested, for the benefit of any township or fund injured by any breach of its conditions.

7. On or before the 15th of August, annually, the county superintendent of schools shall present to the Superintendent of Public Instruction such information relating to schools in his county as the Superintendent of Public Instruction may require.

§ 8. The county superintendent shall present under oath, or affirmation, to the county board, at its annual meeting in September, and as near quarterly thereafter as such board may have regular or special meetings, a report of all his acts as county superintendent, including a list of all the schools visited, with the dates of visitation.

$ 9. The county superintendent shall report, in writing, to the county board, at its regular meeting in September of each year, stating, first, the balance on hand at the time of the last report, and all receipts since that date, with the sources from which they were derived; second, the amount distributed to each of the township treasurers in his county; third, any balance on hand. At the same time he shall present for inspection his books and vouchers for all expenditures, and submit in writing a statement of the condition of the institute fund and of any other funds in his care, custody or control.

§ 10. The county superintendent shall keep three books, to be known and designated by the letters A, B, and C, for the following purposes: In book A he shall record at length all petitions presented to him for the sale of common school lands, the plats and certificates of valuation made by or under the direction of the trustees of schools, and the affidavits in relation to the same. In book B he shall keep an account of all sales of common school lands, including the date of sale, name of purchaser, description of land sold and the selling price. In book C he shall keep a regular account of all moneys received or paid out; from whom received, on what account, showing whether it is principal or interest, the rate of interest, and a description of the real estate taken as security; if paid out, to whom, when, and on what account, and the amount of the list of sales and the account of each township fund to be kept separate.

§ 11. At the regular meeting of the county board, in each year, the county superintendent shall present, first, a statement showing the sales of school lands made subsequent to the first regular term of the previous year, which shall be a true copy of the sale book (book B); second, a statement of the amount of money received, paid, and in hand, belonging to each township or fund under his control, the statement of each fund to be separate; third, a statement copied from his loan book (book C), showing all the facts in regard to loans which are required to be stated in the loan book.

§ 12. In all cases in which the trustees of schools of any township shall fail to prepare and forward, or cause to be prepared and forwarded, to the county superintendent the information required of them by this

Act, it shall be the duty of the county superintendent to employ a competent person to take the enumeration and furnish such information, as far as practicable. The person so employed shall have access to the books and papers of the township to enable him to make such statement; and the township treasurer, or other officer or person in whose custody such books and papers may be, shall permit such person to examine such books and papers at such times and at such places as such person may desire for the purposes aforesaid. For such services the county superintendent shall pay to the person so employed by him such amount as he may judge reasonable, out of any money which is or may come into his hands, apportioned as the share of or belonging to such township; and the county superintendent shall proceed to recover and collect the amount so allowed or paid in a civil action before any justice of the peace in the county, or before any court having jurisdiction, in the name of the People of the State of Illinois, of and against the trustees of schools of the township in their individual capacity; and in such suit or suits the county superintendent and the township treasurer shall be competent witnesses. The money so received, when collected, shall be paid to the county superintendent for the benefit of the township, to replace the money taken as aforesaid.

§ 13. Whenever the bond of any township treasurer, approved by the trustees of schools, as required by law, shall be delivered to the county superintendent of schools, he shall carefully examine the same, and if the instrument is found to be in all respects according to law, and the securities good and sufficient, he shall endorse his approval thereon, have it recorded in the recorder's office, and file the same with the papers of his office; but if the bond is in any respect defective, or if the penalty is insufficient, he shall return it for correction. When the bond shall have been received and filed, the superintendent shall, on demand, deliver to the township treasurer a written statement certifying that his bond has been approved and filed, and that the township treasurer is entitled to the care and custody, on demand, of all moneys, bonds, mortgages, notes and securities, and all books, papers and property of every description belonging to the township.

14. Upon receipt of the amount due the county from the State school fund, the county superintendent shall apportion the same, together with other funds held for distribution, to the townships and parts of townships in his county in which schools have been maintained, as provided by law, according to the number of persons under 21 years of age returned to him, and shall pay the distributive share belonging to each township and fractional township to the respective township treasurers, or other authorized persons, annually: Provided, however, that no part of the State or other school fund shall be paid to any township treasurer, or other person authorized to receive it, unless such treasurer shall have filed his bond, or, if reëlected, shall have renewed his bond and filed the same as required by law.

§ 15. It shall further be the duty of each county superintendent of schools:

First-To execute, upon notice by the county board, a new bond, conditioned and approved as the first bond.

Second-To sell township fund lands, issue certificates of purchase, report to the county board and Auditor of Public Accounts, and perform all other duties pertaining thereto.

Third-To register the names of all applicants for normal school and university scholarships; to hold, or cause to be held, examinations for the same, and to perform such other duties as pertain thereto.

Fourth-To visit each public school in the county at least once a year, noting the methods of instruction, the branches taught, the text books used, and the discipline, government and general condition of the schools; in the performance of which duty he shall spend at least half his time, and more, if practicable, in visiting ungraded schools.

Fifth-To give teachers and school officers such directions in the science, art and methods of teaching, and in regard to courses of study, as he may deem expedient.

Sixth-To act as the official adviser and constant assistant of the school officers and teachers of his county. In the performance of this duty he shall faithfully carry out the advice of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Seventh-To conduct a teachers' institute, to aid and encourage the formation of other teachers' meetings, and to assist in their management. Eighth To labor in every practicable way to elevate the standard of teaching, and improve the condition of the common schools of his county.

Ninth To examine at least once each year all books, accounts and vouchers of every township treasurer in his county, and, if he finds any irregularities in them, to report the same at once, in writing, to the trustees, whose duty it shall be to take immediately such action as the case demands.

Tenth-To examine all notes, bonds, mortgages, and other evidences of indebtedness which the township treasurer holds officially, and if he finds that the papers are not in proper form, or that the securities are insufficient, he shall so state, in writing, to the board of trustees.

Eleventh-To give notice of the election of trustees in such cases as are specified in section 24 of this Act.

Twelfth To give notice of any regular or special election as required. by section 107 of this Act.

Thirteenth-To investigate and determine all matters pertaining to changes in the boundaries of school districts which may come to him by appeal from the decision of the trustees of schools, and to inform the township treasurer from whom the papers relating to the matter were received of his decision.

Fourteenth-To file and keep all the poll books and returns of elections required to be returned to him and the reports and statements returned by township treasurers and trustees of schools.

Fifteenth-To hold meetings, at least quarterly, for the examination of teachers,