special Secondary Schools of Agriculture 123 



lages are also authorized to issue bonds to bear part of the 

 expense of county schools, not to exceed one-fifth of the cost 

 of the school.'* 



No county agricultural high schools have been established in 

 Minnesota, although counties are permitted by the legislation of 

 1905 to appropriate as much as $20,000 in one year to establish 

 and maintain schools of agriculture and domestic economy. Two 

 or more counties may unite for this purpose. The county school 

 board is composed of the county school superintendent, who 

 acts as secretary, and two other members chosen by the county 

 commissioners. The relation of the school to the state depart- 

 ment of public instruction and to the state college of agriculture 

 is the same as in Wisconsin. Tuition is free to residents of 

 the supporting counties. 



The legislature of Mississippi, in 1908, enacted a law pro- 

 viding that " it shall be lawful for the county school board of 

 any county to establish one agricultural school in the county 

 for the purpose of instructing the white youth of the county 

 in high school branches, theoretical and practical agriculture, 

 and such other branches as the board hereinafter provided for 

 may make a part of the curriculum."^*' The " board of trustees " 

 was to be composed of five members, the county superintendent 

 of education, two members elected by the board of supervisors, 

 and two by the county school board, to serve four years. The 

 annual tax levy was not to exceed two mills, and state aid was 

 limited to $1,000 for any one county. 



The supreme court declared the law unconstitutional because 

 it did not make equal provision for the establishment of like 

 schools for the colored youth. A new act was approved March 

 16, 1910, designed to remedy this defect. By its provisions, 

 the " board of trustees " is constituted as before, the limit of 

 tax levy is the same, but the maximum of state aid is raised 

 to $1,500 for any one county, or $3,000 for two counties main- 

 taining joint schools. The two counties may unite in maintain- 

 ing one school for each race. The joint board is composed of 

 eleven members, five chosen from each county as provided in 



'Wisconsin, Laws of 1907, chap. 11, Mar. 16. 



^^ Laws of the State of Mississippi, 190S, chap. 102, pp. 92-93, Mar. 21. 



