The Portland daily press., 1874-12-12
THE SCHOOL QUESTION.
Hearing Before the Com IN ttcc OH Pub
Insiructi0n.

The third hearing in relation to the school
committee question took place last evening be-
fore the Committee on Public Instruction.
The chairman gave brief account of the
proceedings at the two preceding meetings.
stating that the weight OF opinion appeared to
be in favor of a committee of seven, one from
each ward, the Mayor as chairman ex officio,
and a superintendent elected by the committee.
Mr.. NJ. A. Blanchard, the first speaker,
thought the tendency Of things very satsfac-
tory. He said the school committee was a
body of growth. AS the city increased in pop
ulation the committee increased in size. He
thought the proper plan to pursue could not be
| reached by villIficatiOn recrimination. He
did not believe the school houses so bad as rep
| resented the other night, and did not look upon
| them as hot-beds of consumption and typhoid
fever. In his view the schools should De so
| grouped that the masters of grammar schools
| should have a virtual supervision over the
schools which feed their departments. There
may be difficulties in this, plan, and perhaps
the plan already spoken of, that OF seven, with
| superintendent, may be as WELL line super
| intepdent should be simply an executive ofhcer.
| The duties of the board should not be simply
advisory. There may also be need OF ano1mer
| executive officer, secretary to the board. The
| superintendent should have no power to sus-
pend a teacher, and power to only temporarily
| suspend scholar.
Mr.. Patten. the Principal of the High School,
| tbouobt the schools needed constant and uni
| form supervision.
DIR. T. A. Foster inclined to the opinion that
the less the number controlling institutions, the
| better the institutions are governed. In large
| governing body too much time is frittered
away in idle discussion. A school committee
| of three is better than one of seven.
| Mr.. NJ J. Baines, Principal of the Park
| street grammar school, was inclined to favor
superintendent and a small commi ttee. In
large committees few men do the work, the
others being merely figure heads. Besides,
there isn't patronage enough to go round
among so many He preferred an election by
an intelligent city council to an election by
wards. The committee might consist Of six.
If there be any objection to the election by
council let there be a popular election. Mr.
Haines felt the want OF a close communication
between the teacher and committee The
teacher ought to have opportunities to consult
with the committee as to his school, to talk
over its condition.
Mr. G. F. Talbot thought the idea that the
condition of the schools in Portland called for
any alarm or for any particular measures of
reform, should be combated. This whole dis
cussion is the result of the accidental repeal of
statute. What evils there are in the schools
are evils mainly resulting from defective ac-
commodations. Mr.. Talbot paid high tribute
to the efficiency of the primary schools, and to
the grammar schools as we'll. In conclud-
ing Mr.. Talbot said that the superintendent
term should be but one year. He also objected
to the long tenure of the service of teachers
Though no fault or omission can be detected in
the discharge OF teachers duties, yet II IN the
opinion of a committee the removal OF that
teacher,will aid the efficiency of the school,
then the removal should be made. The su-
perintendent should not be one of the board.
The chairman suggested that the superinten-
dent would not, properly speaking, be an Off
Ger, but merely a clerk hired to faithfully dis
charge certain duties.
This view met with Mr.. Talbots apprObl-
ton.
In reply to question, Mr.. Talbot thought
committee of seven, one from each ward, would
have an advantage over committee of three,
in that local opinions and wants would be bet
ter represented. Many people want their
children to be educaled for business as well as
for the professions. But committee OF three
would be in effect q literary committee, and
would not understand the wants OF many OF
the pupils Their education in view would be
collegiate GQuCaLlOu, duu tcuuOuOy
would be to make the primary schools simply
feeders for the fitting echooL
Mr. j. NJ. Palmer thought the superinten-
dent should have the power to select teachers.
An agent also might be employed. The COM
mittee should be elected at large or by wards
Mr.. A. j. Blethen favored a committee of
seven and superintendent An executive
larger than one man is ineffective. Each ward
should be represented in order that local wants
and claims can have proper hearing. The
committee should be simply an advisory COM
mittee. There should be subcommittee, an
executive committee of three, who may act in
conjunction with committee appointed by
the city government to look after the imam
ces The advisory committee should give hear
ings once a week or so, to the teachers. Fer
haps the Mayor alone would be the only repre-
sentative of the city government required TO act
with the board.
Mr.. Frederick Fox said lie didn't agree with
anything that had been said. He thought he
had best not speak, for very likely be might
saw things which would reflect on both the
present and past committee. Que thing, how
ever, be wished to say: he did not take back
ANYTHING he had said about teachers Teach
ers had told him that padiocks were on their
lips, that they had only to do as they had been
commanded He was radical 10 his views.
He sometimes questioned if the high school
ought not to be abolished. He would have no
committee at all. He would have superin-
tepdent who could teach the Teachers who
would know if Greek or astronomy were cor
rectly taught. Money will engage such man.
The duties of an agent are entirely distinct:
His views he hoped to be able to present at
Augusta.
Mr.. Fox and thought his views should be made
known.
Mr.. Fox declined to make speech. he
thought there was something wrong in the pub
lie schools. That was the prevalent opinion,
and people should speak out
Mr.. Enoch Knight thought there could be no
question on the subject of expenditures. This
power is evidently lodged with the city govern
ment and the city government can be trusted.
He did not see any propriety in selecting the
committee from the wards. There are no local
interests in education. What is good for ward
seven is good for ward one. The choice of a
committee should not be thrown into the hands
of the ward politicians. Let the names OF the
candidates go before the whole people. There
appears to be NO necessity for this election by
wards which opens up so many little, mean
possibilities.
Mr. George G. Hopkins saw no need OF com
mittee. If you have committee and superln-
tendent, the power will be divided and disturb
ances will result, or it will drift to one or the
other. 1t should not 20 to the committee, for
that system 'has shown itself to be bad. A
superintendent is all that is needed. If he
wants advice he can go to the people OF Port.
land or their representatives, the city council.
He did not apprehend that the best or most
learned or purest men would be elected to
serve on the committee, though that seemed to
be the general opinion. A superintendent
could look after the schools, as is proposed ana
the matters proposed to be placed in the hands
of a committee can be as we'll or better confded
to thu city council
Mr.. Talbot closed the discussion, reiterating
his former arguments, and the hearing came TO
an end
HUTCHINSON CoNcERT.-The coacert at the
| Allen Mission chapel last evening drew out
| goodly audience, whose enthusiastic applause