Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-12-23
competency. A little civil service" re-
form is beneficial.
Public scnooI Investigatlon.

The efforts made by the LEDGER to
have an investigation CT the charges
made against those having charge Of our
public city schools have resulted in
inducing the School Board to appoint
that committee. composed Of School
Visitors Mitchell, Trezevant, Townsend
and citizens I. M. s. Rhett, Thomas
Boyle, w. Il. Boggs and II. g. Smith.
The first thing done by the committee
was to establish the Star Chamber
and Plymouth Church rule by ex-
cluding the reporters Of the press from
the meetings Of the committee. This
was mistake and should at once be
remedied. 1t was quite funny that the
investigation demanded by the people
should be made behind closed doors, and
that the committee supposed to be Of the
people should act as grand jury who
would present nothing to the outer world
but report. supposing all the proof
furnished was published, and the com.
mittee ignored the charges made therein,
but the public sustained them, why, this
would leave the committee in curious
position. The Peoples Protective Union
met and selected Major Minor Meriwether
aud Mr.. VIM. L. Vance as a committee
to act with the School Board committee
on investigation, and these latter gentle
men have gone to work. The public
schools cost too much money, and the
pruning knife of retrenchment should
be used literally. In other cities the
sinecure offices of principals of schools
have been abolished, as the Superintend-
ent should do all that work. We have q
Superintendent at three thousand dollars
per annum and six principals at eigh-
teen hundred dollars per annum each, or
a grand total Of thirteen thousand eight
hundred dollars per year paid for the
mere supervision Of the schools. Many
of these principals do not teach q class,
but they strut around doing less than
nothing and act as figure heads to re-
ceive visitors and represent the awful
dignity of the School Board.
The Superintendent, if he be compe-
tent, should do the work now done by the
principals, and thereby save over tea
thousand dollars per annum; and if the
present Superintendent is incompetent
to do it, why competent men can be
found in this broad and intelligent land
of ours. The LEDGER advocates reform
and retrenchment, the looping off of use
less limbs and the reduction of the grade
of free school education to the ordinary
branches. Investigation always brings
about fruits, and good fruits; it wakes
up the sleepy old officials and forces
them to appreciate public opinion"
We are aware the LEDGER is making
this fight alone. The Avalanche
is silent, it not deeming the school
controversy of any importance until
its reporter was excluded from the
meeting of the investigating committee,
and the Appeal closed its columns to
school matters long since; but it walked
up this morning and gave us the follow
ing opinions on school matters;
The public schools of Memphis are
worthy of the support of the people.
The recent clamor is the result Of per-
sonal disappointment, WHICH we propose
to ventilate, and the war on Superin.
tendent Pickett as TO his pronunciation
of the word duty" smacks of sectional
strife. We know nothing as to the ex-
travagance Of the city schools; but we
do knpy that we have schools that are
an honor to the city, and 1t you'd be q
disgrace to suspend them to appease
personal feeling. We want a full inves-
tigation OF every charge made; but if
war is to be made against Mr.. Pickett
simply because he is Northern man,
the Appeal will stand By him. Our pub
lie schools must be sustained. If they
are not properly managed, let us get
new Superintendent. But we believe no
better man can be found than Mr..
Pickett, and the Appeal Will epstain
him, Notwithstanding he Is Northern
man and not sound in pronouncing the