Morning journal and courier., 1886-09-04
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Lively Meetfmg-A stir Among The
 Dry ROnes-Ffve Members of The
 Board 1n Favor of Politics In The
 Schools-Orater Plunkett Reduces The Board To Hts Lowest Terms
 The Gas Turns Green And The
 Members Turn All CO1ors-m essrs. Bennett, Graves And O'BrIen Stand Up For The Right.
 The Committee on Schools of the Board of Education held meeting preceding the regular meeting of the Board last night
 This committee is the most important of all the Board committees. It meets in Super l intendent Duttons office adjoining the Boards room. Last evening quite a pro- tracted meeting was held. While the com l mittee were in session the other members of
 the Board, as they arrived, gathered them selves around the presidents chair and dis
 cussed the coming school elections and other things to be brought before the Board. The members of the committee in session last night were Messrs. Plunkett, Peck and Graves.
 All the members of the Board were pres ent when the meeting was called together last night. President Welch presiding. The first business before the Board after the re- ports of the last meeting were read, was the reading of the report of the Committee on Schools by MT. Plunkett, the chairman. He said: The committee had un-
 der discussion tonight the question of salary for Principal Loomis, elected at the
 last meeting to the Washington school. The committee had their opinions as
 to the salary Principal Loomis should receive,
 but they had finally come to the conclusion
 that he should be given a salary of $1, TOO.
 Immediately after the report was read Mr.
 Bennett made vigorous opposition to the amount of the salary voted. He thought
 that as Principal Loomis had been getting almost the amount now voted last year and
 that as he would now have more duties to perform and harder work that he should get
 more salary and that he should be paid the
 regular salary of $1 800.
 Mr. O'Brien said that he had hoped that
 the committee would make it $1 800 as that
 was the amount named at the last meeting.
 And hope that as MT. Loomis will acquit himself cIeditably during this coming term that he will upon re election be given raise in his salary.
 It was then voted that Principal Loomis should be given salary of $1 TOO as princi- pal of the Washington school.
 MT. Plunkett, as chairman of the School committee, reported that the committee could could make no report as to the Whit ing street school, as they could come to no conclusions as to whether it should close or not.
 MT. Zunder said that his opinion was that the pupils of the Whiting street school should be sent back to their respective schools and tried there for awhile He thought it would be more elevating to them.
 MT. Peck thought the matter could be laid over.
 MT. O'Brien thought that the truant pu- pills should be sent back to their respective schools.
 MT. Bennett favored their going back.
 MT. Zunder then made the motion that the truant boys should be sent to the schools to which they belong until the further action of the Board
 MT. Dutton opposed the motion in part as he thought the idea should not be sent out that the truants should not be dealt with.
 A dallying of words between Messrs. Out ton, Zunder and O'Brien next took place.
 MT. Bennett thought that it would be a moved trial of it. He was seconded by MT. Graves.
 The motion was put and carried and the Whiting street school will be closed to await the pleasure of the Board.
 At this juncture in the meeting President Welch asked for any unfinished business.
 Secretary Day thought that all the busi- ness had been gone through with, but Mir. O'Brien disagreed with him and asked that the assessment affair be brought up. MT. Day then read the motion, which was as fol lows: No assessments shall be made up on, nor shall any money be solicited or col lected from any person employed in or con- nected with the public schools to be used for the purpose of affecting the regular school election.
 MT. Plunkett strengthened up in his chair and in dignifed manner said that the mo- tion curtailed the rights of the Board as American citizens.
 tion and was greeted by a scowl from his friend Plunkett. MT. O'Brien thought it would affect the Board if they found teach CTS or employes of the school districts col lecting or laying assessments or contributing for their reelection.
 Mir. Plunkett thought there was no penalty attached to the act. .-..-
 MT. O'Brien said there should be one and that the Board should remove all principals or teachers who violated.
 MT. Strong thought he had a right to do what he pleased with his money, and if he wished to put his hand in his pocket and take out $5 to help reelection he had perfect right to do so. -
 MT. Harrison-We have no right to say what pupil or teacher should do outside the school premises, and in my judgment we should make fools of ourselves if we favored such resolution.
 Mir. .Strong-I know of two members of the Board who used money to get reelection.
 MT. Zunder-I have heard great deal of there having been assessments laid through the newspapers, but as far as my knowledge goes there has never been any paid.
 Mr. Bennett next shocked the members of the Board by stating that it had been openly charged and that he believed that money had been used. MT. Bennett said that he was perfectly willing to withdraw the motion if after an investigation it was proven to the contrary.
 Mr. O'Brien thought that all teachers who combined together for the purpose of getting certain members of the Board elected to fur salary that they should be immediately dis charged.
 MT. O'Brien further stated that he thought that the principals and teachers needed look ing after, and were just as much in need of discipline as the pupils.
 MT. Harrison, who had opposed the motion from the first, said that he would add an amendment. It was follows: "Nor shall any person take part in any meetings or fur nish, either directly or indirectly, any com munications for publication for the purpose of affecting such school elections.
 MT. Harrison-I believe this matter should be sifted to the bottom.
 MT. Bennett agree with Brother Harri- son, and think it should be taken as far as it can be taken.
 Silence fell upon the Board and all eyes were turned upon MT. Plunkett, who with an angry LOOK III HIS eye anu ueCerInluaulon set upon every line of his noble forehead, commenced speech which, according to time carefully kept, lasted just minutes and 32 seconds. He spoke of the rights of every free-b born citizen and quoted law by the yard The motion should be killed, he stated in stentorian voice, and his plump fist was brought down upon the table with great yehemence. As the ex-senator warmed up to his work he perhaps imagined himself in the big legislative halls, and his face grew rosy as he ended up with 8 lecture dele gate and absolute power. Superintendent Dutton had been smiling through out together with MT. Harrison who acted as if he thought his legal friend was overexciting himself. The other members of the Board breathed a sigh of reliet as Brother Plunkett finished The gaslignts turned green with envy throughout the speech and the ex-S enator rested, having made the best and biggest effort of his life l at a meeting of the New Haven Board of Ed | ucation.
 MT. O'Brien was not to be entirely over whelmed by the ex-Senator's great effort and ! in a weak voice, with the eyes of the big man l upon him, he said that it was a matter of | dollars and cents with certain members of l the Board. |
 MT. Zunder-The statements made by the |