The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-04-06
THE SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.
More Accommodations for Pupils-The Super
intendent and Librarian Reelected.

At the meeting of the school board last
rants for s21. 1882 were drawn for the
month of March, making an overdraft of
S140, 303.05, and a balance of S7,5S3.52 in the
treasury at the present time. Bills to the
extent of S1.631.20 have been paid by the
financial and auditing committee. Some
time was spent in discussing the needs of
enlarged school facilities. there being a de-
mand in some parts OF the city for
more commodious buildings and larger
grounds. A petition was presented, signed
by a large number of citizens on the West
Side, asking for some action toward an i'm
provement in this line, and in it it was
stated that within the territory inclosed
within the corporation ines on the west
ard on the north, the Vandalia railroad on
the south and the Belt on the east, are over
two hundred dwelling-houses, to which
number others are being constantly added.
and that for the education of the children
of that vicinity there is no school build
ing west of the o., /. &. w. railroad.
This compels the children. many of
whom walk a mile to the nearest district
building, to cross from six to ten tracks in
their daily trips. Following up the idea of
this petition, Mr.. Haughey, chairman of the
committee on buildings and grounds, sug-
gested the feasibility of erecting a four
room building in the northeastern part of
the city, an addition of four rooms to
school building No. IL and one room to No.
It, In 1ndianola. These, it was claimed,
could be built at an estimated cost of
$35 600, including a four-roOm add ton
to No. 20. By some of the members it was
fhnnnht fhof whara ohAifiano IN hnil6inrc
are necessary, eight rooms might as we'll be
built as four, but the limited mount of
money and the fact that other additions to
the height of the buildings could be made
Haughey, to carry into effect his idea, to
prevail as 1t was first offered.
The General Assembly. at its last session,
enacted a law whereby the power of decid-
of instruction was taken out of the hands
of the local boards of education,
and hence the committee on textbooks and
instruction presented but a limited
report last night. 1t offered some changes
in the books now in use in the high-schoOls
of the city, however, suggesting that Mar
tins Civil Government be replaced by some
work that gives a more complete explana-
ton of the fundamental principles of the
United States government. Objection was
made to O1ney's Geometry, and it was
recommended that it be exchanged for a
work of less cost and having less matter
pertaining to solid geometry; while it was
further recommended that the present
editions of Cages Physics and Gray's Bot
any, which are now in use, be exchanged
for later ones of the same authors.
The designations of Miss Garrett Ash
brook, from No. IA, and Miss Helen Lewis,
No. 4, were received and accepted. and the
following new appointments made: Mary
V. Muse, No. ID; Mary Il. Cotton, No. 2, and
Lydia r. Putnam. No. IA. The report for
the Public Library. for March shows a
spending time in 1888, there being a total of
4O,961 volumes on its shelves. During
the month named 15,65S books nave
been circulated for home use, 1923 in
the reading-room and 6,362 for school use.
making a total circulation of q, 943. which,
added to 1851 periodicals. used, makes
1854, as compared with 33,9S2 in March,
1888. The total registration for the month
was $50. making 6,8O6 names now on the list
of readers. From fines and the sale of
which SILL was deposited, leaving f11.33
now in the treasury.
The committee on nance and auditing
offered a motion, which was carried, to au-
of Police Commissioners a list of all
persons who are selling liquor without
license in the city limits. By the
unanimous vote of the board, Lewis
II. Jones was reelected superintendent of
the public schools. AND Charles Evans
librarian. The board spent some time in
discussing a recommendation of the library
committee for q more permanent and sys-
tematic classification of the library service,
which, it was claimed, would be beneficial
to all concerned. The salary of an at
tendant, it was stated. should be fixed and
increased in proportion to the length of
time he a served, and to the quality of
service he had rendered, and it was recon-
mended that in the future all appointments
be made only to the grade of substitutes,
and that from the large number of appli-
are worth 81 per day. The salaries of the
regularly-appointed attendants of the pub
lie library has, by a gradual increase, been
fixed at $500 for the first year, with an an
nual increase of S25 for each years service,
and the corresponding salaries, with their
increase, for the attendants now employed
were made, after which the board ad-
journed.