The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1892-09-23
Sandy Hook, Conn.,,
Gppfarnhar TaOs

| Sandy Hook, Conn.,,
| September l9, 1892.
Rev George t. Linsley, Newtown, Conn
Dear sir: Your letter of even date herewith
received. need hardly say, am both sur
prised and disappointed.
You inform me that your expectations of
| concurrence by your board of trustees in the
High school project, as proposed by me and
approved by yourself, Prof Cliff and one trus-
tee, was not realized. / am, indeed, sorry for
| th1s but feel your association has made a
| mistake, III so declining and, if persisted in,
throw away chance of doing immense good
to the town which it lily afford.
This unexpected action of your trustees will
necessarily hinder the project some but, in my
opinion, a town High school will come and
| this agitation of the matter (if it do nothing
| Detter) has set the ball a-roIIing. The High
school question cannot now be settled, until
/ it is settled Alright.
VI course, cannot recommend the adopt
ion of the substitute High school plan, as pre-
sented by your trustees to the board of which
| am member, nor to the town. because such
method finds no warrant in law or prece-
dent.
As fully explained in my initiatory letter of
the 18th, section 22l5, chapter CXXXVIII, in de-
inning the powers OF towns IN RE High schools,
states definitely: 1t may clay taxes and make
contracts and adopt regulations tor the mani
agement OF such schools" This is the war
rant for the High school project 1 advocated.
Ii this construction of the law be deemed er
roneous, recourse can be easily had TO State
superintendent Hine by any doubters Sec
ton 22l6, same chapter, refers only to High
schools when established in entirety and pro.
Vldes for the election of town High school
committee, with powers of precisely the same
extent and nature as enjoyed by district com
m1ttees. 1t has, however, no application to
the plan as proposed.
But section 22l7 distinctly and unequivocan-
ly hands over to the board OF school visitors
the control of any and all High schools estab.
lished under either provision of the statutes
in the matters of admission of pupils, course
OF instruction, text books and certification
(but not appointment) of teachers therein
These powers are mandatory and cannot be
delegated nor allowed to fall into desuetude.
Therefore, however much 1 may regret the
consequences, cannot advocate the irregu-
| lar substitute method OF your trustees. Still,
If 1t have any weight influence with your
trustees, looking toward q reversal of their
| late decision and the adoption OF the plan
proposed at first, which you thought well OF,
permit me to call your attention again to that
part of my first letter which.tells of the well
known conservatism of the town board OF
school visitors and the unlikelihood on their
part of any radical changes in, or departure
| from, the established modes, forms or usages
found to be good in the conducting of the
academy, If it were transformed into a town
High school. Under the plan, the certifica-
ton OF Prof Cliff as principal of the High
school would be, take it, purely a matter OF
form. And, in this connection, let me repeat
what appears not to be entirely clear to your
self and trustees. Under the plan
which have the honor to submit, the con-
troll of appointment of teacher or teachers
would belong solely to the Academical asso-
citation, precisely as the hiring OF teachers in
the public schools belongs solely to such dis
| tricts. As wrote before, there could be no
clash OF authorities under the plan outlined.
Now, in conclusion, if these considerations,
again presented clearly as 1 can write
them, have sufficient weight with your trust
ees as to result in a withdrawal of the substi-
tute plan in time for action by the board OF
school visitors, to night, upon the High school
plan, as originally proposed and, pardon the
reiteration, fully explained by me in the let
ter of September Is, shall feel amply repaid.
L have only a purely personal interest in
the adoption of the plan,-to provide High
school advantages for my children and OF
those like me, who cannot afford to send to a
paid High school. If this pc deemed a selfish
motive, plead guilty to the accusation.
Trusting that the conservatism OF your
trustees may not descend to, or be perverted
into an unnatural form and that Won will re-
ceive this final communication OF mine in the
same charitable spirit in which this and all
my letters have been written and further
more, act upon the matter public spirited
townsmen. beg to remain at first, Yours
very truly,-(THoMAs ]. CoRBETF.
The school board met under call, Mon
day evening, to consider the project of
free High school and the annual re-
port. Present Messrs Brew, Nor
throp, johnson and Corbett. The abb
sence from town of Rev Mr. Linsley pre-
vented reply or such modification of
the proposition of the Academical asso-
citation as to bring it within the prov
ince of the board; but Prof Cliff was
seen, who counseled that the matter be
held tentatively, as time to think was a
necessary element for the solution of
the problem. An informal talk was
then held upon the general idea of free
High school, but no special plan was
adopted The following resolution has
since been formulated and viii appear
in the Forthcoming annual report of the
board of school visitors:
We, the undersigned, members OF the Board
think the time is fast approaching when the
town should afford free High school advanfa
ges to resident pupils aud we earnestly rec
ommend to the towns people the advisabili
| ty OF adopting some feasible plan fo- its ae-
accomplishment
WILLIAM j. BREW, Chairman,l
JOHN j. N0RTHROP, Secretary, School
ID. p. RICHARDSON, NJ. D., Visitors
THOMAS j. CORBETT,
The banns of marriage between p. III.