New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1894-01-17
Complete Refutation Of the Charge that
Milne was Treated Unfairly.
Good Evidence to Show that his Competen-
cy is not Deep-seated'
No "Trickery" Resorted to by Nix and Eek
stein as has been Shamefully Asserted.
Some Unpublished Facts Regarding Mil
ne's Examination.
Notwithstanding he was Given Every 0p-
portunity and Advantage.
His Failure in Many Important Branches
was Remarkable.


| was Remarkable.
The Board of Examiners have been
accused of trickery, bull l-dozing and dis
honesty. They have concluded to, speak
for themselves. Read their report on
the manner in which Milne was treated
when he came here and see if you think
the charges are true.
Editor Review: You will confer a
favor by publishing in the next issue of
the Review the following history and re-
port of examinations held in September,
1898, by the undersi gned, who at that
time constituted the Board of Examiner
of this district.
G.. Fischer, instructor in the high
school and grammar departments, havs
ing resigned, DR.. strickler and A. F
REIN were appointed committee to Sc
cure applications for the position. Under
former Boards of Education, candidates
had been required to submit original tes-
timonlals, certificates of standing, etc. !;
to file biographical sketch; to give re-
ferences, etc. These papers were turned
over to the Board of Examiners, to as
certain whether the candidates in ques-
ton appeared to be qualified to hold the
limited certificate of this district. After
the original papers and the Examiners
report had been fully discussed by the
Board of Education sometimes several
sessions we're held, to obtain additional
lnformation) the selection was made.
For most positions preference was given
to graduates OF ourState normal schools
The examination of the newly elected
teacher seldom required more than two
or three hours. His complete ard auth
entic record was before us; we knew
what work he had done, and how he had
done it; we we're generally familiar with
hestanding of the institution from which
he had graduated. In such cases the cx-
animation was oral; questions we're ask
cd to ascertain whether the given stand
ings required correction; it was seldom
found necessary to change the ratings
| brought from our State normal schools.
| Five members of the new Board of
| Education, desirous OF ''improving" our
schools, were evidently determined to
substitute something better for this old
| fashioned method of selecting teachers.
There were certainly some strong men
among the ~ applicants. The one who
dations, was chosen. L. S. Koch had g
single recommendation, letter from &
Mr. Hazard, of a Minneapolis teachers
bureau. Mr.. Hazard could well afforC
to write that letter for commission O:
$45 Is per cent. of first years salary.
L. S. Koch claimed to be gradual,
of some '.college" at Naperville, Ill.
where he had taken the degree of B. A
The Board If Examiners gave him thre'
weeks time to file his diploma, certiti
Gates of standing, teachers certificates
original recommendations etc., intend
ING to give him the usual oral examina
ton if his papers should be found salts
factory. The Board OF Education wa
notified in writing that the examination
would be held Sept. 1. L. S. Koch wa
in the city Sept. l., but Stlickler KEEP
him away from theE9aminers by inform
ING him that he would be examined Sep
2. The Board of Examiners met agail
Saturday Sept. 2. L. S. Koch appeared
before us without Diploma, without Ger
tifcates and testimonials short, Will
out any papers whatever. He had al
old catalogue Of some institution, il
which he had entered his standings op
posite the branches studied by him. H.
asked US to accept these percentages il
q lieu of an examination. This we refused
to do. By Strickler's artifce the tim,
I left for examination before the opening
of schools (Monday, Sept. 4 had bee1
1 reduced to a single day. We decided t
ex anime orally, beginning with til
|branches Mr.. Koch was to teach. w
were very lenient with him, suggesting
sItopics rather than asking questions
L Marking him most literally, the follow
ling results had been obtained BY noon