Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-07-11
CONTROL OF THE JANlTORS
The Rules of the Board of
Education Amended.
DR.. GRUMBAUGH GAINS A POINT
A Thorough Discussion of the
Z Changes Made.


nt iiSiiDClo VI bub oCNGlhl NlSlilHS
committees of the public schools
virtually have control OF the ianitors
AT the meeting Of the Board of Educa-
tion Mqaday night two amendments to
the rules, which were given notice of
by DR.. Crumbaugh at the last meeting,
were called up. The spirit of the first
amendment is to give the chairman of
the visiting committee of a school
authority to suspend the janitor instead
of allowing the whole matter to remain
in the hands of the committee on fuel,
heating and ventilation. Provision is
made that the committee on fuel, heat
ing and ventilation be notified Of the
suspension and be requested to investi-
gate.
Mr.. Belts wanted to. know what
would become of school, particularly
in winter time, if the janitor should be
dismissed during a session of school, or
when il would be inconvenient to fill
the place at once?
DIR. Cfumbaugh said the visiting COM
mittee is to suspend the janitor and
notify the fuel, heating and ventilating
committee in time to allow them to
make proper provision.
Mr.. McCausland favored the amend
ment. He said the visiting committees
would foresee the matter and not act
hastily and leave things at the school in
bad shate.
Mr.. Crossan talked in the same strain.
Mr.. Belts thought that if the suspend.
ing power should be taken out of the
hands of the committee on fuel, heat
and ventilation, then everything per-
tanning to the janitors should also be
taken from the hands of that committee.
The amendment was adopted, after
which Mr.. Belts gave notice of an
amendment to provide that the visiting
committees in cases of suspension give
the fuel, heat and ventilation committee
As hours notice, so shat they will have
ample time to look after filling the place
temporarily.
Dr. Crumbaugh's second amendment
was called up and he moved its adop-
tion. II provided that the chairman Of
each visiting committee should sign the
voucher of the janitor of his school,
which is now certified to by the princi-
pal, who Is compelled to state at the end
OF each month that the janitor has done
his work properly before he can receive
HIS ShllIy. uG VI luC atllCnu'
ment called forth heated discussion.
Mr.. Morrow moved to amend the
amendment by requiring both the prin-
cipal and the chairman of the committee
to sign the voucher, and thus provide n
double safeguard against neglect on the
part of the janitor.
Mr.. McCausland considered Mr. Nor
rows amendment unnecessary. He felt
confident that the chairman of the com
mittee would not sign the voucher un-
less the principal was satisfied that the
ianitor had done his work.
MIR. Baynard said it would be unwise
to change the rule in vogue. 1t would
give the members of the visiting com.
mittees great deal of unnecessary
work.
DIR. Crumbaugh claimed that since it
is the duty OF the members of the visiting
committee to visit their schools at least
once week they would readily keep
IN touch with matters at the school.
DIR. Shortlidge said he would not, at
the end of each month, hunt up his
schools and see if the ashes had been
removed and the other work done cor
rectly. He, too, thought change would
/
| Mr.. Belts contended that change
would create an irregularity in the pay
ment Of the janitors. He thought that
some of them might go hungry if they
depended on the reports OF the visiting
| committees.
Mr.. McCausland said that in view of
| the fact that the health committee had
found great deal OF neglect at the
schools some of the janitors would de.
serve to go hungry il they did not do
their work better.
Dr. Crumbaugh stated that, with all
Difference to the principals of the
schools, he will not rely on any of them
for statement as to the condition of
the buildings. He argued in favor of
the adoption of the amendment as Z
guarantee of better sanitary conditions.
Mr.. Baynard thought that an inspec-
tor should be employed to look after the
sanitary condition of the schools. He
contended that the rule should not be
altered and said he considered the prin-
cipals of the schools better judges of
sanitation than the generality OF the
| members of the board.
Mr.. Morrow withdrew his amend
ment and DIR. Crumbaugh's amendment
was lost.
SCHOOL BUILDINGS UNHEALTHY.
DR.. Crumbaugh, chairman of the com.
mittee on health, reported that the com
mittee had during the last two weeks
inspected most of the schools and found
the sanitary conditions bad at Nos. /, 2.
3, A, 5, 6, 7,9, 10, II, l3, 15, 16, 10, 20, q,
"a, 20 and 81 and the High School. The
report stated that in the main such a
state of affairs was due to bad manage
ment on the part of the ianitors, but IN
some cases there were structural defects.
The committee recommended thateotton
and wooden fabrics, being germ carriers,
be condemned as covers for books.
TEACHERS FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
The committee on teachers made the
following recommendations That the
salary of the principal of the High
School be increased 5000, thus making
the salary $1,000 per annum; that Carrie
j. Vincent be transferred from No. z
School and Lizzie j. Patton from No.
12 School to No. 0; Emily Baird be pro-
NOTED to second assistant in the gram
mar department of No. 49, second, third,
fourth and fifth assistants in No. is be
not now reappointed; Emily A. Doherty
be promoted to assistant principal in No.
15; Lillian Spencer be made special as.
sistant to the principal at No. IS, the
salary TO be the same as it would be in
the primary work, and her work to
be teaching of classes in cooking
and such classes IN other branches
as may be assigned her; Elizabeth
a. Briscoe be appointed principal
at No. ~, At salary of $3.50 per