The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-04
DUNN ON SCHOOL SYSTEM
WOULD ABOLISH ELECTION OF
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.
Finances Should BE Separated from
Educational ADMINISTRATION
Selection of Teachers.

Yesterday afternoon at the regular meet
ing of the Local Council OF Women Mr..
Jacob p. Dunn spoke on the subject OF
School Reforms" He took for the basis
OF his talk the special issue of the March
number OF the Educational Review. in
which the report OF President Draper, of
the State University OF Illinois, member OF
the committee OF fifteen on the subcommit
tee on the organization OF schools. Mr..
Dunn read sections of the report and COM
mented on each. He placed particular en-
phasis on the section relative 10 schools
being for the instruction of children. For
instance. he mentioned in particular the
idea advanced that the children should
march In parades on certain occasions and
that there should be flag raising every
morning TO create patriotism. Such matters
are well enough from certain standpoints,
but children should not be compelled TO do
these and other things in addition to re-
ceiving instruction, Another point was
that the business and the educational parts
OF school management should be divided:
that men should be placed in charge Of the
former. and that there should be a strict
and quick accountability. AS for the Sec
ond part. the superintendent of the edu-
cational department should not only get
good teachers, but should avoid all bad
teachers, ard the penalties for ma,adminis-
tration of either department should be Sc
we're.
In relation TO the powers of the School
Board, the speaker thought too many pow
ers are conferred in one board. which is al
most irresponsible TO the public, and that
there should be a change. There is also an
objection to the mixture of school affairs
and party politics. Mr.. Dunn said the
School Board election has come to be what
might be called bank fight" He gave
an account of little personal chat with
a ward worker, a few weeks after the last
school election. The ward worker said that
about $500 had been spent in his ward for
the election. In the first place, there are
eighteen precincts in the ward. The ward
was polled and the eighteen poll takers
were paid So day. There were thirty other
men at the polls on election day, who were
paid 81 each. There were six wagons and
committee meetings from one to five times
a week, with kegs Of beer eacn time. When
asked what became of the remainder OF the
money the man said he did not know. If
that much was spent for the influence
or corruption" fund for school election
there is lao wonder, the speaker thought,
that hundreds of thousands were spent on
the State election. School election he
termed gang politics." which has none Of
the safeguards of party politics.
There was considerable OF a discussion
raised on the next point which was the
recommendation of the committee of fifteen
u at the Scnool Board be appointed by the
Mayor. The question being. Was he not
as liable to accept money for the appoint
ment as members who are elected noW?'
Mr.. Dunn said that at the present time
members for the School Board nominate
themselves, and in the appointment 10y the
Mayor the fact that he was nominated and
elected by the people should have weight
The report also recommended that there
should not be a mixture Of municipal and
school affairs. Mr.. Dunn not only recon-
mended that there should be a separation
of business and instruction, but that the
city librarian should be Independent of the
School Board. In conclusion Mr.. Dunn add
ed that the women of the Council had made
"a fight for representation on the board
and he personally would give them all the
assistance he could to have them gain it,
but that he could not say as much for the
paper for which he writes. There was a
discussion of the talk, severai prominent
educators taking part, among them being
Miss Hamilton, Mrs. McGregory Miss No
BILE, Mrs. Sewall and others. Miss n. Crop
Sey, who was to have discussed the talk
was too i'll to be present.
At the preliminary business meeting the
regular reports We're heard, Miss Noble
speaking for the information committee.
and Mrs. Sewall read the report of the
latter Judge James u. Black will assist the
committee in framing the bills to be pre-
scented to the Legislature. One bill will be
for compulsory education, one for food
inspector one for the appointment of
women on all boards of institutions where
women are confined, one for raising the age
of consent to eighteen years, and one for
the protection of children Ca curfew law }
Mrs. Grace Julian Clark was appointed to
write a sketch of the Local Council its
present and prospective work, for publica-
ton in the Lotus. The annual meeting of
the executive committee OF the National
| Council of Women will be held i'm Boston
i Nra
Emil Wulschner, its president, to repre-
sent it and instructed her to choose her
own alternate from the list Of vice presi-
dents of the Council If she cannot attend
| herself. Mrs. i. III. Jameson and Mrs II.
| ID. Pierce were also elected as delegates
| and Mrs. 7. G. Day as alternate.