The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-19
CHANGED MUSIC SYSTEM
SCHOOL BOARD DRIVES OUT THE
BOOKS OF FINE DoGGEREL.
Marion Trust Company Gets $4,000
of Temporary Loan-Heavy Increase
in school Attendance.

The Board of School Commissioners last
night accepted the bid of the Marion Trust
Company for two installmenJs of the loan
of $40, 900 which the board decided would be
necessary to temporarily furnish funds for
the schools until the taxes for the year
would be available. The bid was for two
nstallments of $4,000 each and at per
cent. per annum. One instaliment will be
dated Sept. 80 and will become due Nov. Is,
and the other will run from Oct. rs to Dec.
1. County Auditor Harry B. Smith in
formed the board that the aggregate as
sessment and valuation for taxation for
State and county purposes was as follows:
Real estate, s41, 7o7,230; Improvements, $32,-
$780, $780, personal, $50, 007, 800; railroad proper
ty g. 237, 355; total, $10S, 1928 Upon this
statement the board adopted the same levy
as that of last year, which is as follows:
For special fund % cents on the 500; for
the Manual Training School cents; for
the library fund, 4 cents; total levy, "a
cents.
Superintendent Goss made a. report show
ing the attendance at the schools for the
opening month. In the graded schools there
are 1892 pupils, and it is estimated that
when school No. opens 700 more will be in
attendance In the Manual Training School
the enrolment is 1856. and in the High
School it is S04, making total OF pupils
of IS 151, against 10, l67 for September or
1895 an increase for 1886 of 1894 This Mr.
GoSS said an unprecedented increase
The estimate of the increase for the year,
based upon the natural increase in the pop
ulation had been $50, and the provision Tor
the accommodation of the estimated in
crease was scanty.
The plans of Vonnegut e. Bohn, the
boards architects. were accepted for the
six-room building to be located IN
that part Of the city formerly known as
North Indianapolis, and the bid of James
Tobin for the erection OF the bulldlng was
accepted on the condition that he file a
bond nv Monday night There were six
teen bids, ranging from that OF Mr. Iobln,
at 50 972, to that of G. A. Wise, at Slo,i 49,.
Tobin's bid was too low and that he would
not enter into the contract to carry 1t out.
1t was this feeling that prompted the adop-
ton of the motion to accept the bid pro-
vided he entered into the contract at once
Kruse & DewenteT were the lowest bid
ders for putting in the heating ana VENT
bid $685., the lowest bid, for a neat register
of the Johnson system. Joseph Ernst was
the lowest bidder at $685., fer putting in the
b!ackboards. The bids were not awarded
for these last three items, however, but will
be further investigated by the committee
on buildings and grounds. During the time
that this building is being erected addl-
tienal rooms will be rented in North In
dianapoliS for the accommodation Oh the
schools there.
The question of the establishment of a
night school came Up motion of Mr..
Vonnegut that such a school be opened in
the Manual Training School building, and
that 81 600 be appropriated Tor the expense
thereof. Mr.. Roth objected to the motion
on the ground that it would cause young
men to quit the day school and go to work
night school but would drop out and
would eventually grow up without the ecu
cation they would have secured from the
day school. He also thought the matter
should go to the finance committee for IN
quiry TO where the $1,000 was to come
from. The motion of Mr.. Vonnegut was
passed, however. under a suspension OF
the rules.
The library committee submitted report
recommending the establishment OF four
branch stations. at cost of $500. The
report went over, under the rules, until the
which appointed to confer with the
managers of the free kindergarten for the
purpose of bringing the latter institutions
more directly in connection with the pub
lie schools, reported that the ladies did not
agree TO surrender all management, but
the committee recommended that a critic
be appointed to act for the School Board
a supervisor of the kindergartens. Miss
Kate Mahon received the appointment, at
$500 per annum. On the recommendation of
the committee the appointment of
teachers and salaries, Ella Christy was ap-
la Fox and Alice Warth were appointed
grade teachers. subject to assignment by
invitation to send representatives to the
first national convention of school boards.
to be held in Buffalo next July. A contract
for furnishing desks for the new buildings
was awarded to the United States School
Furniture Company, at $50 per desk.
MUSIC METHOD CHANGED.
After the regular business of the meet
ing was over the board went into executive
session to consider the proposed change in
the method of teaching music. and the re-
suit the abolition of the method, which
has been in use in the city so unsatisfac-
torily during the past year.
The LOOMS textbooks and the methods
employed by the supervisor by that name
had been in use In the schools for num-
Der o. years previous, to the September
executive session. the board considered a
change and adopted the books of the Amer
Method taught by those textbooks Su-
perintendent Goss says that he did not rec
rules then in force the action of the board
would be irregular and invalid. But the
change was made. and proved unsatisfac-
tory to the supervisor of music and most
of the teachers.
Recently Mrs. Wilkinson and Superin-
tendent Goss recommended the adoption of
the Holt Improved chart and manual. The
recommendation was considered by the
soard montn ago, ana subsequent l9ves,
books in the course could not be secured
owing TO an Injunction which the Silver
Burdette Company, of Cincinnati, had
cured against the publishers of the books
1t seems that Holt formerly had his books
published by the Silver Burdette Company
and that he then branched off for himself
and had nearly the same books published.
He called the latter books the improved
method while the Silver Burdette Company
still published his original works. When
the facts were made known TO Mrs. Wikin-
son and Mr. Goss they agreed that unless
they could get all of Hollis new books they
would prefer the of the Holt books
published by the Silver Bcrdette Company
and their Recommendation was changed to
conform to the change of views. 1t was
upon this recommendation that the board
acted last night
Broad Ripple schools.
The schools at Broad Ripple will begin
Monday in rooms that have been secured
for the purpose. Reconstruction of the
school building will begin next week and
will be pushed to rapid completion.
Francis Coffin will arrive in the city Mon