Evening star., 1896-09-09
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION DEVELOPED
Final Action Deferred Until the
Next Meeting.
A LIV ELY ISCU SSION


rions of various systems making battle Of
balIots to carry the day, though finally all
agreed upon a truce by referring the mat
ter to a committee.
There were present Messrs. ]. W. Whelp-
ley, chairman; Job Barnard Blanche K.
Bruce, L. A. Cornish, Jesse H. Wilson.
George H. Harries, DIR. David H. Hazen
~ H. Wilmer F. L. Shadd and ]. G. Fa!ck
secretary.
President Whelpley called the board to
order. when the following designations were
presented and accepted: Miss Kate W..
Neale, teacher fourth grade, Monroe school;
Nora Meyer and Gertrude A. Davis, the lat
ter a member of the Normal School class OF
1896.
Appointments of janitors were announced
as follows: James 4. McCawley, Greenleaf
school house; N. NJ. Marden, Tenleytown.
Applications were received as follows:
Edward BrockenDorough, janitor, annex
Colored High School; Frank P. Naylor and
B. F. 7. Bell, instructor Manual training
School.
Vertical System of Writing.
DR.. Shadd, from the committee On pen
manship, reported in favor of the adoption
by the board CT the Merrill vertical sys-
tenn of writing.
Dr. Hazen moved that the report be re-
ferrel to the superintendent and principals
OF the schools for their opinions Of the
Merrill system.
Mr. Harrles said he had no personal pref
ercnce for any particular system OF writ
ing, but he thought the motion lacked that
essence of dignity which, he thought,
Should mark the proceedings of the board.
He did not believe in referring report of
a committee of the board of trustees TO
sLtordinates of the board.
A rather lively discussion was here pre-
i,avs fff fhe,h ord
Bruce remarked that he knew that Mrs.
StOwell, member of the board, would
Ike TO have the subject of penmanSh!p de-
feIred until she could be present at the
Iext meeting of the board. 1t soon became
very evident that there was to be struS-
gle for supremacy between the committee
on pepDlanship, music and discipline, and
the committee on text books. The board
having referred the matter of the selection
of the text book on penmanship to the for
mer committee, and that committee hav-
ing made a report. 1t was inclined to insist
on its report being acted on without fur
ther delay by the board.
Mr.. Wilmer moved that the report of
the committee on penmanship be referred
to the committee on text books. Mr. Har-
ries modified this motion by providing that
the committee should report at once. and
moved that the board take a recess of fif-
teen minutes IN order that the committee
might consider the matter. DR.. Hazen,
chairman Of the committee on text books,
requested tldt tflG committee on penman-
ship confer with his committee at the pro-
posed meeting, which course was pursued
and the war over text books was then re-
moved to the library room, where the COM
mittees held a discussion without coming
to ary agreement beyond agreeing that
they could not agree.
The System Adopted.
When the board was again called to order
motion for the adoption of the Merrill
but DR.. Hazen suggested that a two-thirds
vote of the entire board was necessary to
change n text book.
Mr.. Harries claimed that no system had
been adopted by the board, but that the
vertical system had been introduced in the
schools without authority from the board.
MIR. Barnard moved that the board should
vote on the adoption Of the Silver Burdette
system. This proposition called Mr.. Har-
ries to his feet. He had looked into the va
rfous systems. and had secured the opinion
of experts on them. the result of his inves-
t1Sation being that he had concluded the
Silver Burdette system was inferior to the
Merrill system and he thought 1t could not
be gotten through the board. The Merrill
book. he considered. was better, and it was
cheaper. though he wanted the question
settled the basis of superiority, rather
than the price of the book.
The chair was called upon to rule on the
question whether the adoption of the text
textbook" which required two-thirds
vote, which he did In the affirmative
Mr.. Harries appealed from the decision,
but the chair was sustained by vote of
four to four.
The board formally adopted the vertical
system Of writing as the system to be
taught in the schools. and Mr.. Wilmer
moved that the selection of a text book
be referred to the committee on text books
that committee to report at a meeting to
be held next Tuesday afternoon. The
motion was lost, and a vote was taken
on the ado pton of the Silver Burdette sys-
W ilson and Bruce voting aye, and Messrs
Harries. Wilmer, Shadd and Cornish in
tne negative, but the two-thirds rule
caused the motion to be lost.
Referred to the Committee.
Mr.. Harries then moved that the ques-
ton be referred to the committee on text
books, and DIR. Shadd wanted the commit
tee on pcnmanship to consider the subject
jointly with the committee on text books.
He preferred the Merrill system, but ne
might be willing to accept second choice
If his committee We're not permitted to
act Jointly with the committee on penman-
ship he thought 1t might be difficult to
secure two-thirds vote on any book This
course was adopted.
Tha committee on Industrial education
suggested that a vacancy existed in the
cooking school of the colored schools, and
as lhere We're great number of applicants
it was suggested that the place be filed
by competitive examination, which was de-
ciied upon, and the examination will be
held on the 18th instant
SIR. Harries offered the following men,
oranda Of annual teachers meetings. to
be held on Saturday, the 10th instant, as
follows:
Fifth division. at the Curtis School. .
a. M; first division, at the Dennison School,
10 an; seventh division, at the Franklin
School, 1880 am; second division, at the
Seaton School, IL am; sixth division at
the Gales School, ] 30 a .m.; third division
at the W&llach School, 30 PM; eighth
division, at the Tyler School. pm; fourth
division. at the jefferson School, . pm
ninth division, at the Sumner School, 3
pm; tenth and eleventh divisions at the
High School. 430 pm.
1t was stated that cards Of admission to
the grades beioy the High School will he
issued at all the school buildings on Fri
day and Saturday, September IS and 49,
day. The principals of the high schools
may be foJnd In their respective schools
at the time named above.
Parents guardians are requested to
apply at the nearest school building for
tickets or for information.
The board adjourned to meet on next
Tuesday afternoon.
Simply Game of Draw9
The rich man draws check; the pretty
girl draws attention; the plaster draws a
blister. byt the J-lb boxes finest cream-