The San Francisco call., 1896-07-31
Almost a Deadlock in the Board
of Education-Knox Is
Neutral.
THE GRAND JURY DRAGGED IN.
What Will Become of the Evening
School Students "A Princi-
pals Protest

Is the historic old Webster Primary
School formerly the Lincoln) to go or to
stay? This IS the question now bothering
the brains of the school sages and jarring
the nerves of the teachers, parents and
pupils interested in the school.
At 4 o'clock this afternoon the Board OF
Education will hold special session and
try to solve the problem. The call was
issued yesterday by President Henry t.
Scott and states the gathering to be
For the purpose of taking action on propo-
sition TO be presented at said meeting to dis
continue and abolish the Webster Primary
School; to order the principals and teachers oi
said school transferred 10 other schools in the
department., and to take action on the resolu-
tions offered by Director C. A. Murdoch at q
meeting of the board July o. 1896; to trans
fer Miss M. NJ. Murphy from the principalship
of the Jefferson Primary School to the prin-
cipalship of the LIE Conte Primary School, to
transfer Miss Agnes NJ. Manning from the
principalship of the Webster Primary School
to the pri ncipalship of the Jefferson Primary
School; TO instruct the superintendent to ex-
tend the boundaries OF the Jefferson Primary
school and to allow the principal of the JEFF
ferson primary to retain the fifth GRAMMAR
grade classes in said school until further
orders.
By a singular coincidence the three
frame buildings comprising the Webster
Primary, loc ated in the rear of the
Lincoln Grammar School, on Fifth street,
south of Market, will, if the program me
be carried out, be visited by the Grand
Jury in body and inspected preparatory
to recommending their condemnation.
Director II. C. Henderson, chairman oi
the Buildings and Grounds Committee,
and Inspector of Buildings Kincaid will
be present to point out the defects of the
buildings and urge the propriety of the
Grand Jury officially giving them black
eye.
But the old Webster will not be doomed
through the lack of champion, fol-
Director Thomas r. Carew will be there tc
plead for the school.
at the special session this afternoon ex'
Judge ]. F. Sullivan, who has been re-
tained as counsel by Miss Manning, will
appear and argue that to abolish the Web
ster Primary, disorganize Its able
staff of teachers and scatter its pupils fal
and wide would, under the existing condi
tions, be the most reprehensible and mis-
chievous policy possible for the Directors
to pursue.
The abolition of the Webster Primary i:
favored by Directors Scott. Hawley, Hen
derson. McEIroy, Murdoch and Soper, and
is opposed by Ambrose, Barrett, Carew
Clinton and Comte.
Seven votes under the rules are required
to pass any measure, and the key of the
situation seems accordingly to be held by
Director Thomas r. Knox, whose mind il
saiu TO be still undecided. So he is being
subjected to some strong political and per
sonal ''pulls" by the Webster and the
anti Webster Directors.
It is close and spirited contest. and II
is impossible accurately to foretell the re-
suit. The new term will begin next Mon
day, and consequently there is strong rea-
SON to believe that the fate OF the Webster
Primary will be finally decided this after
noon.
The feeling over the matter is wide
spread and bitter and there are many
flying rumors in the air. There is talk of