The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-03
CLOSE Alb THREE
BRANCH HIGH SCHOOLS WILL NOT
BE MAINTAINED BY THE
BOARD
AFTER THE CURRENT YEAR.
MESSRS. WILKES AND SCHOLLE
PLEAD IN VAIN FOR THE ME-
CHANIC ARTS.
Subject to the Standing of the Pupils
for the Term Now Pending
Financial Report.

L
in the Cleveland, Humboldt and
Mechanic Arts schools will be aban-
doned, at least until some rift in the
cloudy sky of municipal finance shall
so illuminate the local field that the
school board may find the money il
needs to run them.
This decision was arrived at, formal
ly, yesterday afternoon. 1t was evil
dent, however, that a majority Of the
board had arrived at it some time
before and it was going through any
way
Some Of the members supposed, or
thought they supposed, that the matter
was being deliberated upon, as it was,
technically, by the committee on
schools, but the majority Of the board,
which is also a majority of the com
mittee on schools, decided that there
was no reason for going through any
extra red tape and they just did it.
There had been some preliminary
routine Secretary Healy had read
some petitions about one thing and an
other, and the superintendent report
that the enrolment for May was TO-
387 the average daily attendance, H.
1858, and the whole number enrolled,
23,0S5
This report Superintendent Curtis
| supplemented by reading a carefully
prepared plea for the retention Of the
mechanic arts work in the schools.
although deftly avoiding any insistent
| reference to the Mechanic Arts
high school as at present constituted.
off hot Ot hnp
| cities, notably in the East, had been
| conservatively thinking of instituting
| mechanic arts work in the schools, st.
| Paul, with true Western push, had gone
untrammeled into the field, and had
established for her schools a reputation
for originality and efficiency. to be
envied by many a community more pre-
tentious. He dwelt upon the advan-
tages of the training which should
give to the pupils Of the common
schools a training in manual art, in
higher developments Of which Is per
cent Of them must earn their living
subsequently, and spoke Of the essen
TALLY democratic character of this
school, where the rich mans son and
the poor mans son toiled together at
the work bench. 1t was, he believed,
factor not to be despised in the pro-
gress Of the human race toward the
universal brotherhood. -
Prof. Curtis had hardly concluded
| his paper when Inspector May intro
| duced resolution Of the import pre-
! viOusly mentioned, closing the three
| branch high schools next year. p; - l.
1t did not make a ripple-ait first.
! Lou Wilkesj however, looked up sur
| prised.
Did you hear that, Gus?" he asked.
Gus" is the familiar way in which
! he addresses Inspector Schol1e.
| Inspector Scholle evidently had not
heard, so Inspector Wilkes read it.
Then Mr.. Scholle protested against
pushing that resolution through at this
| time. He had presumed, he said, that
| that matter had been referred to the
| school committee, and he thought the
| board should defer action until the
committee had reported. He should op-
pose any movement which aimed at
the suspension Of these schools, espec-
tally the Mechanic Arts, when it meant
| that the inevitable result of the move
ment would be that that course
Of study would deterioate
Mr. Zimmerman, E. O., said that the
discussion was no new one. The con-
dition was critical. Some such action
was demanded.
| SG0CGnt1OuSlY
marked Mr.. Wilkes, .'you have the
power Pass it"
Inspector McNair said that there was
an urgent necessity for the reduction
| of expenses and the board might as
we'll meet it face to face.
| Inspector Scholle pleaded for the
striking out of the Mechanic Arts high
school from the application Of the reso-
! luton.
President Zimmerman declared his
belief that the pupils of these nign
schools could be properly accommo-
] dated in the Central, and he believed
! their work would be not less creditable.
1t would be fully as good and perhaps
better. ThissNas no local condition.
educational conditions to meet the
cramped condition of the times. ST.
Paul should be no exception.
| Inspector May seemed inclined, and Ii
! fact afterward voted. to cut the
Mechanic Arts school out of the reso-
luton, but the disposition of the board
seemed to be averSe thereto.
Then Inspector Wilkes rose and rang
! the fire alarm with a vim which would
have done credit to any governor Ohio
/ ever had. II want to serve notice."
he said. that all the cutting you may
| be able to accomplish under this reso-
| luton is not drop in the bucket It
duction, with the present funds at our
disposal, to give the people Of this city
| the full school year. The issue may as
we'll be faced first as last. Sooner or
! later the people will find out that in
! stead of securing the forty weeks Of
| school to which they have been &C
| customed, they are getting but thirty
| eight or even thirty-siX. I don't believe
we can get more than that. Pass this
resolution if you will, but do not let
! the false impression go out to the peo-
! pie OF ST Paul that this is the end Of
| it. More trimming must be done. It
is no discredit to st. Paul Other
| cities are as badly off,"
| President Zimmerman declared his
! coincidence with everything that Mr..
| Wilkes had said. He argued however.
| that the making up of the teachers
! list, to be arrived at very soon. de-
i manded in fairness that the board know
| just what schools it would have to
! look out for next year, and accordingly
he urged the passage of the resolu-
ton.
! 1t was passed, the motion to amend
| by striking out the Mechanic Arts
high was lost on a tie vote, the Zim-
| merrmanns and McNair voting ave.
Mesrs. Scholle, Wilkes and May no.
! On the original resolution Inspector
! May voted with Messrs. Zimmerman
| and McNair and the resolution was
| adopted.
Among the communications received
| by the board was one from the Ram
sey County Medical society urging the
| retention of physical culture in the
f; schools and the reinstatement of Prof.
Herman. DR.. Ohage appeared, after
! the petition had been referred to the
committee on schools. to urge the
| granting Of the request.
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