The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-07
Many Discussions Heard Regarding
the Coming School Election.
WIDELY DIFFERENT VIEWS
CONVENTION PLAN THAT MEETS
WITH SOME APPROVAL.
Names Mentioned in Connection With
Nominations For School Trustees
City Council viii Meet To-
morrow to Canvass Returns-The
Mayors Appointments.

Frequent discussions were heard yes
terday relative to the issues involved in
the approaching school board election.
The exchange Of ideas also covered the
subject OF the personnel of some ideal
candidates. However. in the common
acceptance of the term, there are yet no
known candidates in the field. and those
mentioned were referred to only as
'possibilities" and "availables," and
frequently as 'acceDtables." For the
most part, yesterdays discussions cen
tered around the probable issues upon
which the campaign will be waged.
The character OF the campaign and the
degree of vigor with which the live is
sues Will be contended for, depend very
much upon how the varying sentiments
crystalline into action within the next
few days. At all events, the campaign
viii be short. for the reason that the
election Of school trustees viii occur
on Wednesday, Dec. l.
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Speaking accurately, there will prob
ably be but one issue in the campaign.
The recognized issue is that of the sat
isfactOry conduct of Salt Lake City's
public free school system, and the tax
alton incident thereto. The fact that
lIlS year LAX leNN 10y the DOdIu Ol GU
ucation has reached mills. or mere
than one-third of the tax burden upon
property in the city, has prompted
many to declare themselves in favor Of
a policy looking toward more rigid
economy and genuine retrenchment.
even at the risk of a temporary impair
ment Of the high standard Of efficient
results attained in the schools That
the taxpayers have undoubtedly re-
md 10
community greater benefits than they
have from the disbursement of other
funds raised by taxation. seems to re-
ceive no consideration from this ele-
ment. when these statements are sub
mitted in the line of argument.
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Another class declare that the new
board must, if possible, be composed OF
men and women who are more typical
of the old families, and more represent
alive of the peoples best interests, as
they term it, than has been the custom
to this date. This element. in their de-
sire to be just and conservative, appear
to be aggrieved that here are so few
native born teachers in the public
schools. although it is stated as fact
that employment is given to all who
pass the required examinations, and
only the vacancies are filled by teach
ers from other states.
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Still another element favor the re-
grading of the schools, the simplifying
of the courses of study, and the abol-
| ishing OF the high school. Some OF
these are Indifferent to the conse-
quences of a threatened impairment of
! the high standard of excellence of this
/ city's educational system. which is now
/ the glory and pride of the people, but
Others representing this element pro-
1 pose, in lieu of these innovations, sew
| eral improvements, and as compensa-
| ton for the high schools abolition, they
! promise a satisfactory plan OF adapt
( ing the Utah UniVersity's preparatory
course to the needs of the city's high
school, or vice versa; thus avoiding
] sort Of duplication, and assuring, they
/ argue, better results and lower taxes.
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If other pertinent indications count
/ for anything, it may be stated that
/ against all these elements is arrayed a
mass Of the common people, who de-
clare their purpose of maintaining and
! advancing the high character of the
/ school system, and making the high
/ school of increasing excellence and a
! fixed part of the city's educational in
stitutions. \ canvass among repre-
sentative people of the city indicates
/ that the majority of those who favor
such a policy, consistent with the low
est rate of taxation for school purposes,
are wage-earners, parents of school
children and ardent champions and
! friends of the cause of free and higher
education.
The above is a fair statement of the
! diversity of sentiment relative To the
issues involved in the approaching
campaign, but another phase OF the
situation is the political. Rather than
1 to have a star chamber dark-lantern
nominating committee of . persons,
self-appointed, present a so-called non
partisan ticket for the approval or re-
/ lection of the electors, a plan has been
! proposed to place a genuine Americans
! like bipartisan ticket in the field. The
| favorable reception the plan received
! yesterday betOkenS its successful
launching and final triumph. The plan
/ is to hold either repreS sentative or mass
conventions, to be participated in by
members OF all the recognized political
! parties and have such conventions
nominate q thoroughly representative
! ticket 1t is reasoned that this move
ment would remove anything that is
I Objectionable to partisan politics in
school elections. The invulnerable fea-
lures of the movement, if it natures
as it is being planned, would be the
naming of some of the present members
of the board, giving equal representa-
| ton to Mormons and Gentiles, Demo-
! Gratis and Republicans, and equitable
recognition to women, taxpayers and
champions of free higher education.
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The following is a list of some of
those whose qualifications were heard
discussed yesterday for membership in
the board of education:
First Precinct-F'rank Pierce, Charles
w Symons, Orson H. Petit and Ru-
dolph Aft.
Second Precinct-William F. Cotton
I Arnold C. Giauque, DIR. w. w. Belts
Boyd Park and Willard c. Burton.
Third Precinct-John +. Hansen
Walter j. Beatie, A. w. Carlson, Arthur
! Parsons and A F. Doremus.
Fourth Precinct-Richard W. Young
J. 3. Toronto, Henry w Lawrence, Ed
gar Howe and John Dern.
Fifth Precinct-C. e. Allen, Joshua F
Grant, l. L. Goliath, DR.. T. B. Beatty
". A. Neiden, Charles Baldwin, Z. w
Duncan. Mrs. c. E. Allen and Mrs. j
McVicker.
When the city council convenes as
board of canvassers Monday noon, il
is almost a certainty that the talkativt
members will waste the luncheon houl
debating as to the best method OF
Checking the election returns and pre-
pairing the figures for the abstract
sheets Some of the members cannot
or do not trust some of their colleagues
and considering the closenesS of the
results on certain candidates it WOulC