The San Francisco call., 1897-07-30
A LITTLE MORE
VENTILATION
School Board Methods Will
Be Shown Up Sat-
urday.
The Question of Salaries viii
Bring Up a Big
Fight.
Directors Head and Derham Talk
Plain on the Subject of
Combine.

"It is a division for principle against
spois. There's no politics in i" said
School Director Head yesterday when
talking about the way things were belng
run by the Board OF Education. BY
"spoils" he did not mean the usual ac-
ceptation of the term, but patronage that
comes from a com pinatlon OF majority
of body in power to make appolnt-
ments.
"If the people desire to see the work.
ings of the Solid Nine in all its glory
all they have to do is to attend meeting
of the board" he said. "Anybody who
was there last night could see 1T to perfec-
ton, and if he could read between the
lines he could see who instigated the
whole thing. If it could be put down to
politics it would be different, but IL is not
the case. Take the instance of the ap-
pointment of f. g. Huskey from the sub
stitute list to he vlce-principal of the
Hearst Grammar School. If that wasn't
a clear case of favorltism | never saw one.
Here is man who has come to the City
a stranger, and he gets one OF the best po-
sitions without even passing through the
probationary period. 1t was on par
with the appointment OF Mrs. Butler two
weeks ago. OF course, as that lady is the
sister of DR.. Drucker, a mem ber of the
board, that makes difference. Ii
such appointments are to be made il
means that the teachers-the sons and
daughters of the people who pay taxes
here-are to have little incentive to DO
good work in hopes OF being advanced.
'.0f course, the way they have got the
committees arranged it is impossible Tor
those of us who are desirous OF seeing
Z bot ha has do
any thing. We are not counted IN at all,
and all we can do is 10 make our protests
in the open-board meetings. The glarng
manner IN which high-handed proceed
ings were INDUCED in last night was so
plain that all those who were visiting the
meeting not only saw 1t but showed 1t in
a dozen ways when the controversy was
hottest.
THE whole thing is a scheme on the
part of certain directors to make excuses
tor the dismissal OF teachers in order that
they may have places for their friends.
/ think the thing is an outrage and if the
memb Der of the Solid Nine who gave it
out for publication had known what a
boomerang it was going to be he would
not have been so quick to give it up. The
queer part OF 1t is that now that they see
the effect of the publication of the list
they are trying to put it on my shoulders,
when the fact is | knew nothing OF the
list until l read IL in the papers
"The next scheme now is to raise the
salaries of certain fayorites of directors
who are IN the combine, and that is the
reason they were so anxious to head me
off last night. The matter will come up
Saturday night, and then it will be seen
that there is a scheme in it. l am glad
the newspapers have taken the matter up
and are giving the methods of the majority
of the board an airing. 1t is time that the
people knew exactly what was being done
with their schools"
Director Derham was 10th to talk, as be
said he could not hope to compete with
the Solid Nine in the matter of per-
sonalities He said: 81 think the publi-
cation OF the list of criticisms was an out
rage on the teachers. 1t is shame that
it should have been made public in the
manner selected, for it gave the teachers
no chance.to defend themselves, and in
many cases was gross injustice.
at was on par with the appointment
of Huskey to the vice-principalship of the
Hearst Grammar. There was man who
was not a citizen, who had not complied
with the requirements of the board and
about whom we know nothing. He comes
in here and takes one of the best places,
while those teachers who have been work
ing for the good OF the department are
ated to the rear in order that triend
VI SoueoouJ may get a iaI PooA'ioh' ~
does not deal fairly with the people who
pay our school taxes. Their children are
brought up as teachers and receive good
educations, yet when they have worked
hard they are held back and the best
places are given to strangers.
Why, the whole thing was so plain
that even the president OF the board had
to leave his seat wheE it came to discuss
ing the question, and one of the mem bers
of the Solid Nine went back on the rest of
them, as he could not stand such rank i'll
justice. Those of US who are desirous of
standing for principle can do nothing.
Our hands are tied, not only in the board
meetings, but in committees. We are
sim ply left out.
There is evidently too much executive
business. You noticed that that was the