The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-08
SHOWING THE RECORD
MIR. GOSS COMPARES HIS ADMINS
TRATION WITH PRECEDING ONE.
Decrease in Corporal Punishment
Proposition of the Sand
Boat People.

D. X. Goss, superintendent of the city
schools, submitted a summary to the
School Board last night, showing the num-
Der of cases of corporal punishment, cases
of truancy and average daily attendance
of the schools for the last six years In
submitting the report the superintendent
compared the administration of Professor
l.. II. Jones, formerly in charge of the
schools, to his own.
The number of cases of corporal punish
ment for the last three years of the Jones
administration amounted to 1,240; number
of cases of trLancy, 2,446; average daily at
tendance 14,241. For the last three years
in the Goss admins tration ending with the
close of April 1897, there were S97 cases of
corporal punishment, 1858 cases of truancy
and average daily attendance of 16,161.
Superintendent Goss called attention to the
fact that while during the year 1894 but 100
cases of corporal punishment were reported
there were GIG cases of truancy. The re-
port of the superintendent was received
without comment by the board. Professor
Goss asked and was granted permission u
employ an additional clerk in his Office I'M
til the close of the present school year.
The board considered a rather novel
proposition from M. D. Clearly one of the
pany Two weeks ago, when the company
launched its new sandboat "Nettie,' one
of tne teachers and pupils from South
Side school witnessed the event and the
children seemed particularly delighted with
the exercises. Next Tuesday or Wednes-
day the company expects to put another
boat into service and it has occurred to
Mr.. Cleary that this will be a rare oppor-
ha tn wi
the launching of a vessel. He therefore
proposes to make the day a gala event and
requests the School Board to declare a half
holiday. The commissioners referred the
matter to Superintendent Goss.
The question of requesting the railroad
companies to take some measure insuring
the safety Of children who have to cross
the tracks of those roads adjacent to the
schools came up last night and it was the
feeling of the board that something should
be done" Children who attend school No.
~ must cross the Pennsylvania tracks in
building. The same conditions exist in the
east part of the city, where great many
pupils are compelled to cross the Lake
Erie and Monon tracks In going to and
from school No. 29, located on College ave-
nue.. Out at Woodside the children who at
tend School q are subjected to similar dam
gers. The commissioners will send rep
resentatlve to the Board of Public Works,
urging that body to take up the question of
elevating the tracks in the places named.
"A communication was received from
Charles w. MooreS, who wrote on behalf
Of the Indiana Society of the Sons of the
American Revolution, offering to place in
the assembly rooms of the high schools
and Manual Training School Gilbert Stuart
portraits of George Washington. The
board accepted the pictures. The board, on
recommendation of the committee on build
ings and grounds, closed a contract for the
Johnson system of heat regulation to be
placed in school No. 46, at Fifteenth street
and Park avenue. The system will cost
$1025, the board being granted a years
time in making the payments. The report
of c. f. Reynolds, employed to take the
school enumeration, was heard. 1t shows:
White boys Of school age. 1853; white
girls, 16, $685. colored boys, 1617; colored
girls, 1,671; total 36,S05.
The library committee reported having
Investigated the claim of the Brightwood
schools for a branch library, but failed to
recommend the establishment of one The
committee, however, recommended that a
delivery station be established where pupils
may consult the library lists and order
their books from the city library. The list
yeniently situated in the suburb.