The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-18
SCHOOL TRUSTEES MEET
The Charges Against Madison
School Teachers Investigated.
THEY WERE GROUNDLESS
Trustees Frederic and Burke Make an
Exhaustive Report on the Matter.
a Controversy Over Twenty
Five Cent Book

Tho board of school trustees held a
meeting last night and received a report
from Trustees Feredric and Burke, COM
prising the teachers committee which in
vestigatcd certain charges regarding tho
conduct of the Madison school and the
treatment of pupils contained in a letter
sent To the board. The report is as fol-
( lows:
Your teachers committee, To whom
you referred certain charges preferred in
a communication signed "A Parent" and
written by one a. +. Nutter presumably
at the request of David Willard who de-
MES In toto the authorship of the letter
against the teachers Of tho Madison
school respectfully submit the following
report:
"First-That there have been no cruel
whippings or beatngs. and that all pun
ishments have been inflicted i'm so tar as
We are able to learn, in the manner pre-
scribed in section A. Of the rules ana laws
of the board of trustees.
"Second-That there is not Il cold room
in the building. and that the charge of
cruelty by freezing in cold room in the
school house during school hours is alb
surd and groundless.
.fhird-The children are advised not to
bring their lunches. provided they live
reasonably near the school building and
been little severe weather this winter and
as no one living at q distance offers Il
complaint the committee cummends the
actions OF the teachers In their efforts 10
care for the school building, furniture and
belongings by not allowing the rooms to
he used layhouses.
'Fourth-The compliments and all ct H.
ers Interested in so far as possible were
invited to meet the committee in the city
superintendent office on Tuesday even
ing, Feb. II. at o'clock. to make good
the charges in the communication refer
red TO your committee. As no person put
in IN appearance, we respectfully report
that there has been no intracton Of the
rules of the board made for the govern
ment and discipline of the schools and
pronounce all charges sroundless.
.Fifth-We respectfully request that
hereafter all complaints be filed with the
city superintendent, as provided In sec
tien H.. page 81, rules and laws Of tile
beard Of trustees, which reads as fol-
lows:
Any person feeling aggrievcd in any
matter connected with the schools shall
apply at once to the city superintendent
If the city superintendent is unable To
adjust the matter satisfactorily he shall
refer the complaint to the board.
Section 143 requires that all complaints
against any particular person or persons
shall be considered only when filed i'm
writing, clearly specifying the matter of
complaint and signed by the complaining
party
Another matter that took up good
part of the boards time was a coutrover-
sy over 25-cent book which was ruined
by the I-Year-old son of J. +. Knight Of
South Butte. The board has a rule that
where books are wlfully destroyed tho
parents of the child must buy the book
or pay for il. aud that the pupil doing
book is paid for. The rule was enforced as
TO the knight boy and week ago the
father appeared before the board to pro-
test. and said the book was torn by acci-
dent and not wiIfuIly.
Superintendent Hendricks was request
ed 10 investigate and last night he re-
ported that the facts warranted the en-
forcement of the rule.
Knight was present with an attorney
and another advocate, and the three talk
ed for half an hour about that 25-cent
book. The talked law, they talked the
constitution and personal rights and in
dividual liberties, but the board concluded
TO adopt the superintendent report and
enforce the rule
W. w. Ensign. the representative of
Peck, Williams < Co. attended the meet
ing and asked the trustees intended 10 do
about accepting the heating plant IN the
new High school and making a settlement
lbI IL superintendent denuflCkS and /
Clerk Richards reported that the plant |
was working all right and giving satisfac-
ton since the first causes of complaint |
We're corrected. The board requested re- |
port from the supervising architect and /
il that is favorable a settlement win be |
made with the heating plant company al |
the next meeting of the board.
County Superintendent Mullins reported !
that all but three of the teachers of the
district attended every session of the re- |
cent county institute and that the meet |
ing was a success great measure of |
which credit was due the trustees for the |
interest they had taken in the institute.
The board named II. NJ. Patterson as its |
arbitrator in the Shackleton contract |
matter and Shacketon named J. H. Bart +
lett. The two will name the third man. I
and they will pass upon the matter with T
in the next 20 days.
The trustees retained j. j. Mediation as t
special counsel to appear in the Soss case
in the United States court Mr. Hawley |
the employment Of special coun- /
sci in the case
coree Donavan. a teacher in the Walk I
erville school. sent in her resignation.
Miss Jennie y. Goyle made an application /
for place on the corps and it was refer
red TO the teachers committee.
Superintendent Hendricks made his
report showing enrollments al I
the different buildings and the totals. The
teachers monthly salary bill. amounting
10 sS,1S3.S5, was ordered paid