The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-13
Trouble Is Brewing in the State
Teachers Association.
THE HELENA HOG TACTICS
Professor B.. G. Hastings of Butte Con-
tributes a Word in Explanation.
Reasons for Attendance.
Butte Was Ignored.

ena Independent publishes the follow
ing from Supt. ]. +. Klock in reply to
the criticism made by Supt. j. w. john
ston of the Billings schools:
Johnston was a decent fellow, too"
said Professor Klock. Il do not know
what is the matter with him. ! believe
he lis mistaken as To the attendance be-
ing small, because there were nine more
enrolled who paid their dues to the sec
rotary here than there were at the
Great Falls meeting a year ago, and the
Great Falls meeting was considered a
success. The sections were particularly
well attended and Mr.. Reid Of the BoZe-
man Agricultural college said that our
meeting was the best he had ever at
tended.
Professor Johnston says that the
cities We're not well represented, does
he? / am sure there was a good repre-
sentation of all the cities with the pos
sibie exception of Butte, and over there
Professor Hendricks is not altogether in
sympathy with us since the meeting
place was changed to Helena. And yet
MI Hendricks was not neglected. He
was invited to take part in the meet
ing, as was Professor Hastings, but
neither did so. | am sure there was a
wide variety of opinion expressed in the
discussions and ii was far from the idea
II anyone / knew TO impose any one
idea on the delegates. | do not exact
ly know what is meant by the reference
to one ideas and the like, unless 1t is
aimed at the state institutions. which
fixed a course of study that must be
followed by the institutions whose
graduates shall be entitled to admission
upon their diplomas from the high
schools / am surprised al Professor
Johnston. however, and | do not know
what he means"
Now comes Prof. p. c. Hastings,
principal of the Washington school, in
Butte, with the following contribution
to the discussion going on
Il desire to give some of the reasons
why | did not attend the recent meet
ing Of the association, my name having
been brought before the public in Mr..
Kloclts alleged reply to Mr.. Johnston's
very proper criticism
Concerning Mr. klock's statement, |
am sure MIR. Johnston is able TO take
care of the insinuations contained
therein. Nor need | compare the at
tendance upon the meetings. but / re-
member that last year the Helena con-
tingent was very small and when the
meeting was in Butte in 1898 but three
lone members attended. AT Great
Falls last year Butte registered about
one-half of of the delegates. but when
we asked that the business session be
held in the forenoon of the final day for
we were compelled to return, leaving at
. o'clock, our motion was ruled out of
order and when we left Helena took adj
vantage of our absence to take the Of
fees of president. secretary, two MEM
hers of the executive committee and
several officers of depart ments. They
also carried the amendment To make
Helena the permanent place of meeting.
Had the business meeting come earlier,
the results would doubtless be differ
ent. When the executive committee
framed the programme for the December
meeting. | found that Butte was ac-
corded the honor of four representa-
tiyes on programme--all discussions
some being third and fourth places
| Having Il knowledge of the high worth
of the Butte corps. its rank in ability
| and scholarship. It's Importance on ae-
/ count of umbers-comprising nearly
e-fourth of the teachers of the state
! and three times the teaching force of
i the Capital Oily, / could not accept the
| invitation. when the attempt was evil
/ dent To belittle this city and its edu-
! eational force; SO ] simply wrote dec
/ linafion As far as | am concerned. |
! regard the treatment of Superintendent
/ Hendricks by the programme commit
! tee as 4 direct insult and ! resent the
| imputatian that all the ability is con-
I trDlled by the presidents of the state
/ institutions and the Helena pedagogues.
] Mr.. Hendricks. owing to his position
/ Of superintendent of schools of the
| great mining camp and his long stand
/ ing in the state, should have been hon
| ared by one Of the best positions on the
| programme. Furthermore, we have
/ graduates Of many leading schools and
/ colleges such as Northwestern nniyer-
sity, University Of New York. Michigan
| Normal. Iowa State Normal school,
! Kansas State Normal Pennsylvania
al n 10 Y
/ California State Normal. Cornell coli
! lege, Tri-State Normal. Boston univer-
! sity and others, and these would be an
/ honor 10 any educational programme
| But it was the evident intention to de-
| velop a programme in the interest OF
| some in authority and certain methods
] employed by them needed sanction and
! Butte could not be brought into line fer
/ ii was giving its energies to practical
| school work and had no time for fads and
faucies. Thus the programme was pre-
/ pared and of the seven papers thereon
i four We're in the interest Of Child
+ Study or correlated subjects. Besides
there was the department of child study
/ With three papers. Upon the pro-
/ gramme appeared the names of the
! president of the State university ttwo
/ times), president of the Agricultural
college two timesl. president of the
/ State Normal, professor in state Nor
+ mai 1.-TWO Il1eSl anu nut lNh Habl1t
+ school men for papers. Helena people
/ appear Il times. and all the recent ex-
] hihitory additions to the state We're
i ready To show the one idea the long
| way, policy Such methods disgust tho
/ fraternity of the state and the time IS
/ ripe for n revolt. With too much re-
! spcct for the educational supremacy Of
/ cur city, | could not attend The asso-
! citation and be a witness and auditor
/ 10 methods Of scheming for advance
ment and prestige As exhibited by the
i present management I preferred Il en-
] ter my protest by not attending and
/ forming. should this evil be not ahsted,
+ an association in keeping with the IN
! terestr Of the public school. in the en-
! tire state Ia the exclusion ~ political
+ slema eosues- Whenever any ambitious
t sci If men nr women obtain control and
+ run institutions for personal glory II
& ACKNOWLEDGMENT il i time II call
halt 1 protest most vigorously against