The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-14
SCHOOL TRUSTEES MEET
All the Members of the Board
Were Present.
Mr.. LYONS LETTER READ
He INDUCES in Sarcasm and Criticism.
He Will Attend the Meetings of
the Board When His Bust
ness Permits Him.

The board OF school trustees held a
meeting last night, and for the first time
in over three months there was fun
attendance. Q. NJ. Hall and Frank }.
Lyons were present, and the board
time was mostly taken up with reading
and discussing communications. First,
the letter Of Mr.. Hall, which was pub
lished in the Standard a few days ago.
was read. The letter was in reply 10
one from the board requesting him to
attend the meetings of the board or re-
sign his position. if his other business
was such that he could not attend. Mr..
Lyons also wrote a letter in reply to
the boards communication, and it was
read as follows:
Your favor of the eth instant at
hand and / must state that am very
much surprised at its contents. as l had
always supposed from the action of the
new members of the board that they
thought they were fully competent to
attend to all the duties of the board and
that the services of the old members
were neither needed or desired by my
colleagues, Messrs. j. V. Long, A. II.
Morgan, J. B. Frederic and NJ. J.
Burke.
when permitted by the above-named
gentlemen. l have always endeaVored
to perform my duties on the board; but,
as il is a well-known fact that the
greater portion of the work of the BOARD
is divided among committees, the work
which a member is expected to do is
largely determined by the committees
on which he is placed by the chairman
of the board. | was assigned TO but
two committees by the chair, one rules
and regulations the other teachers and
salaries The first named committee IS
not supposed 10 report more than once
in two or three years. as rules once es-
tablished, are not often changed with
out cause. However, superintendent
Hendricks conceiving new set of rules
to be desirable without consulting any
member of the committee on rules ICON
sisting of Messrs. Hawley Hall and my
self, prepared q new set of rules and
presented them to the board for adop-
ton. The adoption of Superintendent
Hendricks rules by the board, of course,
relieved the committee on rules for the
remainder of the year from any trouble
on that score.
$50 far as the teachers committee is
concerned, my colleagues, Messrs. Fred
eric and Burke, We're more than wiling
to relieve me from any responsibility in
that direction. They held their COM
mittee meetings, selected the teachers
ana made their reports without notify
ing me of the time or place of holding
the meetings or recognizing me in any
way as a member of the committee.
Judging by the wonderful zeal for
work exhibited by my four colleagues
at the beginning of their term of office
and their anxiety TO do all of the work
during the busy time at the closing of
the old school year. and the opening Of
the new, ] was astonshed, to say the
least, to find that they needed assist
ance now, in the middle of the term,
when there is little but routine business
to be attended 10 and really no necessity
for holding more than one or two meet
ings a month, excepting t. enable the
gentlemen named 10 draw their per
diem.
while my business is such that
don't regard services on the board as a
mere pastime. nevertheless when | ac-
cepted election TO that position. ] eN-
pected to attend the duties of the office
during the term for which l was elect
ed. Notwithstanding the fact that 1t
might to some extent interfere with my
business and | certainly have no inten-
tions Of resignlng at the request of the
gentlemen named or anybody else, but
/ intend TO hold the office until the close
of my term.
1T occurs to me that my colleagues
request that / shall do my portion of
the work comes with very poor grace
at this time, in view of their action in
the matter. and savers strongly of in
sincerity. | had always supposed that
my absence from the board would save
their valuable time, as the board meet
ings seemed only to be held to do what
had previously been decided upon by
my above named colleagues in private
caucus, and further discussion a waste
of time. However. in the future, | shall
attend the meetings of The board as
often as / can. not so much on account
Of your kind invitation or the spirit in
which it was given. but fer the purpose
of opposing. although Intellectually, all
measures which l believe t. be wrong"
Trustee Frederic also wrote a letter.
which he addressed To Clerk Richards.
requesting information, for Mr.. Halls
benefit, on the following questions:
First-What is the law regarding the
qualifications and employment of the
city superintendent of sehools2 Please
give the law by sections.
Second-When are the applications fol
state diplomas considered? Give the
section defining the dates of meeting OF
the state board of education. The city
superintendent was elected June %
could he have secured diploma, under
the laws. before the December meet
ing?
Third-what certificates and diplo-
on file in your office? What certificates
and diplomas We're on file July /, 1897?
Fourth-Has Mr.. Hall. at the meet
ings of the trustees or at any other
time since July ], 1897, TO your knowl-
edge, made request to see the certih-
Gates and diplomas of qualifications OF
file in the district clerks office
Fifth-If Mr.. Hall or his clerk ol
agent or any other citizen of Butte
should have called or should now cal
during office hours, would the records
of the office be open TO inspection?
Sixth-Is there any teacher now en-
ployed in the schools who holds a Ger
tificate lower than the second grade
Are all diplomas and certificates now OF
file in your Office and open to eXamina
tion by any person concerned
Mr.. Frederic said he wished to Civ
Mr.. Hall the necessary legal informa
fion and also to inform the public tina
the records OF the big Four" were d,
open book, which might be read by any
one.
tcan NJ Hall say as much for hi
.rBIg Fclf~ Of last year" asked Nj
Ersderic.
.. FL