The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-09

on the recommendation of Superin-
tendent Howell, conveyed through
Chairman Jayne, of the High and
Training school committee, the board
of control last night shortened the
training school course from two years
to one.
In the letter containing the recon-
mendation, Superintendent Howell ex-
planned that a comparison showed that
Scranton's complete school course is
one year longer than any other large
school district in the eastern states. A
boy or girl entering school at the age
of six years and passing successfully
through the primary, intermediate,
grammar, High and Training school
courses would be twenty-one years of
age at graduation. To shorten this a
year was advisable, the superintend-
ent thought, and he advised making
the cut in the Training school course.
BY eliminating certain studies in the
High school course and inserting in
their place in the curriculum certain
of the Training school studies the cut
could be effected without seriously i'm
pairing the training of prospective
teachers. Those in the High school who
do not contemplate entering the Train
ing school will not be affected by the
change. The board unanimously adopt
ed the superintendents idea.
CONTROLLER WANTS PAY.
request from City Controller
Howell for a contribution from the
board towards paying for clerk hire in
his department was referred to the
finance committee. The school district
pays nothing towards the maintenance
OF the controllers department and fully
one-half its clerical duties pertain to
work of the board For this reason
Controller Howell saw fit to make a
request for an allowance. Mr. Gibbons,
upon being informed that none of the
former controllers had looked for any
thing from the board, wanted to in
definitely table the communication. The
board allowed it to go to committee for
due consideration.
The building committee recommends
that the secretary be instructed to ad-
vertise for bids for the erection of No.
3S and No. ., which are to be located
respectively in Petersburg and Pine
Brook. but when Messrs. May, Fran
co.'s Gibbons and Evans disapproved
of going so far in the matter when
only the ground plans of the buildings
had been presented by the architects,
Mr.. Shires, chairman of the committee,
acting on q suggestion of Mr. Gibbons,
moved to postpone action until the next
meeting and when this carried, had a
motion passed fixing a special meeting
for next Monday night The necessity
for a new building to replace No. is
very urgent. The building is the sec
old t,,. = Ill l..aI 49,,
unfit for school purposes. Tt was con-
demned by the board of health some
time ago.
The teachers committee reported ad-
versely on the request of Miss Rankin,
a teacher at No. 8, who wanted her pay
allowed for sixty-six days she was i'll,
claiming she was made i'll by coal gas
from a defective stove, and stovepipe in
her school room. The committee could
not find that such was the cause of
Miss Rankin's illness. and while they
deplored the teachers loss, could not
conscientiously recommend the allow
ance she asked for. The report was
adopted.
CLOSE OF SCHOOL YEAR.
The recommendation of the teachers
committee that the schools close for
the summer on June % was adopted.
On motion of Mr.. Jayne the question
of one-session a day during June was
referred to the teachers committee.
Mr.. Jayne presented a petition from
$50 residents of No. "a school district,
asking that two rooms be added to
that building, so that intermediate
pupils of that neighborhood would be
saved from going to No. 81. over the
dangerous Delaware and Hudson cross
ing.
On motion Of Mr.. Schwass the build
ing committee was directed to have an
iron fence constructed on the retaining
wall at No. 30 building, the cost to be
limited to 81 per foot.
The recommendation of Superntend-
ent Howell that 1000 more Brewster
Academic dictionaries be purchased
was approved by the text book COM
mittee and adopted by the board. The
teachers payroll for April was ap-
proved, as was also Miss Kate Jordans
application for Normal school certif-
cate.