The Saint Paul globe., 1899-04-12
DULUTH HAS A FIGHT
MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SAVE THAT
NORMAL APPROPRIA-
TION
EFFECT ON NORMAL SYSTEM
Gov. Lind Had Been Seen Going
Through a Prospective Omnibus
Appropriation Bill with q Sharp
Ax-Ncrmal Board Forms .
Lobby.

1t was intimated yesterday at the capi-
tol that the Duluth people would have to
meet hard fight on that provision Of the
omnibus appropriation bill which gives
$4,000 for the normal school at Duluth.
There was determined look on the faces
of the other members of the resident di-
rectors of the state normal board when
they heard yesterday morning what the
provisions of the bill were, and they got
together to lobby against what they con-
sidered an, unjust distribution of the
spoils.
The appropriations committee cut off all
the continuous session appropriations
asked for, and the members of the board,
especially the directors of the Winona
and Moorhead normal schools, were
piqued about this. The continuous ses-
sion has been made quite feature at the
Winona school, and the Moorhead people
wanted it on account of the fact that in
that purely agricultural region the school
year is cut up, and many of the teachers
have to take their chances getting
some normal training in the summer.
Rumor had 1t that Gov. Lind and State
Superintendent Lewis, who is understood
to represent pretty closely the governors
ideas as to the normal schools function
in the modern educational system, believe
the Duluth appropriation much less essen
tial to the welfare of the system than the
continuance of the present schools on an
unimpaired basis. The continuous session
idea is said to be especially in favor with
the governor, who has watched its work
ings at Mankato, and who is pretty close
ly in touch with the sentiment of the
young teachers in the Second district, and,
while it is not known that he would ex-
ercSe his prerogative of eliminating the
~.
has, The G o b e is authoritatively in
formed, signifed to some of his conf
dants in the legislature that he would
much prefer to see the amount at present
embodied in the appropriation for the nor
NAL schools distributed differently.
In support of the continuous session
idea, it is urged that it's first two years
have shown great merits, and, while at
Mankato the death of President Soaring
and other troubles more directly affecting
the normal board have left the school
course torn up at times so that the elimi-
nation of the continuous session idea
could be made with less trouble than
would ordinarily be the case, the estab-
lishment of the courses at Moorhead and
the continuance Of the present plan at
Winona would give both ends Of the state
a summer normal session and meet the
wants of the teachers less ade-
Quately for the amount which 1t is sought
to spend in Duluth. In one of these
schools there are between 800 and 400 nor
NAL teachers in training at the summer
session, and 1t has been found necessary
to permit many to become teachers who
would otherwise have to seek other en-
ployment to exc out their slender re-
sources by not being able to secure
schools and attend the nine months ses-
sions at the normal.
The friends of the continuous sessions
urge that it would be backward step to
abandon them, as the experiment. here has
been watched with interest by other
states and some of them have made ar
rangements to introduce the scheme In
their own states. "It is more important, "
said one of the advocates of the continu-
Gus session plan that the courses should
be continued in at least two of our schools
than is any other one appropriation asked
for for normal schools, the Duluth school
not excepted.