The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-04
TROUBLES OF THE BOARD
SCHOOL COMMISSION WHISTLES
WITH PERPLEXENG QUESTIONS.
scientific Temperance" and Vaccina-
of the City Schools.

Questions Of scientific temperance and
vaccination troubled the School Board last
night. Through Mr.. Hottie the one was set
back, and through Mr.. Baker the other was
referred to the boards attorney. 1t seems
the statute provides that scientific tenn
perance" be taught in the schools, and
teachers employed are examined on the
subject, but the school children have heard
naught of it. A committee of women had
presented a petition to the board for an APP
preparation of $50 to buy textbooks dealing
with scientific temperance to be supplied
20 the teachers that they might give their
pupils oral lessons on the subject Messrs.
Kothe, Rene and Woessner sneered and
voted against the measure. Mr.. Kothe said
the teachers We're inflicted with enough
special work without the addition of "scien-
tific temperance" Nevertheless the motion
for the appropriation passed At the end
Of the session Mr.. Hottie arose with graft
fled smile and said he had found a rule
which provided that an appropriation could
not be made without a majority vote of ali
the members of the board, and enough MEM
bers were at that time absent to make the
vote on the scientific temperance" PROPOSE
ton insufficient. No disagreed with him.
The matter will come up again at the next
meeting of the board.
Or. William B. Clarke, from whom much
has been heard against vaccination, pre-
scented communication to the board ask
ing that his child be exempted from the or
der of Superintendent Goss that school chill
dren should either be Vaccinated or not at
tend the schools. DIR. Clarke said his child
was ILL., and he thought it dangerous for it
to be Vaccinated. AT first there was a wave
of sympathy for the doctor. Those who
spoke agreed that the child should be eX-
empt. I don't think, said Mr.. Baker,
that anyone has the right to make child
i'll to prevent another disease" 1t was I'M
derstood by the members of the board that
superintendent GOSS had been asked by the
CITY Board of Health to see that all school
children were vaccinated kept out of the
schools. A motion was presented that DR..
Clarke S child be exempted from the order.
AT this time is discovered that DIR.
Clarke was present. 1t dawned upon the
members that he was an active anti-vac-
cination agitator. The statement was then
made that 1t should be discovered whether
Dr. Clarke's move was really to protect his
child or to bolster up his creed DIR.
Clarke was asked to talk about the matter.
lie was prepared with a copy of the rules
of the State Board of Health, which, he
SAID, contained no mandate against child
attending school who was not vaccinated.
The rule of the School Board, he said, to
this end, had never been enforced, and for
that reason it could not enforce it now.
You cannot make education dependent on
a dose of medicine" he declared. When he
had finished, the motion to exempt his
child from the rule was withdrawn because,
TO vaccination was so apparent" and it was
decided to procure from the boards attor-
ney an opinion as to its power in the mat
ter OF vaccination 1t is expected that when
the board receives the opinion it will come
to conclusion whether it is or is not a be-
Never III vaccination.
Mr. Robson introduced a motion that
committee be appointed to meet with the
committees Of the Legislature on the affairs
OF the city of indianapolis and construct
bill to allow the School Board to issue
bonds for its outstanding Indebtedness and
provide sinking fund. The motion was
heartily approved, but 1t was Withdrawn
when another motion was presented that
the president of the board and the finance
committee meet with the committees of the
Commercial Club and the Citizens Educa-
tonal League, which are working toward
the same end. presumably, as Mr.. Robi-
sons motion contemplated. This last mo-
ton was passed. In this connection ii was
said that people looked on the board a eX-
travagant because the school debt was so
large and healthy" 1t never seemed to
weaken The members of the board, of
course knew well the reason for this condi-
tion-that the school system of the city had
been living on credit for twenty-five years
because its income had never been large
enough etllig TO sustain It, :. That its income
OF the things the Legislature should see to.
The treasurer's report for January showed
that on Feb. / the overdraft was $3.50 ,1443 80.
The Gibraltar-like overdraft is what wor-
ries the people, and also the board, accord
ing TO last nights expressions.
A proposition made by the New Telephone
Company was considered The company
offered six telephones for 1910 a year, ten
telephones for $400 year or forty tele-
phones at $500 year, the contract to be
made for five years and the telephones to
be long-distance instruments. 1t was point
ed Out that the schools needed telephones
according to the statements of the super
visors. The board decided to have its attor-
ney draw up d contract containing the pro-
visions of the New Telephone Company's
proposition for forty telephones, but with
the reservation that the contract be made
for one year from July !, and after the
first year had elapsed, if the service had
been satisfactory, q hVe-year contract
should be made When the contract is
drawn up the matter will again be before
the board