The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-09-15
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
ANOTHER TURN FOR "HUMBUG.'

SHAwAN. Nd, September 4th, 1900.
Messrs. Editors Baltimore County Uni0n- Gentle
last communication finally decides that the trus-
tee system of managing the schools is bad one
sake admit that he is right and that all he says
about the trustees is true and consider the other
part of his proposition, VIZ, to put the whole 81.
management of the schools IN the nands OF the
School Commissioners.
The more your correspondent says about the
trustees and the manner in which they are APP
pointed the more he makes it look as though the
Commissioners had about az much control over
keeping politics out of thet schools, but under
the present system it is impossible to do SO; that
the Commissioners must depend upon recon-
mendatiOns for trustees, many OF which are fur
nished by the politicians, and from the kind OF
lower class of politicians the Commissioners go
to for advise, as the politicians of Baltimore
county with whom the writer is acquainted are
not the kind of men to recommend such persons
as your correspondent says the trustees are for
any position.
paid to do? Does this look as though the Com
missioners were DESTROYS of keeping politics out
of the schoos2 On the contrary it looks as
though had they the power of appointing the
teachers they would go to the same place for adj
vice or recommendations with the same result.
One of our School Commissioners has admitted
teacher for the sole purpose OF making place
for his own daughter. Was there any more
honor in that than in trustee receiving pay for
The writer has in his possession copy of bill
from Messrs. Medairy Il Co. during the time they
furnished the schools with supplies, in which
some articles were charged at so to 70 per cent.
more than they could be bought for at small re-
tail stores and discount of IN per cent. al
lowed. On calling the attention to this of
prominent gentleman (whose integrity cannot
be questioned.) he was told that one of the Com
missioners had said that he was rendered sum
of money as perquisite on book contract and
that he accepted it without asking any ques-
tions. Now, after advertising for bids, presume
bly, for the purpose of getting supplies at the
lowest possible price. they give the contract to
the highest bidder. Why? They say because it
would be the most satisfactory; that the other
parties did not furnish what they agreed to.
There has been no question as to the response
bility of the other parties, and as there is no
trouble in compelling responsible bidder to
furnish what he agrees to, is it not weak ex-
cuse?
The writer has no desire to make an attack on
the School Commissioners nor to defend the
trustee system, if it is bad one. but having
large family of children to educate, is prompted
solely by his interest in the schools. If the trus-
tee system is bad, by all means abolish it, but let
the people of Baltimore county who are in
terested in the schools look well that when there
is a change made that it viii be a benefit and not
a detriment.
The bill before the last Legislature providing
for the adjustment of the trustees and placing
the whole control in the hands of the Commits
sioners would probably have passed had it not
missioners and as there is now question being
considered as to their conduct in office it seems
to be proper time to throw all the light possi-
BILE on their actions and then decide whether or
not it would be well to place any more power in
their hands. HUMBUG.