The sun., 1900-02-27
THE ABOL|SHMENT
Of COMMANDMENTS
President ShOrtlidge Favors
Doing Away With Them
Altogether.
LABOR DAY A HOLIDAY
Attorney Adair Thinks Commence
ments Are Perfect Nuisance
and Fraud at the Time OF
Year They Are Held in
Wilmington.

"The sooner we do away with COM
mencements the better it will be for the
Schools" declared DIR. E. g. Shortlidge,
pre- >ident of the Board of Education, at
last nights meeting of that body, dnr-
ing the discussion of proposed amend
ments to the bylaws and rules.
That's 10 joke" replied Attorney r.
@. Fraim, of the Sixth ward.
II think aommencements are perfect
nuisance and fraud at the time of year
they are held" said Attorney Robert
Adair, of the Ninth ward. 81 have
thought so ever since the time l took
part IN one myself. The weather at that
Vine OF The year is always oppressive and
the friends of the graduates. as well as
those interested in the schools, must al
| ways submit to these conditions if they
desire to be present at the exercises.
| Now we have classes in the High School
who graduate in February. We could
choose more pleasant time, somewhere
between February and June. Trere is
nothing in the rules binding us to hold
commandments in June or preventing
us from abolishing them"
Eyes or abolishing them,'' echoed DR..
Shortlidge.
Col. Daniel Ross of the First ward,
said: II don't think them nuisance.
| All schools have them in the summer
time. think it would have been bet.
ter at the last commencement if they
had limited one of the speakers, cay tc
half an hour"
''It would cost more for bouquets
earlier In the season." remarked l.. b
Morrow of the Fifth ward.
The board discussed but four sections
of the proposed amendments to the by
lave, rules, etc. last evening and actet
on only three.
There was considerable discussion
over the following: ''The salaries for no,
idays shall be paid to the regular teach
ers, excelt in cases OF absence continuing
one month or longer, in which case
neither the regular ;aaeher nor the sub
lstisu,e shall be paid for holidays"
1t was rejected by vote OF . TOT.
There was quite discussion owe
what should ccnstituse the school year
The committeeon aw had recommended
that it begin on the first Tuesday afte
the first Monday in September, and ent
at noon on the Wednesday next preced
ing the foarth day OF July.
I This would make Labor Day the frs
Monday in September, a holiday. At
torney Adair said the labor organiza
tione were growing in strength and mus
r be recognized. Thomas F. O'Donnell, q
the Tenth ward, said these organization
; must b respected in their wishes in thi
: direction.
Some members thought the school
should be open on that dty, but with
: drew their objection when Attorney
Adair informed them that it had beel
made legal holiday by the Legislature
Mr.. O'Donnell called for an aye and ma,
vote. There were nineteen ayes and III
nays.
/ MIR. Morrow then offered an amend
ment that the schools be closed the Fri
day after Thanksgiving Day which wa
, passed by the following vote: Ayes
Messers Barnes, Buckmaster, Carter
Franz, Green, Kersey, Morrow, Palmer
Ross and Miiiken, 10. Nays-Adair
Ford, Fraim, McColey, Cooper, O'Don
nell, McGovern, Turner, President Short
lidge, 9. :,
fhr consideration of the rules will
again be taken up at the next meeting
At the next meeting the dates of th
commencements may be fixed. Mr.
Morrow did not want them fixed las
night as il was expected that Boz ker I
Washington would speak at the Howar'
School commencement and it WAS no
known whether he could come here on
Tuesday or Wenpesdav,