The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-28
TRUSTEES OF INDIANA
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASSO-
CITATION BEING HELD.
The Trustees Call on the Governor
I'm a. Body-Editor w. III.
Craig's Paper.

The Association of School Trustees of Indiana,
which is meeting simultaneously with the State
Teachers Association. met in the office of State
Superintendent Jones yesterday morning for or
garization and informal consultation Shortly
afterward the entire body of trustees called on
Governor Mount in the executive parlor and
each man was personally introduced 20 the Gov
ernor, who also made brief address, in which
he said: ''You are at the head Of the township.
the unit in state organization, and if We
would have good government in cur State we
must have good government in the townships.
Much depends upon the trustees for the success
Of the common schools, and upon the common
school system depends much OF the future OF the
State The trustees discussed informally GER
tain legislation which they will ask at the hands
of the next General Assembly. follows: A
change in the present transfer law; change in
the road law, which allows men TO work out
road tax at the rate of 50 a day OF eight hours;
change in the ditch law. there being at pres
ent too much red tape about 1T; change in the
textbook law, looking to the furnishing OF school
books free of charge. and change in the tru-
ancy law. making the trustees and teachers re-
sponslble for attendance of children at school.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
Will II. Craig, trustee OF the city schools Of
Noblesville and editor of the Ledger in that
city, threw bombshell into the afternoon ses-
sion of the trustees in Cleveland Club Hall by
his vigorous paper 'City School Administra-
ton" Mr.. Craig discussed the tuition and
transfer laws. and took strong ground in favor
of the present law He said he believed it was
right and fair for one school corporation to
pay another school corporation for goods deliv-
cred" Under the present law" said Mr..
Craig. you count heads and pay the price fixed
by law or by mutual agreement There is no
disposition on the part of city, town town
ship trustees to make money out of the business
more conveniently provide for the education of
the children OF the State" Mr.. Craig showed
by figures taken from the records of Hamilton
county that it formerly cost. on average. s1s
per child per annum for maintaining the
schools for seven months each year. while under
the present law township trustees only have to
pay S10.50 He showed that in NohIesvie town
ship it cost the trustee sll3S for seven months
This IS cents less than it would have cost
to have transferred all the children TO the No
blesville schools, 10 say nothing about the in
vestment in buildings and their depreciation. As
to high schools, Mr. Craig said that there is not
well-equipped high school in the State that
can furnish instruction for less than Sc per
month He showed that tho small high schools
in the township cost from two TO four times as
much 1t would cost to send all the children
to high schools Sc, outside Of the township. In his
the declaration that facts and figures are strong
er than statements, and he urged the trustees to
figure the actual cost of maintaining their own
schools before they take airy decided action
against the present tuition and transfer law.
He said he was willing to venture the asser-
ton that there Is not trustee in the State that
educates his children In the grades for less than
81 30 ,, month; Mr. craig's paper provoked a
trustees being to take the opposite side of the
question. and ii is expected that this morning
the discussion will be resumed in a still more
spirited fashion.
AGAINST TRUANCY OFFICERS.
In addition to the tuition question, Mr. Craig
advocated the abolition OF the truancy officers,
and empowering trustees of cities and townships
to perform such work. He said he believed this
to be the more practical and systematic as well
more humane way of bringing children into
the schools. In regard to the qualifications Of
city trustees he said that too many other con-
siderations entered into their selection than the
real merit Of the men elected. In this respect
Mr.. Craig favored reform of township and
city government in the matter OF electng school
trustees. He favored also the methods adopted
appoints the school trustees and makes the
board bipartisan; On the subject of the selec-
care cannot be taken in this regard. He said
he believed in hiring teachers on their merits,
and not upon their licenses. He advocated a
thorough, systematic training well as moral
instruction In the public schools. He said ne
believed that with the elective system at one
end OF the scheme OF education and the kinder
garten at the other, there is danger OF going tc
extremes in these modern fads the expense
of full scholarship and a well-trained mind
Colleges are being made universities" said Mr.
Craig. and primary schools being turned
into playhouses instead of schoolhouses 81 In
conclusion, the speaker urged the Importance ol
a true moral character in the young people al
the country in order that civilization NAV bf
advanced and the higher citizenship abound
Above ALL he said, TO accomplish these good
results II is necessary that there be an organized
public spirit in all our local governmental
PRESIDENT PARSONS'S TALK.
An address on 1.-The Mission of the School.
was delivered by President Parsons of the
State Normal School at Terre Haute Prof
Parsons took very high ground in his paper
declaring that the mission OF the school is not
merely to train the mind. but the spiritual an.
moral nature of pupils we'll L. Sullivan
trustee from Peru read interesting and val.
liable paper The Township" Prof ID. NJ
Geeting. ex-superintendent Of public instruction
talked entertainingly on Reading" and Roberr
] Alley. of Bloomington on Arithmetic"
The trustees section will meet again at the
Cleveland Club this morning at $50 O'Clock
clan, Will read paper on Needed Legislation
and j. D. Reed of South Bend, one on Man
agement OF the Poor" A paper on Road I'm
provement' will also be read this morning
| When the programme has been completed mis-
cellaneous business will be taken UP. officers vii
be elected and final adjournment taken. Ths
present officers II. c. Sherrck West1elr
president; Thomas Nugent, Enora. secretary
r. n. Chaplin. Warsaw, chairman executive
committee
Joseph Arthur III.