The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-01-24
ST. Louisans Appear Before Com
mittee on Education and Con-
denim Proposed Measure.
PRESENT A STRONG ARGUMENT.
NIclousness of Plan Pointed Ont
and Harm Certain to Re
suit If a Law Is Dwelt
Upon.
BY A STAFF CoRREsPoNDExT

/ - - sA-AFF CORRESPONDENT. T.
JEFFERSON City. Mo, Jan. y5.-The ouposi-
tlon to the Collins Holland School Board
bill presented plea against the measure
uhansweraole in its completeness at the
pubic nearing on the measure tonight. IL
the Committee on Education reports the
bill favorably. of which there is little pres
en-. likelihood. the measure will undoubted
ly be killed on the floor of the House.
judging by the number of members vbc
attended the hearing and by the sentiment
formed by the arguments of the ST. Louis
ans who opposed the bill.
Inc nearing was the best attended Of any
that has been held since the session began
II was held in the rooms Of the State
Superintendent of Education. Chairman
Farley presided. and besides the members
OF the committee. the enIirc St. Louis oei.-
| CATION In the House and twenty-five other
| members We're present.
The supporters and opponents Of the
! measure divided time. each side speaking an
nour all together. The opponents of the biil
/ VINO spoke were Attorney Morton Jourdau,
| chancellor W. 5. Chaplin oI Washington
cnIversity. Judge J r. Mckeighan and
| Attorney Frederick y. hudson.
| The supporters OF tne iill who spoke were
Senator John Z. Collins. ous T.. Mallars.,
| secretary of the Jefferson Club; Clarence r.
| Connolly. president of Typographical Inion
| No ), and Representative Matt J. Holland.
| President Supplies Information.
President John \. Harrison of the School
| BOARD was present to supply Information
! regarding the present schooi system to those
! who pleaded against the Collins bill
4 Judge Mchelghan adverted to his pres
| ehce- President Harrison, he SAID does
| not come here to LOBBY or even 10 speak
against the bill He comes here at our re-
guest 10 supply US information. lf any
member OF the committee likes to ask him
any question he Is ready 10 answer"
Why do you think II is better TO elect
sehooi directors at large than from dis
4 cd EaFafa tive old
President Harrison
Il believe the election OF School Directors
"A Director elected from a district repre-
| sents that district. He considers himself in
competition with the Directors from other
districts. He wants TO get all he can for
his district. He wants the teachers in the
schools in his district promoted in advance
\ OF the teachers of other districts. He
trict than the other districts have. He
| does not consider the needs of the schools
or the city at large. He will allow the
city to suffer SO long as his district is sup
piled. Directors elected at large look TO the
| needs OF the whole city
1t is charged that the present School
Directors are too far removed from the
public. that the ordinary people cannot
reach them" said Golden.
Il am at my office In the Board OF Edu-
cation building every day at O'Clock Ny
oifice and my home are always open 10
persons who waIt TO see me on School
Board business" he answered
Pulls should he Ineffective,
Il believe II Is better to have the School
Directors far enough removed from the peo-
p.e that personal or political pulls become
ineffective Merit should be the controlling
force In the schools. Personal ACQUAINTANCE
with Director should cut no figure.''
~ - saiu the common schooI branches
are neglected In the schools of st. Louis"
said Golden.
Il believe not" was the answer. Eve
nave experienced educators who look after
these matters 1t is q special profession "a
garding which l am not competent TO speak
III the charge were true it would be serious.
but believe II is not true SUPERINTENDENT
Soldan. one of the best educators In the
country. can inform you on that subject
and VIII doubtless appear here il you send
chancellor Chaplin presented a logical.
straighuorWard plea against the bill.
-, am citizen OF st. Louis" he said
know something about the systems OF
education, and l admire the system now in
vogue in st. Louis so well that / have
come here to plead against a change in IL
| am not connected With the School Rnard
except that I vote for fits members and
pay my taxes. / don't care whether the
leans. SO long as they supply good schools
and good teachers. and do so at a proper
price. The former board did not do this
That board was elected under a system re-
sembiing that now PROPOSED. The action
of the Legislature four years ago supplied
st: Louis with the law under which ITS
nation. The schools are now conducted
ably. honestly. successfully. and We pro-
test against a change.
Especially do we protest because we be-
lieve the present proposal is merely a be-
ginning. The men who made money out of
the former School Board in ST. Louis are
urging that the present law be changed TO
what il was before.
The charge is made that the School
Board members now do not visit the
increase the number Of members by two.
Could they do much more in visiting
schools than the present twelve directors?
The number of directors would have n hs
increased to fifty IL all the schools were 10
be visited. or they would have to be paid
a salary so that they might devote all their
time to visiting schools
Quoted st. Louis Newspapers.
Chancellor Chaplin read from all the St.
Louis newspapers utterances opposing the
change in the law. He also presented a Pc
tition opposing the bill signed by 2.sso ST.
Ss RepresentsiiVe % Mat G Holland i them then began
cross-examination OF Chancellor Chaplin. |
What Is your businessy' he asked.
Il am chancellor of Washington Universi- |
AT whose instigation did you come up
"Of my own volition. President Harrison |
told me no member OF the School Board |
would appear here. and l came as citizen |
of st. Louis TO defend a ST. Louis institu- .
tion. Of which / am proud"
rs not c. NJ Woodward a professor OF |
Washington University and on the School |
"He is. and he is eminently fitted to be
there"
How did you get that petition?''
Yesterday I had slips printed and started /
out a number OF young men to obtain sig |
natures of those opposed to the proposed /
law"
We're they students OF your schoolT'
Some were. more were not
Were they paid for their work.
Il paid them
"out of your own pocket?'
out of my own pocket
NOW" said Holland you've been read i
ing lot of rubbish out OF the newspapers
without giving the names OF the men who 4
wrote II, and 1 want TO read a letter here
without telling the name OF the man who
wrote IT :"
Il did not present anonymous communica-
tions," said the Chancellor. Il can tell who
wrote the articles I read, and the Chan
cellor did so.
well. then" said Holland. SAY I wrote
this letter myself and let me read it,
II object to the gentleman telling de-
liberste falsehood."
We'll. it's a personal, confidential let
ter. and can't tell who wrote IT.
THE gentleman has no right to make
public a confidential communication
Chairman Fairly ruled Holland out OF
order.
DO any emoluments attach to the Of
flee of School DirectorT asked Reinhold, q
of the committee.
None whatever. answered Chaplin
Nor did there to membership on the
former board. Yet one man resigned a po-
stion paying g. 500 a year to take a job
on the School Board for nothing. Bus was
mis- name"
"And he was a Republican" interiected
Holland.
Did Not Give Name of Author.
Senator Collins in his plea for the bill
read long letter arraigning the present !