The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-20
: :, = J, aec,ded stake to disrupt the

existinr conditions in these schools. MIR.
Hamilton said he sent his own daughter
to the CITY school Of Petersburg because
OF its excellent management. He spoke
highly Of the schools OF Rlch-
mond and Norfolk, and Judge robertson
Informed him that the schools OF Roanokc
had the name Of being as good as those
of Petersburg.
Mr.. Meredith said he should favor the
election of city school trustees by the
people. The present system OF selecting
them by the City Council was not at all
satisfactory.
Mr.. WATsoNS IDEA
Mr.. Watson thought 1t was the wrong
time to be making experiments with Inc
free-schuoi system. de SAID the state
Board was bound to have stpme response
BILE head in each county to transact the
school business with and to carry out the
functions OF the school system. These
heads should be selected by this cen.ral
State Board, who was responsible for the
proper exercise Of these functions and
should have the power. not only to APP
point. but to remove, as recommended by
the committee.
He called attention to tho fact of there
being 4,5r0 school trustees IN the State
and asked how many typewriters would
the State Board need to correspond with
all these independent individuals and
what would it all amount to after 1t vas
done.
DR.. McIlwaine did not think as many
as nfne-tenths of the superintendent
were efficient, He thought a fair esti-
mate was about one-half
Mr. Keezell opposed the Boaz amend
ment in a strong speech and said 1t was
almost necessary to have some proper
person to look after the schools in the
county.
He favored the retention Of county SUI
perintendents. but hoped the committee
would reconsider their recommenda ton
as to the composition OF the State Board
of Education. and he might then agree
to their selection by the Board. Other
wise he should advocate their election
by the people.
Mr.. Kendall said advocates Of the cleo
ton of county superintendent by the
people seemed to forget the fact that
so far as anybody knew; the electorate
OF great many counties was not. and
might not be. of such character as to
be safely entrusted with the election Of
school officers.
AS TO SUFFRAGE.
1t was useless to disguise the fact that
the suffrage matter had not yet been de-
termined, and when determined no man
l! was certain that some plans suggest
ed, if adopted would not sufficiently raise
the character of the electorate in some
counties. to make it safe to leave the Sc
lection of school officers to that elector-
ate
He strongly advocated Mr.. Barbour's
substitute. leaving the matter with the
Beard to say how the districts should be
subdivided. and the selection of the coun-
ty superintendent to the Board.
Mr.. Thornton favored the Barbour sub
stitute and opposed all amendments look
ing to the election of school officers by
popular vote. ST. sH ta-1'-
Judge Garrett said .fahe was utterly
opposed to adjustment of county superin-
tendents or their. being brought down into
the dirty pond..of politics by election by
the people. 1t was well known that Off
GERS, were selected by political conven-
tons and people just voted that way.
Mr. Quares: you would be willing for
them to be nominated by a primary,
wouldn't your
Mr.. Garrett: 1T would be better that
way, hut everybody knows that the best
officers are not always the most popular"
Mr. Garrett urged the adoption of the
report OF the committee
Mr.. Boaz withdrew his amendment abol-
ishing the office Of county superintendent
and accepted the substitute offered by
Mr.. Barbour
FINE SPEECH OF MR.. GLASS.
Mr. Glass said that upon the decision
of this one question depended the efficien-
cy of the school system in the future or
it's utter destruction. The report of the
committee was not whimsical. It's recon-
mendations were based upon a consecu-
tive design that ran all through the vari-
Gus sections OF the report.
{ On investigation 1t would be seen that
all the Eastern States provided for the APP
pointment of county superinteadents by
the Board Of Education, and the Western
States. where the Office was elective.
every State superintendent recommended
that this be changed to the appointive
system. The result in those. States, as
gathered from the official reports. was to
turn out the very best officer if his polit-
cal opponent. who was totally incompe-
tent, belonged to political party that
could command the most votes in a heated
political campaign on. other matters.
He said he knew county superintendent
under the present system who could not
tell whether James River flowed into
Chesapeake Bay or the Caspian Sea.
Iaughter.)
A man, he declared to know about
schools, should give. his time and his
thought to educational and not to pol;t-
ical or law matters.
The Committee of the Whole had de.
cided to select tfc State superint Andcnt
by the result of dickering ala trading 81
delegates to a State political nominating
convention after :ul the ether officers
had been traded off, and the swap came
on the locality OF the candidate, not his
fitness, He hoped the assault on the
report of the committee would stop there.
WOULD INJURE TILE SERVICE.
If the proposition to elect county super
'ntendents by the people is adopted there
would be a State Board OF one political
THE OLD WAX