The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-31
. FOUNTAIN COUNTY SUIT
TAXPAYERS OBJECT TO USE OF
WRITING PADS IN SCHOOLS.
The Litigation Due to Health Board
Order Prohibiting the Use
of Slate Pencils.

About three years ago the State Board OF
Health condemned states and slate pencils
used in the public schools throughout the
State for sanitary reasons, as they were
pronounced dangerous in transmitting dis
eases, especially diphtheria. Just prior to
the order the attention of the board was
called to a diphtheria epidemic in one of
the counties of the State, and an investiga-
ton developed the fact that children were
dying every day from that disease, prob
ably due 10 the use of states and slate pen
ellis in school.
The state board condemned the use of the
states and recommended that paper and
lead pencils be furnished to school children.
as the large cities of the country had
adopted paper for writing purposes In pub
lie schools. In those cities IL was con-
tended that the use of states caused the
children to have cramped hands and they
were handicapped throughout life, while
the use of pencils and paper was deemed a
necessity.
AS a result of the order issued by the In
diana State Board Of Health to use lead
pencils and paper the secretary of the
board received a letter yesterday from an
attorney In Fountain county stating that
school trustees in that county had been
sued by taxpayers for alleged extravaganza
IN purchasing paper pads and lead pencils
for the use of school children. 1t was
claimed by the taxpayers who brought tho
suit that the purchase Of such supplies was
trustees wrote for a copy of the order of
the state board condemning the use of
states and recommending the use of paper
and lead pencils.
RAISED HIS WRATH.
The action of the Fountain county tax
payers who brought suit against the
trustees raised the wrath of the secretary
Of the board yesterday.
Such people do not consider that the
funeral expenses of one child would pay
for all the paper and pencils used by the
children in a school in a year." said he.
"They do not think of the loss of a child
by disease that might be contracted from
the use or slate pencils. In such schools
where states and slate, pencils are used a
pencil In It's mouth, and the next child to
place the pencil to it's lips would contract
the disease. 1t is awful to think of some
or the outrageous actions of petty econom-
ical persons who would endanger the lives
OF their children TO save a few pennies
I'm taxes.
ut has not been many weeks since I
made A trip to a southern Indiana county
to inspect a schoolhouse that was built
last fall. Parents of the children who at
tended the school complained that the
building was not warm during the winter
and was poorly ventilated. Before the
building was erected the state board fur
nished the trustees with plans and specif-
cations prepared for us by a competent
architect and an engineer in sanitary venti-
lation.
9TH trustee thought he knew more about
building the schoolhouse than we did or
the architect and engineer. and changed
the plans. He put a furnace in the build
ing that was two sizes smaller than the
one our plans called for, and as a result
the building was poorly heated and venti-
lated. When / went there to inspect the
building l measured the furnace and con-
fronted the trustee with what he had done.
He said he thought he could save some
money by buying a smaller furnace, etc.
IL cost that county $3.50 10 change the fur
mace and building. all because the trustee
thought he would be economical"