The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-15
TO ADOPT NOVEL PLAN
DULUTH NORMAL SCHOOL TO OPEN
MARCH
Board Action Taken in Spite of d.
rector Phelps Protests, but
With Approval of Board
of Control.

The normal board wasted lot of good
time yesterday afternoon discussing the
question ITO open or not to open the
Duluth Normal School on March - and
after talking art and architecture. grad
ing and aesthetics, they shifted the re-
sponsibility to the board of control. 1t
was the only action of the day that
could be cnstrued into concession to the
latter body. If the board of control o.
KS the idea, the Duluth school will open
on March l. continue nine months and
have winter vacation. instead of a sum
mer vacation. The board really did not
care very much about the matter. one
way or the other. but Director Phelps
was opposed to the idea. SO the board had
to vote for it.
At the last meeting of the board Mr.
Mercy introduced a resolution providing
that the school be opened March l.
This was laid over and Secretary Olsen
instructed to ascertain the sentiment of
the school superintendent in the coun-
try tributary to Dulu..4 upon the subject.
Mr.. Olson made his report Yesterday
He sent out seventy circular letters and
received twenty-five replies. Of which
number seventeen favored the nlan and
eight opposed it. The opposition of the
eight was, however, of very mild
variety.
President Ankeay said that it was hard
ly feasible to get the school started by
March 1. President Bohannon, called
upon for an opinion, said tina. he was
very anxious to get to work, but that tbs
question was a grave one From the
standpoint of the school and the COM
munity he thought there were some valid
objections to the idea The gravest oblec-
ton, In his opinion, was the tendency it
would have to make it a big summer
school, at the expense Of the other two
terms. 1t would have a very large sum-
mer attendance, and q very small at,
tendance during the other terms. and the
work would be more or less dfsarranged
thereby. But he thought there were
many things to be said in favor Of it
also
Mr.. Olsen said that the general senti
ment of the State Educational associa-
ton was in favor of the new plan. The
main objections raised by the opposition
were that it would make the WORK Of the
school out of harmony with the work Of
the other normal schools and it would LET
the pupils out of the normal school at a
time of the year when 1t was almost i'm
possible to secure schools. Director Clark
thought the board should not risk too
many experiments. 1--WE are not trying
experiments enough said Supt. Olsen.
to which Mr.. MoreY assented Mr.. Olsen
said that the fact that it differed from
the arrangement in the other schools was
no argument at all. He did not think it
necessary or advisable to keep all the
schools uniform in their methods of work
or to try to give just the same work at
all the institutions He CAought it would
bring to the summer school session many
pupils who otherwise would neve get
any normal school training at all. Pres
ident Bohannon said that few peoD-e were
planning to go to school March l. and
he doubted if over twenty pupils would
enroll if it opened at that time.
Phelps Makes q Talk.
The question as to whether the school
could be opened and equipped for COM
1ncDcement of the session in so Snort a
time was discussed and the opinion was
that it could be gotten ready if nee
eSSary.
Director Phelps went off into long ar
gument to the effect that the school was
Ill no shape to be opened yet that the
surroundings were uninviting; that III
three months it would be graded and
fixed up and be a spot of beauty which
would attract students, whereas now it
was only mud hole without sidewalks
or paths even, and that it would repel
students. 1T cannot be DONE" said
Phelps. Haven't we had trouble
enough already?"
MI. Morey said that, Of course. if it
were necessary to have pavements marks
statues flower gardens and all such at
fractions before it could be opened, they
might as well postpone it Indefinitely.
He did not believe that teachers after
an education would place much en-
phasis upon the landscape.
Mr.. Mercy moved that the resolution,
opening the school March 1, be adopted,
subject to the approval of the board of
control, who alone must decide whether
t1a school could be got into readiness
by that time. Mr.. Hammond dTd not
believe that the motion should contain
the clause regarding the board of con
trolls sanction. Mr.. Morey thought It
tie proper recognition of superior au-
thority. During the discussion a legal
point came up regarding the right Of the
Duluth school to use the legislative ap-
preparation after a year had expired.
Mr.. Bohannon said that the board of
control had assured him that they could
arrange it that way. ''Then there can
be no question about it," replied Mr..
Hammond with great sarcasm, despite
anything in the statutes to the contra
ry."
The resolution was adopted by vote
of to 2.