Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-23
Mr.. RUDD'S ST AND,
nA.,E VIGOROUS FIGHT Fon
CHANGE IN DEMERIr SYSTEM.
POOR CHILDREN DEFENDED.

pupf,s with wealthy Parents Re-
ported to Have Received Better
T,cnsmcnt-Mntter Not Acted Upor
Last SiEn..
Startling and interesting DEVELOPMENTS
were brought out at The meeuhs VI .ns
I Srilooi is.ard last night, at which q e1o.SE
fnent was mace 10 the effect tnat ois-
cs,,,,Ina,,ons rad been maze against the
poor pupi.s by teachers, and mat lheS
p;ere no, gwen the same showing as inose
who had wealthy parents. AS pTeoAcseu
In yesterday LIspatcn, the demerit sss
tenn now in force WAS brought 70 lne a..
teution OF the body. MIR. q. 3. Ruod
mace practically the same statement DO
has been made by many other cltizens
concerning the way certain poor emu
SIen have been treated on account OF the
demerit system.
Mr. Ku4u made some scathing remarks
concerning what he thought TO be an
Injustice TO the poor families OF Nam
+ chester who send their children to the
public schools He said that about TWEEN
ty-fjve or thirty persons had asked n1n'
about the dement, system. he SAID ina
* had been reported to him that IN som.
Instances IL a child looked at teache:
seemed 20 be alone In the fight he was
making. He contended that; the present
demcrit system did not apply to all alike,
and had caused some parents TO take
their children away from the PUBIC
schools and send them to other places
OF learning. Lots OF poor people down
my way cannot afford to pay 81 to SEM
their children to the Catholic school,,
said Mr. Rudd. 81 have heard that some
children have been given dement's be-
cause the.- wanted to go out ana heIo
IN their hands TO get permission to do
co."
Mr.. Broaddus said: 81 think there has
been a lot of bother about changing
schools This school is open to all.
EFFORT TO CHANGE SYSTEM.
Mr.. Rudd made vigorous effort to have
Rule g. in regard to the dement, system,
changed. SO as to give pupils more chance
for realizing their pred 'cament before
they are cl 4stised. suspenLe ed. or expelled.
Mr. Rudd NOV ed that the rule be changed
SO as to provide that all pupils receiving
as many as fifteen dement's shall be re-
ported to the principal for chastisement;
that all pupils receiving ten dement's
shall be reported to the principal, who in
turn will notify their parents. in order
that the children may be corrected at
home or reprored by their parents: pupils
receiving thirty dement's shall be re-
ported Tor suspension.
The superintendent said that there had
been only three suspensions du ing the
present session. The system was inau-
gurated in 1883. and not at the beginning
OF the present session, as was enormously
reported. Previous to that time chill
dren received forty dement's before they
were suspended. The superintendent con-
tended that the system In force is the
best ever obtained. and that an extension
OF time gives the children more time to
be bad
The matter was finally laid on the table
until the next meeting. tEt
BLACKWELL,S EXPLANATION.
Principal James II. Blackwell. Of Maury
ia,ard to explain mistake he had made
N his last monthly report. He said that
he made the mistake in crediting one of
the substitute teachers with her salary
IN the school month instead of the CAL
rndar month as required. His explana-
lion WIS entirely satisfactory, and was
accepted by the body
MT. Wakefield spoke at length con-
corning the need of curtains in the Balm
bridse-Street school. He said:
Mr.. Chairman. my attention has been
called TO some Of the curtains in the
school. Some Of the rooms are in need
OF them. I think II is proper for this
body to visit the school and inepect It.
1 would like to see curtains in the school,
especially in the rooms of Miss Brown
ard Miss Wells. where they are badly
needed. move that the building and
land committee visit the school and see
what Is needed. want to see the eyes
OF the children protected"
Mr.. Wakefelds motion was adopted
TO SEE WILD ANIMALS
A communication from Mr.. Frederick
Lewis. of Bostock's wild animal show.
now located In Richmond. offering to fur
nish TRANSFORMATION and admission to the
Erhno1 cH1f1Srou of To fo,.d
q pupil was read
IT was thought that 1t would be advan-
tageous for the children to see the wild
animals manv OF which snecies they have
probably never seen before.
Mr.. Wakefield therefore moved that
the invitation be accented. and that PIN
cipal Alexander n. Fitzgerald select the
day, on which the children shall see the
show. Mr. Wakefields motion was
adopted
The clerk reported that more money
had been spent for the schools this ses-
sion than had been spent for some time.
Drs. e. +. Rucker. T. P. Mathews. and
sMr. j. c. Snellings We're absent from the
meeting on account of important busi-
ness.
The clerk brought the attention of the
body to the fact that the parents OF Wes-
son had been reinstated. Mr.. Wakefield
volunteered to notify the boys father.
JOINT MEETING TONIGHT.
A Joint meeting of the City Assembly
ind Board of Aldermen will be held to-
night for the purpose OF electing Dr. e.
g. Hill as president of the Board Of
Health; the members of the Board of Fire
Commissioners, and the Bridge Commits
Aoners. DR.. Hill will succeed DR.. ". p.
~ VS. who has moved to Richmond
to live.
80. what win be done In regard to
borrowing about $4,000 for the purpose
81 erecting new school building In Man
chester. cannot yet be predicted. The bill
authorizing the School Board to borrow
money and issue bonds for the purpose
81 building the additional school-house.
Nas reported from, the Committee on
Finance In the House OF Delegates In
Richmond yesterday.
MAY HAAk PUBLIC PARK.
A move has been started to have a
public park established In Manchester.
In view Of the fact that petition Is to be
presented to the Passenger and Power
ssrr-sp.,1r. requesting them to extend
thcir HILL Street line to Maury Cemetery.
Iii is believed that the park VII be 20
ratel in that section of the city. 1t is
also believed that the Passenger and
Power Company will encourage the
scheme 10 have the park located near
HRnyVa ,a5o me- a