Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-07-13
INTERESTING MEETING.
No Admission Charged Although the
Show Was Worth il.

Once again has Hans Rasmussen,
the sturdy warrior of Town Plot, been
defeated at a meeting of the voters of
the Town Plot school district At last
nights meeting Hans found himself
fighting alone and singlehanded the
proposition to grant Miss Mary Kelley,
the principal of the school, an increase
in salary. He not only opposed the
increase, but also tried to have her
salary reduced. Though his efforts
We're seconded by none. Hans fought
long and persistently, disputing every
inch of the ground, but he was over
WIhelmed by superior forces. When
the motion Of raising the principals
salary to 5000 was placed before the
meeting, Mr. Rasmussen was the only
person present last night who voted
against it.
That the special meeting had
aroused much interest was manifested
by the large attendance Every seat
in the school room was occupied, extra
chaifs We're used q number of persons
Were standing, while crowd of nom
voters We're contented with standing
in the corridors and listening to the
speeches. It was a lively meeting,
though it was not UP to the standard
of excitement, compared to some meet
ings which have been held in the dis
tr1ct. At times it had prospects Of
becoming unusually hot, but the war
ring speakers were called to order by
Emonz Chapman, who presided in ian
able manner. M. @. German was
clerk.
Committeeman John Anderson ex-
pladned that the meeting had been
called for the following purposes: To
take action in regard to retaining the
present teachers; to fix the salaries of
the principal and the janitor; to Inn
prove the school grounds, and to vote
by the registrars list. The last two
were laid ON the table.
Mr. Anderson continued: During the
six years that the school has been
built we have had our ups and downs,
but now we have school which is
second to no school in any district I'M
der the supervision Of the board of ed
ucation. We have teachers who are
second to none in any school in the
city. The parents of the school chdl-
dren are well pleased with them and
so is the board of education. All
should DE retained.
3. T.. Carver made a motion that all
the teachers who wished to stay
should be retained.
Attorney James Lawlor. member Of
the board of education, made one OF
the most interesting speeches OF the
evening and at the close he was greet
ed with much applause. As mem
Der of the board Of education / am
very much interested in the Town Plot
school. You have here corps OF
teachers second to none in any dis
trict. You have principal who IS
second to none in any school in the
city. She has shown by the standing
of her pupils, by the discipline main
tanned in the school. by the reports to
the board of education that she is
most competent and is filling the posi-
ton in an emtnently satisfactory man
ner.i When the children go from this
school to the city school they are COM
petent to go ahead They are not
pushed by a grade or two, because they
are incompetent, as the pupils from
other districts. the Mill Plain in par
ticular They can hold their own
with the children in the. city schools.
/ would be in favor of giving the
teachers even greater salary In order
to retain them"
Hans Rasmussen stated that It was
surprising to him how much fuss was
stirred up over nothing. He shouted:
II don't know any person I'm the dis
trict who IS opposed to retaining the
teachers"
John Anderson, the present commit
teeman, said something about the com;
mitteeman being the servant of the
district and not Its master, Whereupon
Anthony Ayotte. the new commcree-
man, said that if anybody inferred
that he was going to be led, he would
tell him right then that he would re-
fuse to be led and wouldn't be led. I
will be no sidelight," was his conclud-
ing remark.
It was finally voted to retain the
present teachers, if they. wished to re
main. 1t is understood that one OF
the teachers has accepted a position
elsewhere and will he succeeded by
Miss Nellie Devine of Bank street. The
principal fight of the evening was now
waged over the proposition to increase
the salary Of the principal.
Committeeman Anderson said: Il
like to economic as well as anybody,
but not in educational affairs. Up to
two years ago we had man, who was
paid 5000 a year. (Cries of ''Out Of or
der'o If Smalley (more cries. was
worth $500 Miss Reilly is worth ST.
SOO''
Eyes and $4,000" interrupted Mr.
Rasmussen.
Anderson: ''She should get more"
Rasmussen: "She won't get It.
e. J. Carver moved that the princi-
pal should be paid $500 a year.
Mr. Rasmussen started to say some
thing about a newspaper article and
the chairman told him he wished to
hear no newspaper talk. Rasmussen
caused a storm of excitement by re-
plying that 1.-THE gentleman who gave
that article to the newspapers is
lawyer and liar"
.'Take your seat" the chair shouted.
"For what?' Rasmussen replied.
Chair: "Such ungentlemanly Ian
g,uage> cannot be used here. Sit down"
Rasmussen: II can't. There's no
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