Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-12-13
WHY IS THIS THUSlY?
Board or Education Votes to Darker
 Washinssem School Clock,

The light in the Washington school clock will soon be extinguIsh- ed per vote of the board of education last evening. Commissioner Chap man presided at the meeting and the others present were Commissioners LarlSia1, Griggs, Wooster, Mcdonald, Phelan and Lawlor. The light in the clock was recommended to be extin- guished upon the recommendation of the committee ca school houses and hygiene, and despite the objections of the democratic members of the board. The grounds taken by the committees were that the lighting Of the clock was not m educational matter. The light costs $130 year and the com mittee thought that money could ba expended to better advantage in some other direction. If there was evening school in the, building, or anything else going on there evenings, there might be some excuse for Keeping the light in the clock, but under the cir-r cumstances the committee saw nosle. On the mn1endation of the same committee the Bank street school clock will hereafter be wound by the janitor. Hitherto it was wound by the Lake 6 Strobel Go, which present ed the clock to the school some years ago on condition, it was said at the meeting, that they be paid for taking care of it, and the concern has been paid SIS a year since. The commit. tee thought the winding could be dons by the janitor, in fact that it ought to have been part of his work long ago. As to the conditions on which the clock was given to the school, Com missioner Griggs stated that he look ed the matter up and found no rec ords showing how it was given. Ii takes about fifteen minutes every two weeks to wind the clock. r. It was voted to close the schools al noon on the 23d,
 Attorneys Kennedy and Cassidy communicated with the board to the effect that they had been instructed by pr j. J. AfcLinden to collect or bring suit against the city for $34 for services rendered by vaccinating dur ing the smallpox epidemic, All tha other doctors were paid for their ser, vices in this respect, but 1t was sad the reason Dr McI4Hnden's bill was not paid was because it was not put in in time. The bill was referred to the board of health. which ordered the work done.
 A bill for x $117 from Thompson Bros for work on the Muicahy school was referred to Commissioner Grlggs.
 Gommissioner Griggs reported dere- fiction of GGeey on the part of some principal, and he moved that the SUI perfntendent of schools be notified to inform the principal that t1 e board would expect him to attend to the profession of his school duties. No name was mentioned, but the meTl- bers of the board appeared to know whose conduct they were discussing.
 Commissioner Phelan asked if the principal had not a perfect right to attend to his profession under his con- tract with the board. He reminded the board that another school official had set precedence in matter of this kind and then he called the at- tentioIl of the board to a fact that he, some time ago, complained that thls school official was attending to his private affairs during school hours, and the majority of the board on- posed him (the commissioner in the matter.
 Commissioner Larkin replied that the official referred to did not attend to his private affairs during school hours, that the superintendent was notified to inquire fnto the matter and that he failed to find otherwise.
 Commissioner Phelan said that if he were the principal referred to he would tell anyone who attempted to ilterfera with him to go to Jericho. No doubt the principal knew his com tract with the city. Furthermore, there was no report that his profes- sional studies interfered with his school duties.
 Commissioner Griggs suggested that perhaps it would be the proper thing to have the prislcipal come be fore the board and state his position in tue matter Commissioner LarkiR then seconded Commissioner Griggss motion and t was carried.