The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1905-09-20

Superintendent u. w. Ogden az
Bristol Tuesday reversed the action
of the board of education Of Ten
mile district, IN the matter OF CON
solidating two schools Of that dis
trict. At the annual July meeting
the board ordered that what are
known as the Goodwin and A1ph
Williams schools on Grass Run be
consolidated. Patrons Of the Good
win school appealed from the boards
action to the county superintendent,
and Mr.. Ogden went to Bristol Tues
dav to hear the case, with the re-
suit as stated. E. F. Goodwin APP
peared as attorney for the parties APP
pealing but the Board declined 70
make any answer in the case what
ever. claiming that Mr.. Ogden had
already decided the case in his own
mind. =;
A citizen of Tenmile district, who
is familiar with the situation made
a statement for the Telegram IN
which the superintendent comes IN
for some severe criticism, though
his side of the case may put an en-
tirelv different light on the subject
He said:
eaFhe Board of Education is to be
commended for declining to have
ANYTHING TO do with what Mr.. Og-
den would be pleased to style the
investigation of an appeal. Nobody
likes to 90 to court when the Judge
and jury have been packed against
them. Ogden could not have well
conducted a more ridiculous farce
than his jndicial procedure at Bris-
fol Tuesday. It has been well
known for weeks among the people
generally that Ogden had not only
preindged the case but expressed his
intention of re-opening the Goodwin
school. He told members Of the
board sas much, and all his theatrical
appearance as Judge sitting IN an
appeal to review their action was
the cheapest kind of farce comedy.
an insult to the spirit of the law and
total stranger to the remotest
principles of fair and impartial IN
vestigation. The board granted him
stability enough to adhere to the
course he had decided on and care
fully ignored his lawyer-arTanged
scourt Of appeals.
"a the actt1a merits OF the case
the aetion Of Tie board complained
Of needs no defense before any man
ttIIiat has no axe to grind and no bar
tiers to make of his official Prerego-
tives for real or fancied personal ad-
vantage. The average attendance at
the two schools is about 1S pupils
at Goodwin's and 10 at Williams
and the wisdom of nsolidating
the two schools when the houses are
situated within less than mile and
half of each other, appeals to the
good sense of any fair-minded man.
Not child in either sub-distrlet
would have farther to travel to the
school than thousands of children IN
West Virginia are obliged to go.
sFBut Ogden does not appear to be
much influenced by mere facts when
he had made up his mind to please
at the expense of the tax payers of a
district. $3.50 a year is what the
neopln of Tenmile will be obliged
| to pay LOT GtlS KEetlh " oAAASiei -
ministration at his hands. He has
also been guilty of the grossest IT.
regularity in interpreting the spirit
81 the law in the case. The law
Eprovides that in an appeal of thit
kind the superintendent shall al
once FIX a time and place for hearing
the evidence of the parties. In
stead, he has spent two months IN
frantic attempt to dodge his plan.
duty as to hearing the proofs ant
allegations of the parties. he ma
l;importuned the board to help nun
out so that his friends might nav az
.their pet school and he escape TN
responsibility and further, ne ma
used every effort in vain attemp
!; Il manufacture sentiment anonl
i the people to support the decision
which he fixed in his mind when tn
matter was first brought to his at
] tention.
seFhe faost ridiculous feature Q
4; his court Tuesday was hiE opeuln
!. statement, the burden Of which .Hs 4.
tsI5s+ fEelIe. are several schools "a z
eo1lt.s a small g the saefsEl
ohool. Indeed 3 new 'torr1a