The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-22
much INTEREST N
DESK CONTRACT
State Board to Take Action on
Norfolk City Matter
Tonight.
MAY ENJoIN LOCAL BOARD
Col. Button Returns From Am
l1erst and Talks of Strobe
Allen Contest.
MAY ENJolN LOCAL BOARD

Allen Contest.
The meeting of the State Board of
Education tonight will be of unusual
interest and Importance. and 1t Is OK
pected that every member will attend.
Governor Swanson and Superintendent
Eggleston will both return in time for
the meeting, and Attorney General An
derson. the other local member, is al
ready here.
The meeting is called to take up the
Norfolk city school desk matter. which
Is regarded of great Importance, and
which has provoked n serious clash of
authority between the State and local
board. 1t is rather expected that the
board will direct Major Anderson to
proceed by injunction to restrain the
A. II. Andrews Company, from filing
the order for desks forGt Norfolk
city schools, the State Board having
previously awarded the contract to
Preston Belvin, trading as the Virginia
School Supply Company.
The situation appears much. compli-
Gated. however, and 1t is not at all
certain at this time what course the
board will pursue.
DR.. Fl. r. McIlwaine Is much pleased
with the selection of Mr.. Earl G.
Sven as assistant librarian, and Is
sure he will make valuable officer.
Mr.. Sven has recently visited the IL
brary, and has gone over the entire
situation with DR.. McIlwaine.
Capitol Lights.
Colonel John w. Richardson, register
of the land office and superintendent of
buildings and grounds. has had the
electric light removed from the north
side of the Capitol Square to point
just south of the Washington Monu-
ment on the main walkway, where the
wooden steps are located.
| There are only a few lights in the
square. and Colonel Richardson is do
| ing the best he can to get them dis
| tributed SO as to give the best results.
Often the most frequently travelled
portions oftthe square ar practically
unlighted by night. and it is generally
conceded that more lamps are Sneeded
for public safety and convenience
Colonel Richardson is trying his
hand on raising tobacco in the square
this year. He has eight or ten plants
near the Library Building, and they
are doing very we'll.
AS Seen by Colonel Button.
State Insurance Commissioner Jo-
speh Button has returned from Am
herst Courthouse. where he was sum
moned as witness in some case on
Monday.
Colonel Button says he found the
political pot fairly boiling FIR
both the House and Senate in Am
herst and Nelson. and that the friends
of Strobe and Allen We're working
overtime to land votes for their re-
spective favorites. The impression
oil
ing with leaders on both sides. is that
the senatorial contest is going to he
uncomfortably close between Senator
Strobe and Mr.. Allen. and that heart
disease finish is in sight as result
of next Saturdays primary. The Strobe
people are claiming Amherst and the
supporters of Mr.. Allen contend that
he will carry Nelson. 1t seems to be
pretty generally believed that this is
about the true status of the situation,
and 1t resolves itself into a question
of which candidate shall get the coun-
ty conceded to him by the larger ma
; jority.
State Road Work.
The State Highway Commissioner has
returned from Amherst, where he Went
on official business. and was In his Of
, flee yesterday. In discussing the roac
situation in the State Captain Wilson
said:
/ "orange county has voted $4,000
for road improvements for Madison
District. The survey has been made
and the men will be sent there In 8
short time.
"In Culpeper county the people have
! voted for 100000 road fund The
. survey is being made. and within 6
. short time we hope to see the WORK
under way. That will give the county
a good road and will be a move in tho
right direction.
within the last year the people
of Virginia have raised more thar
, a lf-million dollars for road i'm
provement, and there is much inqui
ny in all sections for road surveys
: probable cost, possibility of getting
the necessary force and all such mat
tiers. The work Is in it's incipiency ant
| the fever seems to be taking hold o
| lthe people. Good roads are coming
1 for Virginia"
Captain Wilson will leave for Nor
| folk to-day to look after the worl
being done on the Exposition Boule
| ward.
Brief Capitol Notes.
| Governor Chas. e. Hughes, of New
| York, who was invited to address tn
convention of, Insurance Commission
ers here September 17th-19th, has VII t
i ten Commissioner Button that previou
engagements will prevent him fror
attending. The New York Executiv
regrets that he cannot he present an
+, hopes that the meeting will result !!
good.
Z Judge David A. Christian. Of Apo
$ mattox who Is connected In an otiicia
s % nocifv with the Depar tment OF Ed
n ucation, has returned from his vaca
$. ton. which lie spent at his home
n the country. Judge Christian was nc
# feeling we'll when he left. but Is no,
10 much invigoroated. He was at nj
: desk in the offices of the departmen
n yesterday.
Among the prominent callers at tn
is ECapitol yesterday We're Judge j. I
J. M. Norton, of Alexandria, and DR.. A.