The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-11
SCHOOL SUPPORTER
 SEEKS INFORMATION Asks Pertinent Question About Fitness of Educa-
 tional Officials. COMMITTEE ON SCHOOLS Asked to Meet the Baf1ed Public and Clarity
 Things.
COMMITTEE ON SCHOOLS

Theoretically at least, the department of education of the city of New Ha- ven, as organized under the present charter, is admirably adapted to give the city efficient schools. Poor belated Hartford, with her countrifed district system" may well look at this city with envy. New Haven has small board, only seven, appointed by the mayor, and superintendent, with am- pie powers. Responsibility for good or bad results ought to be easily placed and public opinion readily brought to bear upon any evils which need to be corrected.
 The placing~of responsibility just now is rendered remarkably simple by a few unusual circumstances. The present members of the board of education, Messrs. Whitney, Jaskson, Wheeler, Moran, Betts, Spang and Ullman, all owe their present appointments to the mayor now in office, Mayor Studley. He then is to be held responsible if they are not the best men available.
 Moreover there are no members of the board who are not holding at least a second appointment to their positions except Col. Ullman and he would hardly be called inexperienced in city affairs Three members, Messrs. Whitney, Betts and Moran, have been in office continu- ally since 1898, when the board was re- duced to seven members, and these to- gether with MT. Jackson, appointed the the following year, make a majority Of the present board. MT. Whitney has been president of the board and one of the two members of it's committee on finance since 1898. MT, Moran has been a member of the committee on schools since 1893 and its chairman since 1896, and he and Mr Jackson have been two of the three members of that committee since 1899, MT. Betts has been a member of the committee on school buildings since 1893 and one of its two members and its chairman since 1902 Perhaps it might be men tioned that Messrs. Betts and Moran, the chairmen of the two of the three committees of the board, have their business offices together, and in spite of their political differences, one being a republican and the other, a democrat, are doubtless united in spirit. Thus 1t should be unusually easy to fix respon- gibility in regard to policies of the board
 The writer has been interested in school matters since the quiet old days of Hlr. Parish's superintendent and yet must confess to ignorance as to the educational convictions and ideals of most of the members of the board. Why are they they there and what do they stand for, individually? Inter- ested citizens should certainly be able to answer such questions for them selves, in regard to veteran members, or could they perhaps answer them better in regard to new appontees? At any rate, I for one should be glad of Information.
 Perish the thought What have po- Titles to do with education? Look over the list of the board and judge for yourself!
 Have they made a special study of education? don't know, I should be glad to know. All the answer that I can lny my hand upon is from Presi- dent Whitney's report to the mayor in 1898.
 Since 1899, the reports of the board of education have been buried in the city year book instead of published separately so that most citizens see mo- thing of them except the extracts given out to the newspapers, MT. Whitney in 1898, in the first report under the new charter speaks thus
 nThe fact that the appropriations for all branches of our local government are in the hands of one central body, wliose duty it is to decide what propor- ton of the public money can be de- voted to the education of our children *ps necessitates the exercise of the strictest economy on the. part of the board. We must live within our means. We can no longer accumulate a float ing debt. and this is as it should De SD
 All agree in this that our primary and grammar schools are of the first importance, and that their efficiency must be maintained, no matter what may become of the high schools.
 Nevertheless, our high schools arc fixed fact. and all talk of entirely abolishing them seems waste of time.'
 After speaking of the difficulties pre- scented by the crowded condition of the old Hillhouse building, he con- tinues:
 No matter how much we may desire to do so, We can not divorce ourselves entirely from the prevailing public sen. timent of this country at the present time in favor of high school expenson. On the other hand, 1t must be acknowl- edged that we are offering educational advantages to many who do not appre- ciate them, and to whom, for that req son. they are positively injurious, but the same can be said of most systems of education. The question of how far education at public expense should be carried seems to be no nearer a sat- isfactory answer than it was thirty years ago"
 Whether Mir. Whitney, or the board, , If he spoke for it, has come nearer in 1907 to an answer to the question whether high school education should be at public expense, 1 do not know. I should be glad to know, for it is a vital matter in our city school sys- tenn.
 In connection with this point 1t is Interesting to notice the latest distinc-