The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-04-18
SHARP TALK OVER PUBLIC
 SCHOOLS.
Objection to State Board Being Sole

Objection to State Board Being Sole
 Judge of Fitness of Teachers,
 Hartford, April 17.-Some sharp talk was indulged in by senators to-day on the bill providing for support of schools in towns having tax list less than S500,OO0. The attacks were directed against the state board of education, and more particularly against it's sec- retary, Charles D. Hine, and Senator Luther's defense of both and his own criticism of the public school system of the state apparently alone delayed action on the bill until Senator Walsh came to t5e rescue with a motion to table until the senate could inquire fur ther into the matter
 Senator Briggs called up the bill. Senator Grant opened the contest by saying that he was in favor of any bill that would better the teachers, the conditions under which they labor, and their compensation, but he did not want the state board to be the sale judge of the fitness of teachers and the system.
 He said it was hard for small towns to go to the state board if they can do better elsewhere At present these towns have to do this or go to teachers agencies. The bill gave too much pow CT, he said, to the state board, and this power virtually goes to one man, the secretary This man should not have the right to give approval to or refuse < to approve of any teacher in the state. He said that this secretary had gone himself to a superintendent of a school district and attempted to drive him out of Sais position, and to drive the teach CTS agency out of business.
 4 The secretary had told this superin- tendent that if he did not get his name removed from the agency list he would receive no aid from the state. Senator Grant said he believed 1t was danger ous to give one man the power such as had been exercised in the case mention ed The power mad been used once to bad advantage and would or could be used again under the bill
 Senator Luther jumped to his feet and said the incident was news to him. He said no superintendent should have his name on an agency list; such action should not be tolerated one min ute. He explained what, he said, to his mind, was absolutely just. He also said that the scandals in the education of Connecticut children grow out of the fact that there is no system. There are no standards for the teachers and a graduate of an institution is enabled to receive qualification on the value of an acquired education. The public school needs a serious investigation, declared Senator Luther, and there is urgent need of reformation in certain particulars. The state has a right to know how it's money is being spent and whether that money is wisely spent or not. He said that if the state board was incompetent he would be the first to recommend that the care of the schools be given to another board
 In closing, he said it was not right that the expenditure of a vast sum of money be left in the hands of local boards
 Senator Biakeslee said he was in fla vor of increasing the teachers pay, but believed this should be left to local boards as the best judge. He cited in- stances in his own city where the schools under the city government are conducted better than those under the direction of the state.