The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-31
GET
SUPPORT OF
MAJORITY
BOardYOte inText-
books Fight 2l-7--Snper-
intendent'S Statement.

With Commissioners Scattergood,
Glatzmayer, Gleason. LIE Francis, Toye,
Stewart and Rob fighting to the last
minute to sustain the position they
had taken in repudiating the recon-
mendation of the Board of Examiners
as to textbooks, the Board of Educa-
ton last night by a vote of Fl to Z
upheld the Board of Examiners, and
by this sweeping majority showed its
~disapproval of the action of the text
books committee. Three textbooks of
the Silver urdette Company's Modern
Music Series, recommended by the COM
mittee in opposition to the report OF
the examiners, were turned down by
that vote and then, to further en-
phasize the fact that the Board OF
Examiners was supreme, another shock
was given to Scattergood and his fol-
lowers, when the rules were suspended
on his resolution to place the Dodge
geography on the list, and instead of
laying this question over until the
next meeting, it vas beaten by a vote
of % to S. Commissioner Rob refusing
~ Ntdi - a. oLOPbAOl VI lii 6COEAa
ply; he stated that he thought the
committee was in the right on the
music question. The committee recon-
mended the geography, although it was
dlsapproved by the Board of Examin-
ers, ignoring the Frye geography which
was recommended.
The two measures were discussed
for two hours, during which time DIR.
A. B. Poland took the floor in de-
Tense of his position in declining to
recommend that the Silver-Burdette
music books be placed upon the list,
at the conclusion of which he was
roundly a%pplauded.
The recommendation of the commit
tee covering the music series was en-
braced in two-resolutions, the first of
which was to place on the list the
primer, first and third readers of the
Modern Music series. while the second
one called for the elimination of the
present series of textbooks, known as
the Natural series, from the list. Both
of these measures were advocated by
majority of the textbooks committee
on the grounds that the Modern Music
series was superior to the one now in
uoby anu l1ldL luOuSdilQS VI lliC MAUI al
series of textbooks were now idle on
the shelves; they were defended nota-
bly, by one member of the committee,
Commissioner Crissey, and the city
superintendent Of schools, DR.. Poland,
is chairman of the Board of Elk
aminers as well, on exactly the OPP
posite grounds, the latter claiming that
the burden of proof could not be sue
cessfully shifted from the committee
to the examiners, and that the proof
of superiority submitted by the COM
mittee was. in fact. no proof at all.
Commissioner Scattergood was well
equipped with a formidable looking ar
ray of letters and papers, which he
spread upon his desk to submit as
proof of his assertions to the board.
He said the board might think he was
too young to pass judgment, and that
had received a marked newspaper,
that a man walks to his politi-
doom who thinks of anything but
public welfare.
Mr.. Scattergood said that he was
not in connivance with n book
publishing or selling house, and
that he had written twenty-five let
tiers concerning the music books in
question to the superintendent of as
many large cities, entirely at his own
expense (although 1t was small) and on
his own initiative.
The proper method of teaching
music, Commissioner Scattergood
thought, was outlined in the Silver
Burdette books, and he said that
was used in the schools of
Newark at the present time, although
the textbooks were not.
The commissioner said he wished
to call to the attention Of the
board conditions as he found
them in the Belmont Avenue,
Avenue and Avon Avenue
The first and last named of
these schools, he declared, were not
the Natural textbook at all, while
but five books were used in the Four
teenth Avenue School. In asking for
he requested the board to con-
most carefully the evidence which
had collected from other cities where
the Modern Music series had been used
and tested for some time.
Commissioner Frank F. Crissey, who
is also a member of the textbook
defended the board OF
saying that when the
annual notice was sent each
principal to send in a list of the books
would be needed for the ensuing
year no requisition was received for
the Modern Music books, and h a
inquiry among the various principals
the information that the books
were not desired. He a that one OF
three things must be considered be-
fore turning down the recommended
ton of the board of examiners, COM
posed of a body of competent technical
men, to substitute the opinion OF un-
informed laymen. These things ne
as follows:
That the board of examiners was In
competent to select the proper
books; or
THAT the board of examiners had not
given adequate consideration to the
oil
That open dishonesty existed in the
board of examiners.
None of these conditions could be
reconciled with the present exam