Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-05-12
BOARD OF EDUCATION
PeiiiioD, Asking For ReieDiioD ol
 Principal Devlne Presented.

A number or petitions were pre- scented to the board of education last night fayoring the re-engagement oi Principal Deyine and all of the teach CTS of his school, the Duggan, were present to back up one they had alsc presented. One petition was about ten feet long, made of legal cap; an other was about four feet long; stil another was about five feet long, while that presented by the teachers was done up just as the American wo- man does everything, neatly.
 The names of the teachers to the petition weer as follows: Julia M Wallace, Mary |. Altman, E. Mae Keefe, Anna R. Bowes, Mary McElli- gott, Laura J. Mccarthy, Catherine Mahaney, Margaret McNamara, Anna A. McGiyney, Mary l.. Mcdonald, An na M. Sweeney, Anna Manley, Mary G. Shanahan and Elizabeth F. De vine.
 There must have been about 1,00C names in all to the four or five peti. tions. MT Devine was present him. self. The petition from the teachers was accepted and ordered filed, but when Clerk Fitzgerald began to un- roll the petition that was about ter feet long Commissioner MonagaI moved all of them be reject ed. Commissioner Castle moved that they be considered and referred tc the committee on teachers. Commis. sioner Monagan said that so far as he saw there was no cause for any pe- tition. But President Sculiy did not agree with him. He said that in view Of public report and what the news papers have been saying for the past week there seemed to be considerable cause for such petitions, and that there seemed to be considerable foun- dation for the rumor that MT Devine was to be removed. Maybe" said he, Tit would be too late to consider the petitions later"
 Commissioner Castle said it was a technical point anyway in which Commissioner Laun agreed with him
 "To correct the public idea" said Commissioner Mcdonald, ''I wish tc state that the board of education hasn't thing to do with this matter It is all the work of Superintendent Tinker. He is the final power of such matters according to the charter The old charter was different. The old charter gave him power to rec ommend, but the new charter made him supreme authority on appoint ments and removals.
 Commissioner Castle again re- marked that the petitions ought to be referred to the committee on teachers. .s
 Tt Is a wonder that the committee did not inform the board of this matter before now. I think they ought to have done so," remarked commissioner Laun.
 Commissioner McDonald: MT Tink- CT did tell Mir Devine that he was not to be reappointed. There can be no doubt about that. ...-
 President Scully: "I am glad that you made clear that point anyhow"
 Commissioner Laun: There must be thousand names to these petitions. If the committee on teachers had de- cided to take this action regarding MT Devine the board ought to have been informed of It."
 Commissioner Monagan: We can put the blame on Mir Tinker for giv- ing this matter to the public be- fore 1t officially reached the board"
 The teachers were then asked if they wished to say anything and Miss Devine said they merely wished to have their petition be granted They thereupon retired. There was some more discussion about the way the matter became public talk after which Commissioner Castle again re- peated his motion that the petitions be referred to the committee on teach. CTS The motion was carried and the board adjourned.