The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-08
SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION.

The question of school consolidation
1t the city of Hartford, where the dis
ricts are managed Independently by
the residents of those districts, Is an
Did question there. 1t has been the
yource of more fruitful and fruitless
discussion than perhaps any other
yubject Of municipal concern. 1t was
IN issue in yesterdays municipal cleo
hon and was disposed Of MS our news
bofumns tell. The armies of attack
Ind resistance have shown cleverness
throughout It all and on that account |
have attracted the attention of cities |
hike New Haven. where consolidation
pf the school districts Is an accom-
plished fact and where no one ever |
shinks of breaking the common whole |
np again into separate parts.
The original seed which developed !
the question into an issue ut for the
polls was discovered in the logical
md forceful plea that It was unjust
10 thus throw the poorer districts up
on their own resources, while the
richer districts enjoyed the larger
fruits of the public educational policy,
In order to escape what has been re-
Earded at Hartford as a school men
ice, namely, school consolidation. a
compromise change was effected
which the Courant of that city says
while not complete Is so nearly fair
that the differences are trivial" The
virtual elimination of this plea, or at
additional concessions can easily he
made without undue political excite
ment, brought the campaign for
school consolidation in yesterdays
election down to basis Of principle
One OF the school principals wrote to
the parents of the children in his dis
trict warning them to vote against
consolidation. New Haveners cannot
fail to be interested in his argument,
as exactly the opposite argument pre-
walls here. He believes that the fami-
ly unit is more effective in managing
district schools than the political unit
would be under consolidation. 1t
would be unpleasant for district SUI
perintendents to be told what teacher
to employ, discharge or trade with
from salary point Of view. II would
also be disagreeable to he told what
course OF studies had been prescribed
by the central school board. Each
superintendent is now working out the
problem OF his district In his own
way and as O. consequence a sense Of
local pride, which under consolidation
would be destroyed, exists and oper-
ates to the advantage Of the district.
The tendency OF the times IL away
from consolidation and towards sepa-
rate units. 1t would finally be as alb
Burd to consolidate all Of the schools
of Hartford as it would be to consoll-
date all Of the churches.
1t would appear to be from the New
To aof ,.ia
ton that the breaking up Of the fam
lily unit of government, which is the
district school point OF view, would
lead to the substitution of the political
unit. 1t has worked inst the other
way here. Under consolidation and
the grant of the appointing power Ia
the central board Of education to the
mayor, political interference with the
life Of the schools has disappeared
There Is more politics to-day In the
district sctpol elections in Hartford
than would be tolerated here mo.
ment, so determined is public opinion
that the schools shall be run as insti.
tutions of education and only as such
The Independence Of the distric
school principal is considered here a.
not essential to the best school re-
suits while his advice when proceed
ing from districts presenting condi
lions of an exclusively local character
has greater weight and actually ac
complishes more than n the treatmen
of those conditions rested entirel
with one man, and possibly he a tenn
porary soiourner, The one practlc
Is apt to create a policy; the othe
cannot possibly do so Exactly tn
same argument applies in the case 0
the alleged discomfort of the distric
principal, who Is subject to a centra
board In the matter of selectin
courses Of study and determining tn
wage rate Here 1t is believed that
central clearing house accomplishe
more for the common Good than
number Of independent manager
Seeklng the educational welfare of on