The morning journal-courier., 1908-05-22
MAY NAME LEWIS
SUCCESSOR TONIGHT
Expected That Board of Educa-
ton Will Act on Webster
District Principal
ship,
BEEDE WON'T DISCUSS IT
NBoard Has Little or Nothing to Do
With STAFF Selection, Accord
Ing to It's Mem
bers.

Inc pu'SllOH VI tHe SuCCessol Va
Principal John G.. Lewis of the Web
ster school district will come up be-
fore the board Of education at its reg
ular meeting tonight on report to
be offered by Superintendent Beede,
What the nature of the report will
be Mr., Beede yesterday afternoon de-
clined to say, stating that 1t would be
given out by the board at the meet
ing. Whether 1t favors a local man
or an outsider he also declined to
state, but from his attitude on the
question during the past few days it
Is expected that the appointment OF
some one from outside New Haven
will be recommended,
Mr. Beede was asked what his rea-
sons were for regarding Mr.. Hackett,
the most prominent of the local can
dates, as unqualified, he declined
to say on the plea that 1t was not
proper for him to discuss any mans
or any teachers qualities publicly, for
while he would not intend to do so,
he might possibly do him an injury.
Mr.. Hackett's candidacy, It appears,
has stirred up the school authorities
to great extent. 1t is stated that
some members of the board are ad-
verse to MIN because they consider
him IAN agitator," and therefore not
the man they want for q supervising
principal. Mr. Hacketts friends point
out that the only things that he has
ever agitated were of great benefit to
the schools, pupils and teachers and
that If he is to be held down for try
ing to help better conditions then
they want to know about II.
From members of the board Of ed
ucaton Il Is learned that the board
has practically nothing to do with the
appointment of teachers and others
under the superintendent That Is,
~ way for of course while the
oard has the last say on such mat
@ters the provisions Of the charter
leave II in so that hardly anything
can be done.
According to the board members
recommendations for appointments
are made by the superintendent to the
school committee which consists of
three OF the seven members of the en-
tire board. This committee never
epresents a report without its being
Unanimous, and the charter says to
overrule such report at least five Of
the seven members Of the board must
vote against 1t. With the school COM
Mmittee of three in favor of the report
only four members of the board
would remain to vote against 1t and
X therefore the board could not throw
down anything If II wanted to unless
some member of the committee on
ffscn.sls heent. 'Dutk on his own report.
BY this provision the whole say is
practically left with the superinten-
1dent, whose duty IL Is to investigate
. and recommend and his recommenda-
- tons are usually adopted This pro-
vision was made in the charter, II was
stated, to keep appointments to the
schools out of politics.
Colonel l. NJ. Ullman, who was be-
Ing interviewed on another subject
was asked where he stood on the ap-
pointment of local men. He stated
heretofore gone on record as in fav-
or of appointing local persons to the
y school staff whenever and wherever
they we're competent MY position
on this has been clear for some time
he stated. Il do not favor the ap.
pointment of incompetent persona
Just because they happen - bt
J. New Haveners any more than
J would favor the appointment of ar
outsider not competent, because h'
came from somewhere else On tnt
present question l have nothing to sa.
as | do not know the circumstances
When the report, as you say 1t viii
be, is read tomorrow night, then
will get acquainted with the situation
and can made up my mind on it. A
present am as entirely in the darl
as are, | presume, other board mem
bers.'
r. Interest in the appointment anc
h insistance that there are local mel
Bqualihed for the position and shoulr
7 be appointed are on the increase dali.
and with the expected climax in viey
tonight those interested are on tn
qu vive to know just how it will com
out. 1t vas stated last night tha
owing to the excitement aroused b.
the situation the board would prob
ably rush the thing through and &c
1t over with, thereby stopping what
called by some of them the noise
Board members, however, stated tha
this was unlikely, but that the matte
would be put over until the regula
appointments for the next term wer
made. At any rate there will b
aomething doing on it tonight.