The midland journal., 1909-09-10
SCHOOL TANGLE.
Elkton High School Patrons Still
Wrang1ing.
WANT vICE-pRINcIpAL REMOVED

/
The controversy over the appointment
of Charles Blake to a position in the Cecil
County High School at Elkton wakes
hotter and hotter, and it is said Governor
Crothers may be appealed to and asked
to remove one or more members of the
County School Board.
Some time ago, when Professor Nor
man Cameron resigned the principalship
of the school to accept position in the
West Chester Normal School, Blake, who
last year was. assistant principal, was
appointedto fill the vacancy.
This resulted in a number of the
patrons of the school protesting and a
committee appeared before George A.
Blake, president of the Board and father
Of the young man, and stated their
objections. They were given to under
stand that the appointment would not be
reconsidered. A petition then was circu-
lated asking the School Board to re-
consider its action, but before the meeting
of the Board, Charles Blake resigned, and
was appointed vice principal of the same
school. This raised another protest and
committee called upon Governor
Crothers, who talked with several mem
bers of the Board and attempted to have
the trouble amicably adjusted, but with
out success.
Last week a committee representing the
patrons of the school, appeared before the
State Board of Education and entered
protest against the action of the county
Board. The State Board after hearing
the case, decided that it had no jurisdic-
ton. A public meeting was held Friday
evening protesting against the Boards
action The objectors state that the APP
pointment of Blake is elimination of a
practice of appointing relatives of mem-
bers of the School Board, young and in
experienced, to the best-paying and most
responsible positions in the schools in the
county.
It is understood that petitions will be
circulated asking Governor Crothers to re-
move at least two members of the School
Board. Those heading the movement
have announced that they propose to
keep it up indefinitely until they get
satisfactory adjustment of the controversy.
The committee representing the patrons
of the school has made public the fol-
lowing statement:
"a committee composed of Messrs. w.
| L. Lancaster, E. w. Dawson, Arthur c.
Harvey and Frank R. Scott appeared be-
| fore the State Board of Education in Balti-
more on Tuesday, August 3Ist, protest.
ing against the appointment of Mr.. Chas.
Blake as Vice-Principal of the Elkton
High School. Mr.. George A. Blake,
President of the Board of School Com
missioners of Cecil County; Commissions
er George A. Carey and Mr.. VIM. S.
Evans were also present. As soon as
! Governor Crothers announced the Board
ready to hear the case, Mr.. Evans stated
that he did not know what charges the
committee proposed to make, and in the
absence of several supporters he expected
to have at the hearing that he desired a
postponement of the case. The committee
argued against further delay, and stated
their opposition to the appointment on
the ground of un6tness for the position,
presenting petition with over one hum
dred signers protesting against the
appointment of Mr.. Blake as principal,
the position to which the Cecil County
Board had elected him. They also sub
mitted a letter from Professor Norman L.
Cameron, who was principal of the High
School last year, testifying in general
and detailed statement as to the unfitness
of the appointment.
The appointment Of Mr.. Blake as Prin-
cipal was received with such strong and
very general disapproval that efforts were
quietly made to have the appointment
Withdrawn. Mr.. George A. Blake, the
President of the local School Board, finally
promised his sons resignation. This
was presented to the Board and accepted,
and at the same meeting he was elected
Vice-Principal, to which position Miss
Lewis had been assigned in July, and
which position she had not resigned. The
committee did not think this action of the
Board at all satisfactory, and appealed to
Governor Crothers, who took the matter
up with Mr.. Carey and suggested the
solution of the trouble would be the resig-
nation of Mr.. Charles Blake. AS this was
not forthcoming, the Governor suggested
to the committee that they could lay their
case before the State Board, which was
done as stated above"
A number of colored families of Lincoln