The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-10-22
STAMFORD

'''&e~S pA ONO0 LO Oc h ICIitdl hcOiO
 town meeting was held. last night,
 with Judge Peck in the chair. The re-
 suit of all the debate and voting coin
 cided with the prediction made in the
 Farmer few days ago. that no action
 would be taken towards abolishing the
 High school, and the School Board
 would be left to conduct affairs with
 out instructions from the citizens of
 the town. Before the debate began,
 MT Blakeman. secretary of the School
 Board, informed the gentlemen that
 he had received a letter from Miss Lettfe~ Bennett. the principal of the
 High Schol, saying that she would not
 be a candidate for election as principal for another year. This announcement
 ought to have cleared the atmosphere, but it failed to produce that effect.
 All supsequent allusions to Miss Ben nett were out of order, and not to the
 point under discussion. This was, that the School Board be instructed to hire
 a male teacher. Dr. Lewis introduced
 a resolution to that effect. Judge
 Curtis asked if the School Board re-
 quested the advice of the town. If it
 had not he thought it a piece of inn pertinence to proffer the proposed ad-
 vice. eDr. Lewis said he was not in
 favor of abolishing the High School,
 If the town can have a No. 1 school. He thought the meeting was within
 It's rights to ask the School committee
 to appoint a male teacher. He said
 we want high standard in the High
 School. MT. Bullock would like to see @ better High School, but he moved
 that the resolution to instruct the
 School Board be laid on the table. He
 believed in giving the boys and girls
 the most and the best that can be
 had at any price. He was una1terably
 oppcsed to the resolution. He asked
 who is the author. of the call for this
 special town meeting. It emanated from gentleman who has lived al-
 most under the center school building
 for at least 10 years. For every one Of those 10 years he has been avail able to the citizens of Stratford if they had thought that he possessed any ex- traordinary qualifications for a posi- ton on the committee to which they have intrusted the schools of the town. find here what he thought necessary for his mental equipment that he is now urging upon us such a radicss change? This matter was all known
 before the recent town election. If the citizens at that time were. dissatisfied
 with the plans of the men they had elected to the school Aboard they might have added the light that springs from the unusual endowment of the author of this call. MT. Conine offered a resolution similar to that presented by Dr. Lewis. He had good deal to say about Miss Bennett. and remarked that some people outl1ve their useful ness. But he admitted that she is a good and splendid teacher. Judge Cur tis made very strcng and convincing address in favor of Miss Bennett He die not mince his words when he scored those gentlemen who had drag ged her name into the debate. He said she had shown admirable skill and great devotion in her work for the past 10 years. more so than most men show in their business. and he thought it, Q contemptible thing to at tempt to instruct the School Board. Ths meeting had no business to in struct the Schol Board. The whole system of public school instruction in Connecticut is arranged for the very purpose of preventing such nonsense. The School Board alone has the solu- tion of all questions pertaining to the schools. The town may express it's opinion, but notsszng more. It was moved that the whole matter of select ing a teacher be left to the School Board. This motion was adopted by a vote of 73 to 38. Several more bal lots were taken all to the same in tent. with a constantly decreasing op- position. At times there was much confusion, and one little man. in the a ballot. He said he demanded it as a legal right. But the meeting re- fused to grant a ballot and was con- tent with a rising vote and. counting by tellers. When it was seen that the conservative people of the town were in a great majority, and that they did not intend to instruct the School Board, and would not allow Miss Ben nett's name to be spoken of sighting ly, the motion was made to adjourn which was overwhelmingly carried So the second article in the warning, that the High School be abolished, was not acted upon. and it died with the meet ing. The consensus of opinion in the town now is that the school question be let alone; and that no more special town meetings be called for the pur- pose of instructing anybody, or in- dulging in undignified personalities
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