Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-11
M'BRIEN ANSWERS SOME CHARGES
Former State superintendent Defends
His Administration.

LINCOLN, Feb. l.)-Former
State Superintendent of Schools j. L. Nc
Brien has written the following letter to
the editor of the World-Herald:
Your Lincoln correspondent in yesterdays
World-Herald makes statement with re-
gard TO my administrator of the office OF
state superintendent, which are evidently
founded upon incomplete and erroneous in
formation. deem it my duty to the people
of the state of Nebraska to place before
them through your paper the facts in the
case at issue. ! cannot do this better than
TO call your attention to pages xiv to xvii
OF my introduction to the twentieth bien-
NAL report OF the state superintendent of
Public instruction to the governor for the
biennium beginning January 2, 1907, and
closing December 81, 1908, which i most
respectfully request that you publish in full.
as l feel that no one will be more willing
and ready to right a wrong than yourself.
You will observe that the most liberal APP
preparation ever made for the office of
state superintendent of public instruction
was in 1891, when a fusion legislature APP
propriated 1888 for a republican state
legislature ever appropriated for that Of
flee in the history of the state. 1t is
evident, therefore, that the office of state
superintendent has never been made a foot
ball for partisan politics.
Let me call your attention TO another item
that must be considered in the discussion
of this question. Every state supertn-
tendent of public instruction down to 1905
travelled on transportation furnished free
by the railroads. since tina time MS traN-
cling expenses have been borne by the state
or by the community served.
The heaviest burden in work and expense
placed upon the office of state superin-
tendent in many years, and for which no
additional appropriation was made, was by
the enactment of the King law by the legis-
spection of the twelve private and denom-
national schools authorized by law to grant
teachers certificates. TIL bill as originally
drafted by me at the request of Senator
King placpd the inaDActiOn of all schools
seeking recognition on the basis Of the state
normal schools under the control of the
Board Of Education of the state normal
schools, and the inspection of all schools
seeking recognition on the basis Of the Uni
Versity of Nebraska under the control of
the Board of Regents of the University OF
Nebraska. A strenuous protest was made
by the presidents of all private and demon.
national schools affected by the proposed
measure against placing the inspection or
their respective institutions In the hands
of such boards, for the reason that said state
boards were the managers of rival institu-
tons. At the suggestion of Prof. w. X.
service as state superintendent, a compro-
mise was reached by placing the inspection
of said private and denominations schools
under the personal inspection of the state
superintendent of public instruction or the
personal inspection of the state board of
examiners for life certificates. The total
exnenses directly chargeable TO this inspec-
ton for the biennium will not be less than
$500. This amount had TO be paid out of
| the appropriations for the regular office ex-
penses of the state superintendent for the
current biennium.
Your further attention is called to the
extra expense placed upon the office in
carrying out the provisions of the free high
school act of 1907, which requires an official
inspection by the state superintendent of
over 300 nonaccredited high schools, and
for which no extra appropriation was made.
Then, too, you are well aware of the great
work done by Superintendent 3. c. Bishop
in the organization and management of
boys and girls agricultural and Industrial
association, numbering over 20.000 of the
most progressive youths of the state.
As to the payment OF clerks and assis-
tants in the office of the state superinten-
dent during my administration i selected
| competent people and paid them no more
than was being paid for the same charac-
ter OF work in the other administrative
state offices. AS to the luxurious fur
nlshings referred to by your correspon-
dent, permit me TO say that II you will