Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-03-13
GOVERNOR DAWSON AND THE
VETO OF THE FIRST BILL GRE
ATING THE INDEPENDENT
SCHOOL DISTRICT OF BEAVER
POND.

A modern orator has said. BE
ware OF the man who dreams; he
brings things to pass" II this be
true 1t bdhooves the average citizen
to know somewhat OF hts neighbor's
dreaming. He may wake up some
fine morning and find himself dispos-
sessed of his own. There has been n
little of thFy dream OF empire, ac-
cording to our retiring governor. go
ing on In our fair city OF Bluefisld.
The Hon. w. p. Hawley on January
22nd, 1909, committed the tangible
form OF q beautiful dream of power,
and emoluments, too, for what would
empire amount to IL no emoluments
ware attached Ito the tender mer-
cies OF the West Virginia legislature.
The lawnakers are loving and neigh
borly and promptly passed his house
bill No. 1913, which waiy the embod-
iment OF this lovely dream OF our
honorable school board and the city
true that this dream affected the
interests OF every man. woman and
child I'm the city, and Il is Alto true
that these aforesaid ctizena cid not
know about this dream of power
affecting their interests. But what
matter? The average citizen should
be attending to his own business,
which Ia making money to pay his
taxes, and such little matters, with
out bothering his poor head about
such things az laws, and legislatures.
and empires. However. the bill
passed; MIR. Hawley was happy. the
school board was happy, tho school
superintendent was happy. and ev-
erything was lovely, and the people
oh, well, Commodore Vanderbilt
knew what ought to be done to them
So far as the legislature was con
cerned, the empire was created and
the emperor was on hand to seize the
reins OF power and make things
hum In BlueHeld."
Let u5, just because we are com
mon tax payers and common folks,
examine this lovely dream thus re-
allied and brought TO such a happy
contamination. The bounds OF this
empire were the boundary Ines of
the Beaver Pond school district. A
very modert little territory, indeed
but 'arge enough, nelghboH, to make
you and me SIT up and take notice.
II we care at all about our own In
terests and that OF our children. to
say nothing of our neighbor and his
rights and interests. The emperor OF
this empire was TO be the superin
tendent " our city school. His cab
met, the board OF education. To
these, were to be committed indeh-
nitely everything pertaining to the
schools in the district-beg pardon.
In the empire. little study of this
wonderful creation will aid the dull
brain or ouch men as you and /.
neighbor, TO appreciate the beau ties
OF this matchless scheme. In July
OF this year the board was TO be in
creased to FIVE Eve now have three
M mbers), this, OF course was to be
done by the people; an, neighbor,
there, IS where you blunder-em
pires do not leave things to the peo-
pc. What is the use OF having them
II they did, besides what do the peo-
pie know about such thing7 any way .
No the PRESENT BOARD WAS TO
CHOOSE It's incoming fellow mem
bers, else they might not fit into
the schcme. These were TO serve
until one THOUSAND, nine hundred
and fifteen Six long and arduous
years were TO be the term OF their
service. This would be long enough
to get the empire on It's feet and It
was hoped by that time all would BE-
well. After that, the main duty
OF this board was TO do what the
emperor said. OF course they chose
him and then their principal work
was ended. n a vacancy occurred
the superintendent nominated him:
no one else could name man, ex-
c5lpt thb newly created emperor
Was he not TO be supreme. Here IS
a list OF mis- burdensome duties:
J.. TO nominate assistant upper
intendents.
2. To nominate examiners.
3. To nominate all teachers in all
the schools in the district.
4. To ftll vacancies in the board
Of education.
IL was further enacted that none
OF these positions could be II led with
out his recommendation.
5. TO revoke the certificate Of
any teacher for cause.
Mind you, the board OF education
ws1 bound to do all these things
at the bidding OF the superintendent.
The man on the streets would tel
you that 'he was the whole show.
In other words, he was 20 be en-
= .Rts..s'