Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-05-30
SUNDAY, MAY 80. 1909.
TWO NEW MEMBERS NEEDED ON
SCHOOL BOARD.

Since the school board and Its do
ings have been attracting SO mueh
public notice. attention is being called
TO the fact that two of the nine seats
ON the board are vacant and seven
members continue to meet and ais
nose OF business. apparently forgetting
the unoccupied seats and satisfied TO
allow the membership to remain at
seven indefinitely.
Something like six months ago Mr..
c. C. smith, explaining that the de-
mands OF his business made it i'm
possible for him to continue to serve
as a trustee, sent in his resignation,
and since that time he has never at
tended a meeting. The resignation
has never been acted upon. and the
vacant seat has remained unoccupied,
although 1t is generally known that
Mr.. smith has no intention of recall
ing his resignation, and for months
has considered his connection with
the school system as severed.
A month or more ago. Mr.. E. B.
Cameron moved his family from the
school district from which he had
been elected, and went to Norfolk to
engage in business. BY leading his
district Mr. Cameron vacated his seat.
hence he has not attended meeting
of the board or had anything what
ever 10 do with the schools since But
the board has taken no official notice
of Mr.. Caneron's departure, the men,
bers seemingly objecting to two vacant
seats no more than they did to one.
Perhaps the failure to notice the
departure OF Mr.. Cameron Is a result
OF the failure of the board to hold a
regular meeting during the month of
May on account of the lack of q quo
rum. This Is an excuse. but perhaps
IL would be easier to get qGorums IL
the board had nine members as con
templated by Law instead of seven.
At ali events. the failure Of the reg
ular May meeting to materialize can
not be pleaded >as an excuse for the
continued vacancy OF the seat left by
Mr. smith The matter of filing this
vacancy simply has been neglected,
and the neglect has KEEP, one distric:
OF the city from having its proper
representation in the management OF
the affairs Of the public school sys-
TEN for half a year.
This is not small matter. as some
people NAV imagine. I; is bad enough
TO have two vacancies on the beard
exist indefinitely. but what this con
? dition indicates Il worse snsn tac
condition itself n the body is neg
liecrd enough TO allow the rcsfsn.--
ticn q a member 70 20 practically
unnoticed for six months. II Is bus
natural 10 presume that n Is liable
4 70 be careless about ether things. and
that important business materially ar.
fcetinE the Interests Of the school may
&c iett upattcnded 10 ~ any time.
Il = customary. according % our
rcccilcction. for The city council "a
vail Tor formal notice from the school
board before proceeding 20 elect new
trustees 20 gu vacancies. u would
seeE- hoecver, that In the present
instance 4 - high timc for the coun
c1 20 act for oncc without foiiovln=
custon. n The board does not m'no
depriving = district q ~ proper rep.
rcscniafion. then the NATTER should
MT BE- icfi in the boards hands. a
Joint r.ecrinz - the common cosn~sl
ard bo-rc q aidcrIacu skouid b. can.
"a At the esriicsf possible raomeat ~
TIE puIp>se q elcciirg two new srus'