Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-22
BOARD MEETS THEEXCHANCE
Members Of the Board Of Education
Explain Bond Issue.
DIR. DAVIDSON ALSO EXPLAINS
Educators object 60 Domestic Science
and Manual TraininR Being RE-
ferred To as FriIIs, and
say So.

Members and officers Of the Board Of
Education talked long and earnestly
Wednesday noon to the Real Estate ex-
ohnage in behalf OF the proposed $4,000
bond issue. The session was amicable, but
the speakers were deadly IN earnest and
a hint Of feeling cropped out when defense
was undertaken OF domestic science and
manual training referred to last week by
the exchange committees report as 'fads
and frills"
The troubles Of the Board OF Education
with the exchange are not yet over. The
session this week was not long enough to
permit all who wished to be heard, either
Of the board or of the exchange. and one
member of the exchanges committee. John
L. McCague, has a whole lot of questions
to PROFOUND and figures to submit. This
will be done next week, the board members
again being invited to be present
How seriously the Board of Education
has taken the matter was shown by its
attendance to a man, Superintendent David
son and Secretary Burgess being also pres
ent. Members of the exchange also turned
out in numbers and the meeting was &C
cordingly a large one.
Domestic Science.
First OF all, w. T. Graham. chairman OF
the committee on bond issues, re-read parts
his figures as to the wide difference be
tween increases In bonded Indebtedness.
number OF teachers number of seats and
yearly expenses-all on the one hand-and
the attendance Of pupils ten years ago and
now.
| Then President Alfred c. Kennedy of the
school board spoke briefly, Like the sue
ceeding speakers he said a word or two
about manual training and domestic science
and like the rest too. he treated the COM
mttee's remarks on them as hardly worthy
of serious debate. "Unkind" and UNJUST
fable" he termed the committees refer
ence.
f. B. Kennard. chairman of the school
boards committee on buildings and
grounds, followed to explain what the
board proposed to do with the s75oOOO issue
Half the sum-" he said. lis necessary to
complete the new high school, Members
of the Board of Education" said he. have
for some time been pursued with pitiless
fury by people who object to the use of
the old building and members have even
been threatened with criminal prosecution
in the matter"
Later DR.. Davidson declared that the use
Of the old rooms in the high school was
unquestionably injuring the eyes OF pupils
and he instanced a member of his own
family as an example
Mr.. Kennard, dealing with the various
grade buildings which Il is planned TO
erect, showed in detail how necessary
! each one is.
Paul w. Kuhns followed Mr.. Kennard
talking about the financial aspects of the
issue. He told his auditors that the net
increase will be only about one-half of
$4,000, because in 1912 s3s5,COO OF the pres
ent bonded Indebtedness will be retired.
OF this amount s365O00 is now on hand
DR.. Davidson explained the necessity for
more teachers as due to the spread Of pop
ulation to the outskirts from the center of
the city and to the adding Of many
branches not taught ten years ago; also to
the excellent rule Of the board limiting the
number Of pupils in room to forty-five at
the outside.
Mr. Davidson talked OF changes in educa-
tiona ideals and plans, particularly with
reference to vocational education, adding:
''All this will cost money. must cost more
money. The question simply is whether
Omaha shall keep moving forward or take
a step in the retrograde direction7'