The daily sentinel., 1911-12-01
SAY TEE:SDALE:
APPROACHED
BOARD
State Superintendent Of Schools
Says Decision Was Not
Fixed by Politics.
STEVENSON ALSO HAS DENIAL.
Old Sores Reopened on Consolidation
Matter.-Mrs. Wixon Says That
Politics Could Not Have En-
tered the Matter at All.
Denver. Nov. -. 1911.
To the Editor of the Sentinel
Grand Junction. Colo:

Denver Nov. -. 1911.
To the Editor of the Sentinel
Grand Junction. Colo:
am Just in receipt of the follow
ing letter from Mr.. \. NJ. Stevenson
of this city. which is self-expIana-
tory:
Nov 90, 1911.
Supt Public Instruction.
| My dear Mrs. Wilson, have
/ Just read in the News its dispatch
| from Grand Junction concerning the
school district consolidation matter.
! am unable to reach you by phone
and as ! am going east in an hour.
| | thought it but fair to write you this
note.
My best recollection is that |
never talked with any one from Grand
Junction on this subject and am
sure that | never discussed any phase
of the question with either you or
| the attorney general
with best wishes
Yours very respectfully.
"(SdD 4. NJ. STEVEN son"
| refer TO this article which pur-
ports to be a special News dispatch
from your city to the effect that Mr..
Seth Teesdale publicly states that
Mr.. Sargent, county superintendent
of Mesa county, fixed the decision
OF the Pomona school case with At
forney General Griffith and myself.
and thar, in confederation of such
fact. Mr.. Teesdale had an affidavit
signed by a half dozen residents of
Pomona who heard Alr. Sargent make
the statement
do mot lunu tho rDnl, ,p,.
made by MT Sargent. but take it
for granted that he is a truthful gen
tleman. and, if so. from the facts
within my own knowledge | believe
this statement to have been mali
ciously made. As one member of the
board of education. | desire to en-
phaticaily state that neither Mir Sar-
| gent, nor any one representing his
side of the question, ever approached
me in regard to this matter. nor did
ever hear the version of his side
tnlitH the hearing before the board.
except fro mthe official records COM
ing into my office on appeal. While.
on the other hand. | must confess
that not only Mr.. Teesdale. but Sc
veral others interested on that side
of the question, came to my office
on different occasions prior to the
/ hearing and gave the version of that
side of the controversy TO which, as
| a state official and not desiring to
be discourteous, | was obliged to
listen.
| wish to call to the attention of
the citizens of Mesa county that there
could possibly be no politics in this
| decision as both democrats and re-
publicans were arrayed upon each
side, and the secretary of state, Mr.
! Pearce who is a democrat. Joined
in the decision as made.
AS matter of fact, the state board
of education in my judgment had no
! jurisdiction TO review this matter at
all under the circumstances. but the
other two members of the board
| though otherwise. and as the decision
| as made was in effect the same as a
| refusal to review it, joined i'm the
unanimous decision of the board
1t is indeed regrettable that a
| controversy of this kind should arise
| in connection with the public schools.
and more regrettable that the bitter
| feeling should have been engendered
| in connection with It. and, while nat
urally l am very 10th to increase
such feeling. | believe ii is due Mr..
| Sargent that | make this statement.
| Very truly yours
HELEN NJ WINSON.
! Superintendent of Public instruction.