Evening journal., 1912-04-09
''DEMAND"
LODGES WITH
SCHOOL BOARD
Body will Decide High School
Auditorium Natter in
Two Weeks
COMMITTEE FIGHTS
HARD FOR PERMISSION

Francis p. Kane. e. W. Gallagher,
and John Hamilton, comprising the
committee appointed by the Whining
ton Civic Association at recent
meeting, held at Turn Hall, TO de
mand the right" to use the auditorium
of the High School for public dis
cussion of the city charter question,
appeared before the Board of Educa-
tion last night.
The members of the committee eX-
plained the object of their visit and
set forth their views on the propriety
of allowing public discussions of the
proposed charter i'm the High School
auditorium S-veral members Of
the board also made remarks, and
finally, on motion Of Samuel II. Bay
nard, the matter was referred to the
board as a committee of the whole
10 see if any errors had been
made in the rules recently
adopted governing the High School,
and whether it would be interfering
with school work TO allow such pub
lie discussions to be held in the audi
torium of that school.
The question was not decided last
night and just when the members Of
the board propose to meet for further
discussion of the subject was not said.
bur Judging from the sentiment voiced
by some of the members of the body
last night, it is likely, in the event
the Wilmington Civic Association
drops the matter. they will forget It.
Mr.. Kane was the first speaker last
night He held that under an old
. charter law he believed that the audi
torium of the High School should be
f opened for discussions on public
questions. He said that traditions
for he last century or two gave the
people this right. He said the city
badly needed new charter and
should have a public place in which
tc discuss it.
Mr.. Kane was followed by Mr..
Hamilton, who said lie was present
at the meeting of the Wilmington
Civic Associations at which was APP
pointed the committe, with him as
one Of The members, 10 come before
the Board of Education and demand
the use Of the High School auditorium
for charter discussions. He did not
think there ever was an issue Of the
kind for which a request had been
made for the use of the auditorium
He said IL was not a partisan move
ment, but simply a discussion of the
proposed charter which he considered
an educational matter
Mr. Hamilton said the lamentable
ignorance Of the people on questions
of government was surprising. He
voted at the Turn Hall meeting he said
TO demand the use of the High School
auditorium but hoped that the board
members would not take offense at the
word demand as it was during the en-
thusiasm that the motion was made
and put and voted upon. He said that
had he known he was TO be named or
the committee at that time he would
not have voted on the question tn,
way he did.
Mr. Gallagher. the third member o.
the committee. was more direct in
his remarks than his colleagues. He
considered that for an occasion such
as the Civic Association desired, tn,
use Of the auditorium should not be
denied. He informed the board mem
hers that they were servants of the
people and had been elected by them
TO carry out educational work and he
expressed the opinion that when tho
people make a demand like this. il
should he granted. He said he did not
come before the board with a chiI
on his shoulder. or with a club i'm his
hand, but thought that the schools be
longed to the people.
Objects to Begging.
Mr.. Gallagher said that money foi
Continued on Page Twelve)