The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-03-15
Minority Members Of
Board OF Education
Make a Statement
Say Members Of Board Of Education Who pposcdMr. Hoover
First Election Have "Bided Their Time
Records Prove That Vii. Hoover Has Not Been Negligent II
Visits to Schools OF IN Holding Meetings
Showing Made by Graduates From Fargo School Refutaton
of Statement That System Is Inefficient

To the patrons of the Fargo schools:
The minority of the Fargo board of
education hesitates to go into print at
this time, but it's motives have been
somewhat impugned in a lengthy
statement that is made in the public
press by the teachers committee n
the school. betterment committee. 1t
is deemed advisable that something
should be said at this time, and in
making this reply to discuss briefly
the situation. -
4. b. Holt and Mrs. Bolley were each
members Of the board Of education at
the time OF the election Of Su~perinten-
dent Hoover, and were opposed to his
selection, ana recent events ave con-
WINGED the undersigned that that OPP
position has never ceased, and is the
real motive that has governed their
actions at the present time. 1t is also
true at the different elections, at which
their names have been presented to
the voters for reelection, 1t was gem
5 orally believed by the majority of the
voters that they were favorable to the
present superintendent and this is
, bore out by the fact that each sub
sequent year there has been no vote
against retaining him and increasing
his salary.
Professor McArdle has been re-
elected once since his first election. OF
the other two Mr.. Frame is the law
partner of Mr.. Holt, and Mrs. Hanson
is the intimate, personal friend of Mrs.
Bolley, and was selected by her as a
candidate last spring. N. c. Young
has been a member for the past six
years.
Have Rided Their Time.
1t appears to the minority party of
the board that the two, original mem
hers who were first opposed to Mr..
Hoover's coming here, have bided their
time until there should be a majority
which would work with them, and that
time is now. 1t is stated that n or
two strong minded men can sway the
balance Of the twelve Of a jury. The
majority members are up OF
three lawyers, professor from the
agricultural college, the wife of an
other professor of the agricultural coll
lege. and the intimate, personal friend
of the latter. Just look over the lists
of the two committees which have
been engineering this movement:
Teacres'-Mrs. BoEey, Messrs. Holt,
Frame and McArdle.
School observation-disclosures, Holt
and Young and Mrs. Hanson.
You will not find the name of a sin
gle member Of the minority on any OF
the committees that has a single thing
to do with the recommending of the
teachers or a superintendent; and as
these committees are appointed by the
president Of the. board, the evident in
tent of the majority has been to get
rid Of MIR. Hoover regardless of the
wishes Of the majority of the patrons
OF the school. It is a well established
rule in any deliberate body that the
minority shall have at least repre-
s~entation on all committees. Any fair
minded man or woman cedeS this.
Legislative Administrative Body.
The school board is a legislative and
administrative body, and it's organiza-
tion is made up OF committees, just as
is the state legislature or the city adj
m~inistration. The question of the en-
gaging Of a superintendent, or decid-
ing that the me at present here is not
wanted, has always, come up before
he entire board at the first meeting in
February. This has been the prece-
dent for years until the present year.
The committee on teachers a no
right to state that it, the COMMITTEES,
and the committee on betternnent, had
decided hat q change was necessary.
II was the business of the entire board,
and If the board as a whole, in Its
wisdom, decided on q change it was
the duty of the board to direct the
teachers committee. not the school
betterment committee. to go about the
business of proposing a candidate for
the place. Heretofore the selection of
a city superintendent has been done by
the entire board, not by a commit
Concur With Statement.
we concur in the statement that is
made by the majority to the effect
that there is nothing SO important to
the welfare of a city or a community
as the welfare OF the public schools:
and we believe in addition to that
statement that the patrons of the
schools, the ones who have children at
tending the institutions. are perhaps
the best Judges OF what h schools
are and should be.
Questionable Methods.
The majority openly admits that
committees of the board held meetings
to all members OF the board:
fhaf trips were made to various
nlaces without the knowledge Of the
afher members of the board; that men
were consulted as to the Fargo super
intendency In violation of every rule
Of ethics known among school men