Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-05-13
TRUSTEES OBJECT TO RULING.
Protests From Alexandria County
State Board Urged to Ignore :.
Opinion OF Attorney General.

Richmond, Va, May 13.-Earnest
protes. against the recent ruling of
Attorney General Samuel w. Will
liems that division school superin.en en-
dents must be residents Of The local
tiles they are to serve, has been
made to the State Board of Educa-
ton by the trustees of Alexandra
county, who believe such an attl-
,.uds wrong in principle. Every truS-
tee in the county has signed the pa
per, which asks the board not to be
guided by the decision, but to con-
slider the schools rather than giving
Jobs to local men.
In consideration Of the illness OF
Governor Mann, is is now hardly
probable that the State Board OF Ed
ucation will 60 into contests for su-
perintendents' positions when 1t meets
Thursday. 1t is more likely that the
uncontested places will be disposed.
of, and that The board will then adj
iourn to some day early in June. Inc
sunerjntendent must be elected be-
fore July /, when the terms OF all IN
cumbents expire.
The Alexandria county protest is
as follows:
Alexandria County. Va.
May 10, 1913.
The Honorable State Board OF Edu-
cation, Richmond, Va.
Centlemen-We very much regret
the recent ruling of the Attorney
General on the matter OF electng
non-residents to the positions Of d.
vision school superintendent, as we
trust that in the coming electors you
will not be guided by this decision.
While your doing so will not al
fec our county, our superintend: nt'
whose reelection we desire, neinE
now a citizen of Alexandria county,
we should regret seeing this back
ward step taken by the State Board
of Education.
Having had for four years a owl
sion superintendent who had never
met man in this county until ne
came here to take office, we feel thar
we can speak on this mater win
some authority. AS We were Jour
wears ago, we are now unanimously
of the opinion that the eGucailon OF
the children of our county Is OF N
finitelv more Importance that provld-
inc, q lob for a local man. The very
sbesc,possible 7nan.i;7 the State rt VIZ
rinia or outside is none 100 good lof
the position of division superintcn-
dent. AS plain business matter THIS
should be apparent to anybody. The
public schools of our state VIII never
reach their highest development, or
even serve the people commcnsurately
with their expenses uniil they are ed
ministered by capable men OF PROBES
SIGNAL training and experience.
If the great Commonwealth OF
Massachusetts few years ago could
search the nation Tor state super
intendent and choose d professor IN
Columbia University for the POSITION;
if Woodrow Wilson, when Governor
of New Jersey, could bring to the
Office of Safe School Superintendent
al a salary of $4,000 per annum the
superintendent Of Indianapolis, ma,
il RIO cities in the Union other mat
those in Virginia are restricted III
their choice of superintendent 70
local men, should not out COUNTIES
have for school superintendent s the
best men of Virginia, regardless OF
their local residence?
(Signed)-R. a. Wilkinson, chair
man; George W. zachary,clerk; Jno.
II. Trimyer, Jefferson District. Frank
Upnan, chairman; E. NJ. Shreve
clerk; B. G. Foster, Washington Dis
tr;ct Charles B. Munson. cttalr-
man; W. A. McShea. clerk; Ralph
Baldwin, Arlington District.