The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-03
That Was Wish Of B. X. Duke.
Pleader for School.
WANTS BUCHANAN REPAIRED
Black Man Has Hard Time to
Hoe Row.
Other Business Transacted nv
School Board.

Every member OF the board of edu-
cation with the exception Of the county
attorney would be as black as the ace
Of spades today If wishes came true.
The members Of the board of educa-
ton in regular session Monday night
sat up and took notice when B. K
Duke. cOlOred man and main
spokesman for a delegation from the
buchanan school district. adopted a
novel method of presenting his case
before the board. In order that the
board members might understand the
case of the colored people he wished
that each individual on the board.
with the exception Of Mr.. Atchison.
would be black for q month
He said in brief: Now, 1 am going
to wish something pretty mean. I'm
going to wish that all of you-with
the exception of the county attorney
wake up just as black az I
am and stay black for month. Then
you would know what it is to be a
black man. We would like to have
things a little decent at Buchanan
school. Brethren, what would Jesus
do:"
When asked by a State Journal re-
porter why he excluded Mr.. Atchison
in his wish the spokesman for the COL
ored delegation said: "Oh, that was
just joke"
But where does the joke come in,"
was asked.
why, it was just to break the mon
otony."
To make a, long story short. the col
ored people were asking for needed re-
pairs at the school. The same delega-
tion had appeared before the board last
February and had been given assur-
ance that the repairs would be made,
but owing to some misunderstanding
nothing was done. The colored people
also asked for more classes and a
larger teaching force in the school, but
1t was pointed out that Buchanan
school is already one of the most ex-
pensive schools when the number of
pupils is considered In the entire city.
The delegation was assured that the
repairs would be made next summer.
Money on Hand.
It has been many a long month since
in as favorable manner as is the case
at the present time. All outstanding
warrants have been paid off and there
is now $S5. .905.28 on hand in the general
fund. However, there is still bonded
Indebtedness of more than half a mil
paid There are surpluses in the re-
srective funds as follows: General
fund, $4S.sS6.5s; sinking. 1s,3O2.7s: in
terest. $s.261.42: building. $11.s4e.2s;
retirement. $x2s.21. The cost of running
the schools in January was So, ,028. OF.
OF this amount $24. .950.1S was for sal
aries Of officers and teachers.
Decision was made to establish a
night class at the Washington school.
thirty colored persons having sfgnif1ed
their desire to attend such a class.
Reinstate Fonr Boys.
The board reinstated the four boys
of the class of January. II, who were
found to have connections with high
school fraternities. Consequently they
will be in line for receiving their di
plOmas at the commencement exercises
at the Auditorium, February 13.
Although the sworn statements Of
the boys that they have severed all
with fraternities were
shown to individual members of the
board by Superintendent Wilson, the
representatives were not
given a chance to look at them as the
did not want the
names Of the boys divulged.
Not Finished Yet.
Superintendent Wilson has by no
cation. In fact" he said, the in
vestigation is only well started. We
have delayed to straighten the Ques-
ton relative to the mid-term grad
yates. We expect to consider the
cases of other students Immediately
The following statement was read
before the board members by Super
Wilson:
Owing to the recent investigation of
sororities. and other secret
societies involving some of the members
Of the ridyear class graduating from the
high school, 1 wish to report that every
child whom we had any reason to believe
might sustain a questionable relation un-
der the law has been interviewed and
that all Of those who were found to sus-
tain questionable or doubtful relation
have fully met every requirement I'M
posed upon them. In view Of this. I do
not Lelieve that any such person should be
rfwt1
school now, owing to a more strict and
se7ere standard which we are just be-
ginning to enforce, but which was not IN
force at the time when these acts OF
theirs were committed.
II recommend therefore, that the per-
sons whose names appear on the attached
all of them having met the
Be elastic requirements and standards Of
the school, be granted and that diploma
he conferred uDOn each in fhe regular