Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1915-07-03

/ for a place in the Junior High school
and by the Superintendent who has
since practically promised places to
two other local applicants whose pa
pers were on file at the time he Sc
lected his local teachers
MIR. Kirk refers to letters of Prin-
cipal Monroe of April 3rd and 5th in
which he resigned his place in The
Dalles, and l know that he Is not
fully informed of all the circumstan-
ces; for he would not hold 1t as a
fault against Principal Monroe to
change his mind; for the same reason
ing would apply to the newly elected
Principal, Pfingsten, who after his
election here on May 81, and his &C
acknowledgement of 1t, decided to re-
main and contracted with the school
board at Oregon City, for next year,
such decision being specifically tele-
graphed to Portland, and printed In
the Oregon Journal, and the declara-
| ton was later reprinted in The Dalles
Morning Sun. Then friends of Mr..
Monroe to the extent of some 200 or
300 or more Il have never seen the
petitions) became busy In The Dalles
and am told that great majority
of our business men, professional peo-
pie, and students of the High School
signed these petitions, asking for the
retention of Mr.. Monroe, but that Su-
perintendent Warner made a trip to
Oregon City. and personally pre-
vailed upon Mr.. Pfingsten to change
his decision. At that time through
the consent of three out of the five
members of the Oregon City board,
to release Mr., Pfingsten for the Dalle1
| position, he said he would accept.
Then three members of the school
board here, knowing of this petition
but without considering 1t, signed a
contract with Mr.. Pfingsten. l do
not believe that Mr.. Kirk would ap-
prove Of the action of Mr.. Pfihgsten
in changing his mind and at the same
| time seemingly dissapprove Of the
course of Mr.. Monroe If he knew the
circumstances in full in each case,
and l am not finding fault with either
Of these gentlemen for changing his
decision.
| voted for the retention of Mr..
Monroe for next year, believing that
it was better for the schools to not
have these changes, and as Superin-
tendent Warner worked with Mr..
Monroe at Mountain Home and brot
Mr.. Monroe to The Dalles, he evil
IDENTIFY considered him fit for the
place. opposed Mr.. Monroe's cleo
ton at the time he came here, as
favored the retention Of his prede-
cessor, w. B. Young. Principal Mon
roe having given general satisfaction
as teacher, voted for him to- stay
next year. and ! think it was an Ill
advised and hasty move ON his part
when he resigned in April. When a
majority Of the board however, declaS
ed a vacancy, / was ready and so
stated in the board meeting to vote
for w. B. Young who had been here
for seven years and In case he was
not acceptable / suggested the name
of A. E. Gronewald, who has had
four years of his employment here,
and l also proposed the name of DON
aid Admiral who has done efficient
work and proved most excellent
teacher, during his first year as an
instructor | also was ready to vote
for j. r. Ward, an applicant before
the board and a man who previously
taught in the schools, about five years
ago, and who has since been holding
responsible and growing positions in
the state of Washington. Nothing
was said for the new man, Mr.. Pfing-
stem, either by Mr.. Warner of any
member of the board who voted for
him except that he was the Superin-
tendent's nominee and therefore
should be elected.
| have worked with Director Bolton
for over seven years on the school
board and we have agreed nine times
out of ten on course of action. l was
member of the minority" of the
board last year when the question
arose for the unemployment of our
then City Superintendent and was
a minority" member when 10 new
teachers were elected, slate fashion
of nominations on May 81 st this ye;x
and l agree with Mr. Kirk that the
office Of school director requires
more of my time than my business
will allow me to give" / am like
him in this respect thatI would glad
ly withdraw from the school board at
this time, not as he states with
dignity" but with the approval of
my friends in the community. I will
state now that I am ready to step
out of the school board at any time
that I am convinced that a majority
of the people of this community so
desire, and II / could resign today
a. L. Ian al. Ink - - n