Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-03
INTERESTING RACE FOR
SCHOOL HEAD EXPECTED
entrance az BinfOrd Into Contest
With Stcarnes and Hart Is
Fully Anticipated.
nay RIVAL GovERNol, FIGHT
New Law rs To Election Of Division
School Superin;cndents Designed
u Chc"l; PcIh.>;, Among Elective
Members Of State Board.


Z present Indications come true. and
!, '"'rt is every reason u believe that
ths! VIII. the Subcrnatorial contcs,
hcNt year viii be closely riNalled i'm
interest by the Fight for tho oilicc of
H'ht" Superintendent OF Public Ins;ruc-
non. nov held by X. G.. Stcarncs
70 scanncrs III tho political horizon
II - plain that developments i'm the
''h""i situation arc not far OH. \
AeGr uSo II WAS announced that Harris
Hart. Of Roanoke. would bc a candidate
Tor tho supcrintcndcncy. aud spccula-
'i"n az To the way tho organization
"ouiu line W as between Supcrintcn-
dent Stoarne& and Mr.. Iia.t became n
iaFo'hc topic in the haunts OF poll
ticians
with the meeting OF the educators
IN Richmond lag: week. was revived
the rumor that Jesse H. Binford. ut
present Assistant Superintendent of
the Richmond Publlc Schools. would be
III The race for the State Office when
INC hsts ar. complete. Mr. Bintord
has rcfrnin"d from committing him
s,Ii so far. but thoEc who are close ~
MN make the statement that his can
didHcy IL practically assured
ENTRANCE Or HiNFORD WOULD
OPEN NEW QUESTIONS
Inc entrance OF Mr.. Binford as n
candidate. IL is admitted. would have
decidedly depressing effect on both
INC Htcarn"s and Hart stocks whether
he has following enough To win.
"hsthrr h" would enlist tho support
OF The organization. whether IL MIR
. hihi"rd announces his candidacy Mr..
hart VIII drop out or rcmnjn--thcse
ara questions which have come to the
,I.it 1, -.
ing discussed with high degree Of
interest In educational and political
circles
prof+ssed t. bclir>" tina, the state.
educational machinery is heavily
weighed down with politics. Instances
II political activity by II division super
ihtcnIcnt here ANA another thcrc. hav,
been cited to SHOW th., holder Of
thoS" Offices ar" expected To exercise
"a discreet influcn"r directed towards
furtherinC the plane II the central ..p-
pointing pD"cr. Larrcly 20 coriba,
this evil. real rr fancicd. tho last Leg
tsiaturc PASSED a Law which requires
tho state Board OF Education 10 APP
noin, tho division hupcrintcndents OF
schools by Auril ! Of tn" appointing
gar.
no sToP POLITICS
',h' clr"tiv" officers Of tho state
Board OF Education are thc Governor.
the superintendent of Public Instruc-
tion and the Attorncy-Gcncral DIV
sion supcrirtonden OF schools are
elected fu- four-ycar terms. beginning
on July 81 III" same year In which
occurs tho primary for tho nomination
Of these Stntc officers
The Old law allowed the State Board
If Education TO appoint the division
surer.ntendents at any convenient
Zine before or after jug | of the ap-
pointing wear. In the school elections
OF 1913. there We're severn! Instances
in which the election % division SUPER
ntendcnis were delayed until after
the Yubernatoriai primary. No charges
were made that these appointments
"e-c delayed cor selfish reasons. but
there were candidates FOR The school
Offices who were sharp in their criti-
csm OF law which allowed officers
about 10 go before ;he people FOR re-
election the power. ii they chose to
exercise il, OF deferring the appoint
mcnt OF division school supcrintcnGcnts
until after the primary. The old law.
II vas pointed out. put in the hands
OF the elective members OF the board
an effective lever with which TO utilize
70 their advantage. II they were SO
inclined the political influence OF pros
pective candidates for the school Offices.
Must Bf: APPOINTED SOME
MONTHS BEFORE PRIMARY
The new law, which became effective
June is. requires the board to appoint
all division superintendent within
: thirty days before April /, 1911 and
every four years thereafter. Should
,the board fail to elect by that time.
the division superintendent; then in
o1ice will be declared the appointee
for new term OF four years from July
!. provided he is an applicant to sue
coed himself
Under the new law, therefore, the
100 or more division superintendent
will all be appointed four months be-
fore the August primary. The fact
is interesting AZ indicating that what
ever political considerations entered
into the appointments in previous