Albuquerque morning journal., 1916-12-01
TEN of the state carried unani-.
mously.
State Unit Idea.

| nave cHudl opportunity TO OBTAIN an
| education.
There was some discussion of tho
! proposition for an amendment "pro,
Vlding for change in the method of
voting as to the place of meeting,
providing for a ballot by mail or by
some other adequate means whereby
the voting shall be done only by bona
fide members of the association"
For some years it has been felt thot
the choosing of the convention city
and the election Of officers during the
excitement Of the convention, and at
time when hundreds of teachers,
even though in the city, are too much
occupied to give thought to the matter
or even to vote, is not the best method
that might be devised II is even
more apparent that the adoption of
momentous resolutions during the
closing hours of the convention, is
also illogical and unfair Less than
a hundred teachers were in attend
ance when the resolutions were adopt
| ed and even these hurried through
them because it was time for the
evening meal before the last resolu-
tion was read The suggestion as
made above was finally ratified and
may lead to a satisfactory solution of
the problem
Supervisors of Education.
The convention put itself on record
as favoring the appointment of county
supervisors of education with pay by
| the county superintendent fer an in
crease of contingent expenses allotted
to the department of education; for
| the election of school officials and
boards to be held in fall instead of
spring, but at a different time than
the general election; for appointment
by the governor of a business OF pro-
| fessional man and of a city superin-
tendent upon the state board OF edu-
cation; for a teachers pension act and
| the granting Of a million acres of the
public lands to provide a teachers
retirement fund. In this connection
resolution was adopted condemning
the present practice "of selling and
| leasing school lands in large bodies,
and asking for the creation of com
missioner of education who would
look after the administration of the
school lands in the interest of the
schools one resolution, rather vague
asks that immediate provision be
made by legislation for the elimina'
| ton of illiteracy from the state Of
| New Mexico by 1920"
The customary resolutions OF
thanks and confidence were adopted
including an Appropriation of the in
telligent and effective efforts Of Gov
ernor w. c. Mcdonald during his ad
ministration for education" as wei
as commentator of the progress an6
development made in the educationa
affairs of the state under the admin
| istration of Hon. Alvan N. White
The Boy Scouts and the scoutmastel
were thanked at length for their serv.
ice as guides and in helping to enter
| tain the teachers. In this connection
the recommendation OF the Peace
| league for universal physical training
in the public schools, was adopted
unanimously
OratOrical and DeclamatOry Contests
Again the wisdom of holding the
oratorical and declamatory contests
i'm their present form, was under dis
cussion. Many teachers spoke in favor
of substituting a debate for the ora
torical contest and of Simplifying the
mc1hod of grading the various contest.
ants. 1t was made clear, however,
that in any form the contests are de-
cidedly worth while for the partici-
pants and that the awarding of a
medal is but a mere incident. In the
contest last night one of the judges
on thought and composition of the
high school oratOrical section, had
failed to send in his marks and their
receipt may possibly change the rela-
tive standing of the Albuquerque and
Tucumcar contestants, who were
awarded first and second place re-
spectively. The judges on thought
and composition in that contest were;
Rev. b. H. Mccullough of Santa Fe,
Rev. Ray Spots Dunn of East Las
Vegas, and Judge Emmett Patton of
Roswell. The judges on delivery
were: Supreme Court Justice Rich
ard II. Hanna, County Superintendent
H. II. Errett of Union county and
County Superintendent e. e. Pack OF
Tucumeari.
In the college section, Chief Justice
Clarence j. Roberts, Rupert f. Asp
lund and Dean Bracket of the Uni
versity of Colorado, judged on
thought and composition, while Hon.
A. A. Jones, Frank Staplin and Rev
Mr.. Raley of Phoenix, Ariz,' judged
the delivery.
In the declamatory section, Paul
A. f. Walter, Mrs. B. Il. Mccullough
and State Senator Melvin T. Dunlavy
were the judges One of the diff
Culties encountered was the system
of marking provided for by the sec
ton of the association having the
contests in charge. Figured out on
the relative standing given each con-
testant by each judge, the result was
quite different than by the elaborate
system of percentages which is en-
ployed simultaneously, So that a con-
testant who stands first by the for
mer method may be third or fourth
under the other system. Each con-
testant also appeals in different
way to each judge and to the audi