Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-03-18
c. R. MURRAY ENTERS RACE
FOR STATE SUPERINTENDENT


teachers and instructors and prcsi-
dents of the six normal schools, the
two preparatory schools and state
university He practically controls
the certiiicauon of every public and
state school teacher in West Virgin
Ia. In addition to these things he
has built up an organization OF his
own that is outside OF the law, and
may sometime prove very dangerous
to the state"
Who and what constitute the extra
legal organization?
They are, by name. the following
U) J. +. Marsh secretary of the
state board of regents; 90 NJ. j. Nh
hey. supervisor of agricultural teach.
ing; Cd NJ }. Abbey supervis.
or Of colored schools: ga l.. ]. Han.
Han, supervisor of rural schools. t5l
l.. l.. Friend, state supervisor of high
schools. When ! speak OF these as
being extra legal mean that such of.
ticials are not established. authorized
or even mentioned in the constitution
laws. or statutes of West Virginia
With the exception of a secretary of
the above are in any way recognized
by the laws of the people of West
Virginia. and even 10 this secretary
of the state board Of regents powers
and duties have been given that were
probably ueved contemplated by the
legislature As to the other four.
their powers duties or payment are
not provided for by the state laws or
constitution. In fact. with reference
to the latter two there are some very
dangerous features in the case"
What features in the case do you
so regard
THE state supervisors OF rural and
high schools are appointed by and
subject to the direction OF the state
superintendent alone. and without any
statutory safeguards whatsoever. but
| they are paid by a rporation known
az the general education board As
stated they are not authorized by the
laws of West Virginia, their powers
or duties are not limited or determin-
ed by the statutes of West Virginia,
they are not paid by the people of
| West Virginia. In fact, while having
vastly important powers and duties
among the schools of West Virginia,
| their allegiance md responsibility
are not to the people of West Virgin.
ia. but to an outside corporation. over
which West Virginia has no power or
! control whatever.
/ cor the five men mentioned above
| certain ones are alleged TO have al
| ways more or less worked as political
| agents. They are all good men, per-
| s0nally, but in the very nature Of the
case they owe their important posi-
| tions to the within Of the state super
| intendent. since they have no legal
| standing, and in many instaces it
would be hard for them to resist the
! temptation TO do political service. Il
! is also. very readily seen that this
| organization Is very compelete for an
| oversight designed to keep each i'm.
| portant part OF the school work of
| the state in line For instance No.
| | deals with the normal schools and
universities; No deals with the
agricultural interests generally; No.
deals with colored schools; No, A
deals with all rural schools No. )
deals with all high schools
u spoke of the nature of the duties
of the secretary Of the state board OF
regents. The statute on the subject
| merely authorizes the board Of re
gents to employ secretary. AT pres
ent, however, the secretary is practic.
cally a supervisor or travelling in
spector. and there are indications
| that many of the state school people
have resented the situation, as they
Ffecl that heir chance of reelection
depend upon the chance of pleasing
this official
CAS- to the colored schools, a ma
tional organization recently sent a
man to West Virginia to study and
consider the ACCESSIBILITY Of their plac-
ing a negro school supervisor in the
state. None was appointed, and it Is
understood that the reason is thai
they took the view that few negro
schools in West Virginia are already
in cities and strongly supervised dis
tricts, and that there was no need Of
further state supervision. Indeed it
has been freely charged that the su-
pervisor is little more than a political
agent
with reference TO the state super
visor Of high schools. this officer has
practical control OF the grading and
classification Of all OF the high schools
of West Virginia, for, according to the
state law, such schools are ranked as
first, second or third class. Thus a
community may spend many thou
sands Of dollars a year in maintaining
a high school, and still have the obi
um of having it's high school receive
low rating on account 81 the notion
Of an official who has no legal stand
ing I'm West Virginia. and whose OBJ
legations and responsibilities are 10
corporation without the state For
instance the statute on he subject
does not require high SCHOOL teachers
to be college graduates, but the nigh
school supervisor has refused first
class standing to high schools because
certain teachers, admittedly capable.
were not college graduates. When
= is remembered that this supervisor
also teaches in the high school educa-
ton departmont Of the West Virginia