El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-04-05

VAR or no war; the ordinary business Of living has
NJ go just the FL Paso has two cleo
tons on hand now, this Saturday and another
Tuesday Both important and deserve thoughtful
sderaon Saturday majority of the board of school rus
to be elected dozen candidates have announced
for the four places and the ballots will be arranged that
voters must prepare themselves to pick among the names
and mark those 1t is desired TO select.
One a candidate. A great many citizens have
pledged themselves to vote for her. and many others viii
school board IS one public institution wherein women can
perform useful functions different from those naturally
formed by administrators doubts the ability of
women to attend to work of this sort Most men will vote
the question rather impeTsona according to their con-
ception of public policy.
Rawlings to elected by the eimi-
nation Of of the four present members OF the board
standing for reelection In of the circumstances under
which the opposition candidates
nounced it hardly be conceived that friends of the
public schools will diSpace the members to make
room for the purely political opposing candidates The
movement to Dust the present members boldly
nounced ras partisan political movement, and 1t would be
unfortunate if such deliberate and raw attempt TO rein
roduce the methods of local machine politics into the
school system to be sanctioned by the voters After
the opposition began to experience unexpected difficulties
merely after the Job of the superintendent of schools
that they disiked him and wanted him Such per
sonal fight through irregular channels the professional
head OF the schools unworthy any support whatever
Messrs Prudential Hawe, Stevens, and Whitaker
the present members whose about to expire and
who standing for reelection They making
paign and simply rest the record they have made
office They and their friends feel that the usefulness of
officials in such positions increases after period Of service
and they desire to remain work certain broad policies
which have board stands
partisan bipartisan, and from quarter during its
Of service have there intimaon that has played
politics with the schools The present board the
10 nonpocal board the city has enjoyed for many years
Striving for for their activity, opponents Of
the present members making all of charges which
not supported by the records II inevitable that there
should be wide differences Of opinion matters purely ad
mnstrave and discretionary such those handled by the
school board. Criticism when just is legitimate and desT
able; and it is hard find things cticise But critics
ought to have their facts ready
On two points the performance of the present board and
Of the superintendent under the boards direction appears
merit approval rather than the reckless general criticism that
has been voiced by political schemers One the matter of
financial management the other IS the comparative eff
cheney of the school system related whether the system
of other cities to the accomplishments Of previous years
IN this city.
First to economy: In FL Paso the average Of
pupils per teacher (actuay stendng) is 81 compared
with Pasadena Berkeley Los Angeles and Sacramento
to 25 Denver, Seattle Butte San Diego, Colorado Springs
Salt Lake Portland, and San JOSE ranging from 26 to 81
evidently FL Paso has not large teaching force
An important payroll item Is that Of Supervisory Off
cersS E Paso has All pupils supervisory officer
compared with 2oe in Colorado Springs and 250 400 IN
Of the other cities mentioned EI spends
than percent of her budget for supervision
while Of the other cities range higher Colorado
SPRINGS San Diego, Portland Sacramento Los Angeles
San Jose from 1872 percent IS percent The
figures for e. Paso indicate anything but extravaganza
this department.
Thanks to the heavy contribution from the state pema-