Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-25
OF the treasury. int.rposes barriers to

OF the treasury, interposes barriers TO
progress.
The one great reform needed would
be TO lift the professional department OF
superintendence out OF It's routine aud
statistics and give IL the chance 10 be
thoroughly. instead OF only relatlNeiN
constructive and stimulating This can
he done by making the superintendent
and his department supreme, for, after
all. they understand the deep needs Of
the schools land are responsible for Civ
ing our children u good education
II don't agree with Mrs. Grlce's state
ment that the Board of Education IL
undemocratic" said philadelphia
prominent for long time in movements
for the welfare Of the schools. Pos
sibly she means It Is close corpora
ton which is true enough But the
matter of its perpetuatlon through APP
polntment by the Board OF Judges was
threshed out thoroughly by the school
code commission from 1905 To 1911,
when the present code was adopted by
the Legislature after an earlier one had
been abandoned | think We get men
OF higher ideals ana attalnmenis than
would he the case IL the board was
elected at the polls. It's only the ar
ference between Il pure democracy and
a representative democracy. The sNs-
ten of delegate government OF the
schools has been a tradition and good
one for many years In the First School
District OF Pennsylvania. or course,
there has been change Of public opin-
ion against delegated elections OF public
officers since the code was passed. |
refer especially TO the fact that since
then we have. by Federal amendment.
provided for the direct election of United
states Senators. I'm not so sure that
the present Senate is as good az those
that sat In Washington under the older
order. Maybe I am reactionary
APPOINTMENT VERSUS ELECTION
appointment, not popular election, OF
members Of the board had the sanction
of school reformers in the fight for
code. In an interview George Hender-
son. then president of the Public Edu-
cation Association. declared the code was
a most welcome forward step in the
educational advancement Of Pennsyl-
vania. lie said: Careful study OF its
provisions indicates that 1t has been
| improved by amendment. The people
of Philadelphia will have reason to be
glad of the final passage Of this piece
| OF legislation
The chief amendment was one striking
| out the provision making members OF
the board elective by the people instead
of continuing to be appointed by the
Judges. The reason tight was waged
on II directly democratic constitution o1
, the board was to prevent its coming
| under political domination. Thus. wha
was a few years ago considered goot
| policy in keeping the contamination oi
politics from education is now argued
into the charge that the board il un
| democratic because II does not directly
| represent the people.
Mrs. Grice's charge that the boart
is not "approacliable" does not seem tC
be borne out by the fact The fac
seems to he that the people do no
make manv efforts to approach It,
Some of the fault for educational de
flciencies rests on the citizens. who d
not take sufficient personal concern Il
the subject and leave all the hurde
on the board. The present writer ha
found both board members and official
under them willing to answer legitimat
questions and to explain policies
competent reporter. who has covered
many meetings OF the board and tn
news of the schools. says.
committees are held at the keyston
Building, Nineteenth street above Ches
M, Tbo,, oro nnar ra,nr,arg