Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-06-20
SCHOOL BILL
CONDEMNED BY
MISS NELSON
Speaks Of it as Spite Meas.
ure'' to curtail superin-
tendent's Power.

Bismarck, N. D., June. 2o.-1n an
open statement to the people Of North
Dakota, Miss Minnie J.. Nelson. state
superintendent of public instruction,
gives her reasons for opposing the
state board Of administration bill
which. links control Of the public
schools and higher. institutions OF
learning with that Of the penal and
charitable institutions Of the state
under. one commission. /. the major
aty of whose members may be ap-
pointed and removed by the governor
without the consent and APPROVAL of
the senate or any other body. Miss
Nelson said ~ 6 - 80 49,
''I am against the board. Of adminis-
tration bill because 1t makes an cleo
tive state oficer subject to the direc-,
ton of an appointive board in the ex-'
ercise of his " her constitutional
People Deprived Of Cdntrol.
Because 1t deprives the people Of
the direct control Of their schools.
The state superintendent, who is cleo
ted by the people, is responsive to
their demands but an appointive
board will Sc responsive only to the
person by whom it is appointed, There
can be no true democracy without
BCIlOOlS Which, LIZ Ic6POI1SlNc " puOiAC
opinion. and they can only be respon
sive to public opinion through an cleo
hve superintendent.
Because h measure is a radical
departure from not only the expert
once of North Dakota, but of the
states generally. 1t is untried and
there is no assurance that it will not
result in disaster to the schools.
Change should be the result of expert
Apeo and MT of onnno roo dvnn q de
scheme,
Because 1t was hurridely passed at
The dictation of politicians. Sufficient
attention was not given to details OF
the measure by persons of recognized
qualification. The result is that the
measure is incomplete. unavoidable
And undesirable.
Declared "Spite Measure"
Because it is a spite measure. In
1917 Governor l.. J. Frazier recon-
mended increased powers for the state
superintendent. AS late as July, 1918,
NC. Macdonald. then the state super
nial report greatly increased powers
for the state Superintendent. Up to
the time Of my election the admins
tration has thought Of nothing but
greatly extending the powers of the
state superintendent. As soon as !
was elected, it determined to prevent
my taking the Office, if possible: fall
ing in that, to strip me of all my pow
or. I appealed to the supreme court
to secure the once, and3I am now de-
Tending my right in the courts. SEN
ate bill 1874 is purely a spite measure.
Because the board of a~dmfnistrA-
tor bill brings under h supervision
Of one board three kinds Of institu-
taons rof- totally different nature-the
penal institutions. the charitable. In
stitutions. the educational institutions,
each Of which should be directed by
a board"more or less expert and re.
curing qualifications that would not
be practical to place In n board.
And finally, I am opposed to this
system Of school administration be-
cause it never has been advocated or
demanded by the educators or the
people Of North Dakota, but is the
work Of a defeated candidate for Office
and an imported group Of socialists"