Milford chronicle., 1919-11-21

things. the FltrOlc Introductory
speech by Dr. John Prettyman. the
presiding officer; the talk Of Pierre
S. dupont. who departed from his
former custom and categorically took
up the criticisms OF the Code and an
swered them in a concise manner;
and the speech OF Daniel J. Layton.
deputy attorney general, whose man
ner. language and assertions were so
mild. compared with his previous as
sertions, as to cause astonishment and
disappointment among many Of his
followers
Altogether. although the meeting
was called. planned and staged by ir-
reconciable oponents of the Code in
this community, it was the concensus
OF opinion that the meeting operated
TO the distinct advantage of the Code.
Not the least Of the factors working
TO the advantage of the Code was the
conduct of the presiding officer DR..
John Prettyman. Although the audi
ence probably did not know il, Mr. p.
s. DUPONT was present at the meeting
because of an urgent invitation sent
to him by those who arranged the
meeting This was sent in the form
Of a petition signed by several men
who were back of the meeting. Gov
ernor Townsend was also invited He
declined owing TO a business trip
which he had arranged sometime ago,
taking him to Chicago and further
West. DR.. Prettyman, however. read
ing from a prepared speech. sneered
at the absence OF Governor Townsend
and sneered at the presence Of Mr.. du-
Enfna hn uanrnl Mr.
luPOnt for coming to Milford, saying
he should stay in Wilmington and
practice his missionary work there.
All share in the disappointment
caused By the absence of Governor"
said Dr. Prettyman. reading from his
manuscript, but he found he couldn't
come sneered the presiding officer
He is away out in Chicago tonight"
ne continued with appropriate ges-
lures. But in his place we have an
other defender of the School Code. He
is not afraid. Although knocked out
earlier in the fight and battered up
he is on his feet again. He comes
rom Wilmington. Wilmington has
refused to accept the Code. He comes
right from the home of those who
won't have the Code TO tell us be-
nighted people what. we should do.
He should return to his native city to
do his missionary work. Especially
are the journalists of his city in need
of missionary work. OF the hundreds
of columns printed by the newspapers
of Wilmington on the Code scarcely a
that has not been a lie.
Not satised with that, the School Code
advocates have imported newspaper
liars from New York to help them in
their campaign of defamation. We
need Mr.. DUPONT less than his native
city. He should begin at home TO ed
lcate the people. Mr.. duPOnts mo-
-ives may be all right when he gives
his millions, but a million to him is
10 more than S100 to you and me, but
ne has no right to attempt to make
Is conform TO his educational stand
ards than he has to ask us to conform
o his social standards. His heart
nay be right; his judgment may be
light but the trouble is with Mr.. du-
Fonts head. And if he convinces YOU
onight that the School Code is right.
hen I will know that the trouble is
With your head"
'ierre duPOnt's Convincing Statement
After this introduction, Mr.. dupont
Ook up the discussion of the Code in
quiet, conversational tone, speaking
rom memoranda. His hours talk
vas a series Of facts arrayed in an
wer to specific objections to the Code. /
he laid down the principle
hat when people say they are for" 1
r against the Code they are speak [
lg of the Code verbatim and literally. i
hey who say they are in favor of the ,
ode mean they are in favor of better /
ducation and better schools in Del i
ware They who say they are against L
he Code, do not mean they are against /
etter education, nor do they mean the c
ode will not give better schools and S
etter education. They mean there are a
ONE features of the Code they do not
ke. No critic OF the Code has vet
mid the Code will not improve The
chOOls and educational advantages OF ;
delaware. and no critic OF the Code
as yet proposed "A substitute for the y
ode.
Beginning several years back. Mr. |,
lPont traced the development Of ed :,
cational reform in Delaware. He 7
aid the main fault with the Old sys- o
.m was its lack of system. Before .
le new Code was enacted there were y
early 400 separate, unrelated indie :
endent school units in Delaware. II
lch having its own way about its .
lucational affairs. its own standards y
schools. teachers and attendance. I.
here were 446 teachers and to watch =
IS teachers there were 1856 school y,
almost three to a ~
acher. The result was division of ~
sponsibility and lack of system. The
hool attendance under the old sys-
m was only Sc per cent The enroll n,
ent Of pupils in Delaware dropped I'M
90 from 1899 to 1918. The State dl
rchased S22 900 of textbooks in 1892 eI
It by l9 the schools were using IN
ly $1,000 worth-just half. All W
ese things clearly showed a decrease ar
the effectiveness of the public school fo
stem of the State under the old law. ke
ID a decrease OF interest in the m
hools. u,
Schools Were Getting Poorer dr
The provisions Of the School Code ia
g not new ideas. In 1911 the legis- nc
ure recognized the schools were ra
or and growing poorer and took Je
IDS to find what should be done. To HI
e legislature of 1918 the following la
ggestions we're made by those who in
d studied the situation: u The tr
olition OF the local school district. co
County unit of school manage av
mt. (3l Uniform tax rate with tn
unity as unit. The suggestions were WI