The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-12
Get MANY SICNERS
More Than 500 Citizens Disap-
prove Ten Months School.
Could Have Obtained 5000 Sig
natures, Woman Worker Says.

To the Board of Education, City of
Topeka:
We, the undersigned citizens. parents.
taxpayers and residents of the city of
Topeka do hereby respectfully petition
your honorable board to reconsider the
action taken in providing for a ten
months term of the schools of the city
of Topeka and in lieu thereof to provide
for 4 nine months term as formerly.
The intense heat usual in this climate
during the summer makes 1t inadvisable
to keep the children in or to require
them to attend school during two addi-
tionai weeks in June and the first two
weeks in September. Again, it would
be far better to give school children, af-
ter they have attended school for nine
months rest snd recreation before
commencing their new term which will
be of great value and will benefit their
physical and mental condition.
More than 500 citizens, parents,
taxpayers and residents have signed
the above petition, which has been cir
culating about the city since the board
of education made ruling last spring
to extend the length of the public
school term to ten months.
I'VE could have obtained 5000 sig;
natures" one of the women who had
circulated a petition said today. "Out
of thirty signers I obtained in an hour
one morning I did not have a single
refusal. The sentiment of Topeka cit
izens unquestionably is against the ten
months school plan"
Prominent Men on Committee.
Men. as well as women. have be-
come interested in the attempt to re-
instate the nine months school year
A group of well known citizens which
composed a committee to present the
petition to the board includes S. E.
Cobb. Chester Woodward, H. K.
Brooks. George F1oyes, H A. Perry,
NJ. H. Haig, F. A. Isaacson, DR.. c. L.
Williams, NJ. G. Sloo, Jake Mohler and
W. L. Gardner. The committee at
tended the recent board meeting,
where the petition was held for con-
sideration at the next meeting, when
superintendent Stout, who is out of the
city. will be present. Stout will return
in a few days.
Il understand that the board mem
bers gave the petition serious consid-
eration." one of the members of the
committee said. THE petition is signed
by representatives of all citizens
Among the signers are mothers, faith
eFs, both black and white, ten leading
physicians. bankers, office and shop
men of the railroads. merchants,
clerks and many others. One board
member told us that we had more
than enough signers on the petition
to warrant thoro weighing of the mat
ter at the next meeting"
Women Workers.
Among the women who circulated
the petitions were Mrs. Chester Wood
ward, Mrs. E. E. Marshall, Mrs. c. c.
Bowman, Mrs. NJ. H. Haig, Mrs. Cecil
Howes, Mrs. George Hoyes and Mrs.
w. L. Gardner.
The heat of the summer IS given as
the chief objection to the ten months
plan Obiectors state that another
argument against the plan is that
many of the older girls and boys find
it almost necessary to have summer
employment to help themselves thru
school or to help their families. A
heightened school year would cut their
vacation earnings to a sixty day period,
rather than the usual ninety days