Republican farmer., 1920-01-16
SUPERINT EVIDENT OF SCHOOLS AND MAYOR
 ARE NEARING BREAK
REPORT HAS IT TROUBLE WILL SOON RE- SULT IN OPEN WARFARE, AND MAY BRING ABOUT RESIGNATION
 OF SLAWSON

That trouble which will soon either break into open warfare and re -,llt in the resig- nation of Supt. of Schools, Samuel J. Slawson, or end in defeat for Mayor Wilson is now brewing and caused the mayor to Trap" the Board of Education in his message to the Board of Apportionment was made known this morn ing.
 When Mayor Wilson was asked to- day whether he had had words with Superintendent Slawson which had occasfoned a distinct enmity between the two men he refused to discuss tn g case. He said. ''I don't care to dis cuss the matter at all" His attitude, however, clearly confirmed the im- pression which has been prevalent for some time.
 A politician high in the ranks of the Republicans told a Times repre- sentative today that Mayor Wilson
 
 aoggerheads for some time and while he said that the mayor was in per feet accord with the members of the Board of Education as a whole he had no love- for the head of Bridge ports school system.
 When Superintendent of Schools Samuel J. Siawson was asked today if he knew what had prompted the mayor to make the recommendations of @ smaller school board he refused to make any statement It has been intimated by board members, though, that the superint endent Is far from satisfied with the way Mayor Wilson has taken such an active interest in board matters and Is fighting to keep the board out of politics
 When President of the Board of Ed ucation, Colonel Elmer H. Ravens, was asked this morning if he favored 8 reduction in the size of the school board he replied that he did and said that he agreed with the mayor that the board was too large.
 He claims that board of l2 men is so large that it is cumbersome and the members get in each others way Asked if he knew of any instance where the money of the board had been so spent that it would occasion the mayor to request the board of ap- portionment to scrutinize every item of the 1920 appropriation closely hs replied that he had heard of no SucE instance.
 It is a we'll known fact that a year ago the mayor tried to put the board into politics by presenting g. bill be- fore the legislature which would make it responsible to the city and ~-Iheir bills would be paid the same as any other city department and he failed in his efforts.
 It is understood on good authority that this was simply to place the con- tro1 of the board in his power and this would enable him to force Super intendent SIawson's resignation.
 As matters stand today the board of education is divided equally be tween six Democrats and six Repubh cans with Superintendent Slawson be ing on the Democratic side of thu fence while, of course. "hts honor" il heart and soul with the Grand Ol' Party.
 It was admitted today that it wa the Democrats who kept MT Slawsoa in power and when the Times repre- sentative asked why it was allowe the reply given was borrowed iron the mayors speech of yesterda when he said the board IS a poWe unto itself"
 The prediction was being freel made today that if his latest attemr s, to secure the reduction in the size 0 the school board failed the mayo would come into the open and try an force MT. Slawson out
 It is worthy of notice that wtil the mayor complains of a, board c 12 as being too large the very boar he was addressing. board of appoI tionment, is the same size.