Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-06-20

Of more than usual Importance this year.
Unfortunately, experience has shown
that in the rush and turmoil of the
mayoralty election the school board usu
ally is lost sight of by & large percentage
Of voters; in fact, the vote for these Of
fees usually totals only about third
Of that cast for mayor. This means that
any group or body of persons DESTROYS
of putting over" a slate find their work
considerably simplihed By the general
apathy of the voter.
AND FOUR ARE
SEEKING 'REELECTION.
at present 1t looks as If four of the
FIVE members of the board will be can
didates for reelection. Mr.. Allison being
the only board member who probably will
refuse to run again, and unless all indtca-
tons go astray the majority viii pool
their interests and will be on the same
slate, although there has been consider
able gossip to the effect that Mr.. Grip
pin will be thrown overheard by his ma
jority colleagues and his place on the
slate given to a third person.
The fact that religious and fraternal
interests have crept into the school cleo
ton affairs is a bad thing for the city
as a whole. One member of the board,
Mr. Barry, is a Catholic and not long
go Mrs Tutewiler read from a prepared
manuscript, a carefully prepared denuni-
cation Of him in which she accused him
of belonging to church that always had
opposed the best interests of the public
schools. This, of course, precipitated an
other wrangle In which Mr.. Barry defend
ed himself and pointed out that he is a
graduate Of Shortridge high school and
that his RhtlGFaO affpnd tho nnhfia
schools.
At meeting Of the headquarters class
of the League of Women Voters, less than
two weeks ago, Mrs. Bert S. Gadd, wife
of a member Of the board, said that she
understood the Masons were to put five
candidates for the board in the field this
fall, and the Catholics three. This, of
course. is a condition that should not ex-
list. Members of the board should be
chosen not Lecause they belong to any
certain order or because they are mem
bers of any one church, but because of
their fitness for the office.
INTEREST OF PUBLIC
VITAL NECESSITY.
Mrs. Gadd made a very pertinent re-
actly when she said, in answer to a state
ment by a member of the League of
Women Voters, to the effect that board
should not be chosen for religion or fra
ternal reasons She said:
Eyes. but the people Of Indianapolis
allowed the school board to go by de-
fault, and some one just had to step in
and do som hing"
The personnel of the next school board
should be matter of interest to every
citizen of Indianapolis. The next board
will have a serious situation to confront
and it should bs made UP Of persons
willing to submerge personal differences
in an effort to secure intelligent team
work.
The next board must work out a num-
Der of important questions and prob
lens that will require the utmost thought
to solve successfully. There are the
12S half day classes to be housed; Short
ridge High School In obsolete, crowded
quarters, to be given a new home; old
building to be replaced: the constantly
increas sing number of school children in
constantly growing city to be taken
care of the matter Of economical bust
ness administration to be worked out
in a manner that will avoid some Of the
criticisms that have been heaped upon
the present board in this respect. And
all this must be done with the limit Of
the bonded indebtedness Of the school
city only a short distance off in fact the
expenditure Of another 100000 will ex.
haust it.
For these reasons the selection of
board equal to the Job it will find wait.
ing for 1t becomes a matter of more than
usual interest and Importance to the tax
payers and parents OF indianapolis this
fnT