Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-20
McSparran's Act
ArOuses Mirth

Continued from PAGE One.
report and forward Il to Harrisburg.
Think Of Il. Forty-fve thousand daily
reports pouring into the department "
Is Master Of "Half Truth
In this, as in every other instance or
argument In his speeches, does McSpar-
ran show himself an able master OF the
half-truth.
It is his method Of campaigning.
He evidently fatters himself also that
he can "put It over successfully.
From this diatribe. about the school
teachers Of the State, the uninformed
hcarcr will naturally infer that every
day, every teacher in the State, makes
ont n report of his or her work. and
every day mails it to Or. Fincgan, at
Harrisburg.
That is what the Democratic nominee
for Governor intends the people to whom
he speaks shall believe.
That at great cost for postage, to
say nothing Of annoyance and wasted
time In posting, ~ 900 teachers are
daily compelled to mail a report TO
Superintendent Fincgan.
What are the facts? Facts that can
be verified for the asking,
When Or. Thomas L. Ftncgan took
| charge of the rundown, anemic and dry
rctted Department of Education he
found that Pennsylvania stood twenty
first in the list of States in point Of
education.
Records we're incomplete there was
| lack Of system everywhere.
The first thing b" did was TO en-
force attendance Of children, principally
in the rural districts, who were being
kept out of school by their parents TO
work on the farms.
\ certain portion Of the State Grange
took ofcnse at this. McSparran was
one of those who asSailcd pr. FineSan.
some Of these people would be salts
fed with a four months school term
for their children. Then they could
work them eight months on the farm.
Tie Grange News, th" organ Of the
State Grange. made repeated and bit
I ter attacks on DR.. Finegan.
Mr.. MCSparran and his friends did
! everything to discrcdt DR.. Finegan' S
work.
They charged that Or Finegan had
brought twenty seven people from New
York into his department.
What Real Facts Showed
II was shown that there were but
fv" including DR.. Finegan himself.
The McSparran organ said tha
whereas the old department under DR.
Schaefer had only twenty seven en-
ployes DR.. Fincgan had packed it.
1t was shown that instead Of twenty
seven employees. Dr.. Schacfcr had ha,
tifty-nine and four were employed il
AworiranizHt!on work.
The Grange News said the Schaeffc
force only cost $4,000.
It cost the State annually Sl1S.000
This campaign Of misrepresentation
has been going on ever since.
Mr.. McSparran has now trsnsferre'
It to the stump.
The grade Of education, Its cost an
the high school qualifications Of tn
teachers Of the Spanish American Wa
period IS what these people want,
Mr.. McSparran IS TO be taken as Al
example
The statement about $4,000 teacher
sending daily reports 10 Harrisburg !
only one EXHIBIT or TINS campaign "
Misrepresentation.
School teachers In Pennsylvania -
day make ont. Us they have alwal
uono. n daily report OF attendance.
Instead Of making our only one r"
port. however, the teachers make it il
Iuplicatn
At the end Of tho month, nul Mu
GH,y as MrSparrun would have the
yubNc believe. this report is forwardc,
10 Harrisburg.
Il "Hab'os 'hc department TO koo'
.ahs on the Nttcriancr IN every sch0"
district n the State. for the schedule oi
.'fruLaNrn = rr.r Of the great gauge