Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-02-01
BOARD
SEEKS LOYALTY,
SAYSMR.BARRY
Sitting Policy to Be Continued
to Eliminate Wrong
and Evil

That the policy OF making sweeping
changes in the personnel OF employees of
the board OF school commissioners. which
has been ia progress ever since the new
board came into cotnrol OF school af-
fairs month ago, will be continued, was
indicated by Charles L. Barry, president
Of the board, in i statement made at the
regular meeting Of the board last night
1T win be impossible for thik board
to have a successful administration with
out loyal organizatiSn, and we are GO
Ing TO have IT," Mr. Barry-said. Changes
Will be made in the corps. In some de-
partments the morale has been greatly
impaired and wrongs and evils have crept
In. but we, are going to eradicate that
wrong and evil at all hazards"
In carrying out this >policy Of obtain
ing loyal organization employees of
years, veterans in the service, Rave been
dismissed without notice and their places
filed, in some instances, by outsiders.
The first act OF George H. Rickes. super
intendsat Of buildings and grounds on
assuming his Office was to throw out.
without a minutes warning, George w.
Baker, foreman OF custodiais AID an en-
ploye Of the board for twenty-seven
years. At the meeting last night James
E. Rockford, man who never has been
connected with the school city, was en-
pI5yed In Mr.. Bakers place at a salary
Of $50 a month, Van increase Of S15 over
that paid his predecessor, a veteran
school employe for more than a quarter
Of Century.
ENIHARDT VOUCHEs
FOR LOYALTY"
1t is centrally understood he was ap-
pointed through the personal influence
and efforts Of Adolph Emhardt, one Of
the new Members of the board, who
vouched foF his loyalty" The increase
In salary was granted over the vigorous
protest of w. D. Allison.
According TO gossip Rockford Is being
groomed to succeed Rickes and will do so
as soon as he becomes sufficiently familiar
with the work to take. over the duties OF
superintendent of buildings and grounds.
Mr. Barryy's talk was a long one and
among the things he promised was, while
he is president. all meetings of the board
viii be conducted in the open and will
be public. Not while we are about this
table," he said, will the press be ex-
Guided from this room and citizens who
come here will not be considered pre-
sumptuous."
great amount of criticism was d.
rected upon the preceding board because
Of the fact that on several occasions it
held executive sessions from which rep
resentatives of the press were barred.
President Barry declared no school
board in the history of indianapolis had
come into office confronted with so many
difficult problems as confront the pres
ent board.
1--WE wh6 were elected" he declared,
'can not plead Ignorance of what the peo-
pie desire" - De 4
SESSION LONG.
But DOES LITTLE.
Although the board did not adjourn
until after midnight, it was unable to
dispose of much business and two special
sessions were set, for this week. one at
10 o'clock this morning for the awarding
of bids for equipment for Schools No. 5
and 70, and one for Thursday morning.
when the board viii hear the protest Of
a number of former enl&oyes who have
been discharged in the Tloyalty drive"
which has been waged by Superintendent
of Buildings and Grounds Rickes.
Among those who haVP asked for a
public hearing are George W. Baker, for
mer foreman of custodians Benjamin H
Gisler, custodian Of the Central Library;
Charles H. Hartley, carpenter foreman;
Roy Harmon, TRUCK driver, and Ora N.
Richwine painting foreman,
The men are entitled 20 a hearing
legally, but it is generally believed thee
board will support Riekes in any action
he takes, for the present at least
There was a lot of back patting, and
tossing Of oratorical Bouquets around the