New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-02-24
AXE SHARPENED FOR
BILL ON EDUCATION
teontinued from FIRST paesl

many undoubtedly hoping that some,
thing Ntuld aems up % sllsN them
20 condemn the ''eff0Ft 10 hre nF,
Meredith as one Of them expressed
herself,
The sentiments Of the audience,
when analysed, present an interesting
STORY, 4 story which must begin four
ysars ago, Back in 1919, the MarFiu
son Code occupied the mast prominent
position Of any piece OF proposed leg,
islsiion during the session, A gens
eTai hearing, similar 20 the one OF
Tuesday, was held. al which educators
| packed the hail of the house, all hitr
4 terry opposed 10 the scheme OF Gems
al1aiion," as they termed the pro-
1 ieet, Personalities were INDUCED in,
and feeling ran extremely high, Ma
tuFally tie code went down 10 ignom,
! iHious defeat in house ana senate la
ter in the session, as the legislators
were strongly against Capitalization
| themselves,
In the session OF 1891. educational
measures that went 10 defeat were
voted down because OF the tendency
toward Capitalization OF power IN The
state. and because the Legislators hes
lieved that so far as was possible. the
individual towns OF the stdte should
assume as much OF the administrative
responsibility of local educational
matters as they were able 10 take
care OF before the state stepped In and
/ took the reins. There is no question
that defeat OF a large part OF the state
boards program two years ago was
due 10 its apparent willingness 10 as
sumo additional authority In eduea-
tional matters all over the state.
Present Bills similar To Old.
This year, the educational bills. II
analysed. have the same general trend
as two years ago. and the same gener-
al trend as the much abused aud re-
pudiated Morrison code. In fact. II
has been said that the compilation Of
bills before this assembly, copies OF
which were passed out at the hearing
on Tuesday. are the same as the ex-
planatory compilations which the state
board presented at hearings two years
ago. In nutshell. the Capitalization
program OF the state board Is being
presented to each succeeding legisia-
ture, dressed slightly different perhaps
but with the skeleton remaining the
same. And while in 1919 practically
every teacher in the state was abso-
lutely opposed to Capitalization. in
four years they have completely re-
versed position and now are strongly |
for il, to all appearances. J
The word Capitalization" is be-
coming exceedingly painful to DR..
Meredith and supporters of the state |
boards program. They appreciate
the past record OF measures with
which the word has been connected.
but practically everybody in the leg
isature in referring to the education
al bills, mentions the word several
times. 1t cannot be quietly done
away with as an expression.
The statement has been made in
this column that the educational pro-
gram of the state board is in for
rough sailing" when the bills come
into the house and senate. The hear
ing of Tuesday, in spite of its enthusi-
asm, does not change this prophecy
in any way. There were number of
legislators in Tuesdays audience, and
the day following witnessed many cor
ridor discussions of it. AS whole
the legislators believe the present
powers of the state board if extend
ed, would provide dangerous ex- !
pertinent at this time, both from an
standpoint and from a !
financial standpoint. AS for the hear
ng, they considered the audience en-
.irely in sympathy with one side of !
he question, with additional weight
aid upon the suppostion that the
state board was under fire." They '
10 not consider the state board or
Dr.. Meredith as being the object of
criticism They do not blame the 9
state board alone or DR.. Meredith, for
he tendency toward Capitalization. I
They believe it is one of those things /.
hat have gradually worked into the I
system of education, and that the
tate as whole, the towns, cities, the e
egislatures-these are just as respon
ible for the trend as the state board.
\ personal drive at Meredith would G
ring no result in this legislature be- !.
ause those opposed to the present =
bills are opposed as
natter of principle involved, without d
ny personalities entering into the
hing. :
The republicans have been accused 5
# being behind the bill now before
he assembly which would cause the
ecretary of the state board to be APP
,ointed by the governor instead of by
he board, and which would lower his y
alary from $4,000 to $4,000 a year (
he introduction of this bill was :
ermed a political move to Gust Mere :,
18th. However, the fact is that little :.
r no support can be located for the :,
ill at this time, and a big majority !,
f the republicans in the legislature
you'd probably vote against it if it :.
we're up for consideration. 1t is said y
hat even the introducer of the bill
vas never in favor of it, and Secre-
ary Meredith was never considered VI
acre than an incident in the progress %
{ the movement toward centraliza- -
ion.
The educational program will not =
e successful in this legislature be. n
ause principles concerned in the pro- -
ram are questioned, but legislative .
naders are not of the opinion that -
he educational system of the state n
hould be matter of personalities or :,
olitics. =,
sunday Baseball n
There were exactly 20 people in the NJ
Dom when the judiciary committee
tarted to hear the proponents of tine
sunday baseball bill on "Wednesday. n
md about half of this number we're