The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1923-07-14

therefore patient and slow to pick
up trouble. There was real and
growing opposition to Bentley in
Richmond and, had he remained
much longer, it probably would have
come to a head. He handed out his
customary buncombe and hot air,
which deluded many worthy peo-
pie. He glibly used his pet phrase
as to selling yourself" and he
also made many unsophisticated
citizens believe his other pitter-
patter to the effect that he was "a
man Of broad vision.' 49,
A prominent journalist in Rich
mond informed Rip-saw scout that
his publication was waiting for a
proper and opportune time to show
up Bentley's failings. He got away
to Duluth before that paper found
place to hang campaign against
the autocratic and Jesuitical edu-
Gator. Said that editor:
when Mrs. Barnes began to stop
off in Richmond to confer with Mr..
Bentley, his educational welcome
here was about worn out, although
there was no real break. Many had
been wishing that he would 60
without being made an issue and
they were much pleased when ii
was learned that he had landed a
place in Duluth.
while in Richmond, Bentley
picked the candidates for the school
board and then dominated them.
He frankly declared that he con-
trolled the school board. He ad-
mitted that he had to run the
schools and the board, too. Our
estimate of him is that he wsNd
do almost anything to boost him
self. He had no idea of the value
Of money ara We were afraid he
would bankrupt the school treasury
before we got rid of him. He was
deeply intrenched, but the feeling
that he was not safe and fit man
for his position was rapidly grow
ing. He was reserved, even auto
cratic with the teachers, hence was
not popular with them as a whole.
while in Richmond, such ex-
lpressions as Bentley made concern.
ing his political principles, showed
that he was very close to socialism
in his belief"
When he came to Richmond,
Bentley played up strongly to the
newspapers as well as the civic
organizations. He was called upon
to make a public address and he
handed his hearers facts and figures
concerning illiteracy in the United
States. ~
You will remember that, from
statistics compiled in connection
with the draft, during the war, the
federal government issued bulletin
that showed up in a very startling
way, an unexpected and heavy per-
centage of illiteracy among the
young men of the nation.
Now Bentley had secured an
early copy of that bulletin. He drew
heavily upon 1t and presented the
startling figures with such energy
and oratorical effect as to cause his
hearers to take it for granted that
the address was based on long and
careful study and research. In real
ity, he was as guilty of plagiarism
as when he sprung Nicholas Muir
ray Buffers latest educational ar
ticle on the Rotarians at Paducah,
Kentucky. ~.....-
isn't he a wonderful man." ex-
claimed his hearers. :
In Paducah, Bentley falsely rep
resented that an educational scout
had visited him to see if he would
take the superintendency of the
Louisville, Kentucky, schools. In
Richmond, he also pretended to the
Duluthians that they might not be
able to secure him for superintend-
ent, even at $1,000 year.
Before that, in Richmond, Bent
ley represented that the Dayton,
Ohio, board of education, wanted
to get rid of him at salary higher
than was being paid in Richmond
Investigation proved that the state
ment as to Dayton was untrue. II
was fabricated to use as a lever in
prying more salary from the Rich
mond school board" ~.
Yes with Bentley, the end seems
to justify the means.
Mayor HandIey, mayor of Rich
mond, was member of the school
board, during Bentley's superintend.
ency. Concerning the autocratic
educator, Mayor Handley frankly
said:
Bentley is extravagant. We had
to watch him closely in financial
matters. He also was blunt with
his teachers"
| It was at Richmond that Bentley
originated his famous ..Richmond
{, program" That called for certain
school building construction. Today
less than half OF that program has
been carried out. Construction is
at standstill because of an ex,
hausted treasury. Bentley put him
self in the position of setting out
to build without first carefully
counting the cost, despite his knowl-
edge of the. Biblical directions, made
and provided for such cases.
There is only one firm of archi-
tects in Richmond that assumes to
plan and build school houses. That
firm is G.. F. Working & Son. The
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