Putnam patriot., 1924-03-14
MORTLAKE'S
 LETTER
Hartford. March f1. fe24.

education. and. in the local affairs of every town in the state education. and all that pertains c. schools are of transeendant importance. 1t is healthy sign to see the people of Hart ford giving education first place in its biennial municipal program for the contest at the polls. The schools of
 Hartford will cost tke taxpayers next year the enormous sum of about s. 100000 This Is certainly large enough Co secure for the city a system of ed
 ucation that would be unquestionahly efficient. But. judging from the criti- cisms, it does not Particular attention
 is paid Co what the city pays for high school education. The budget for next year calls for S633 .aS0 for mainten- ance and does not include the millions freely and ungrndgingly given for ex- tension. Some years since the late Charles D. Hine, when he was the sec retary Of the State Board of Educa- tion, sad that the people of Hartford did not realize the amount of money
 which was spent on high school eduea- ton and from which they did not get an adequate return. Mr. Hine was an educator by profession. and his sheep skin from Yale was a guarantee that he was intellectually we'll equipped for his profession. He knew schools and he knew what schooling was. Does the Hartford public school high school diploma stand for what it did years ago when the expense attending high school education was hagatelle coni- pared with what 1t is today That is a question which is generally asked There is an opinion that t does not There are many reasons given for the alleged deelensiun in the standard of the high school The statement has been made that the school is the vic tim of politics and, judging from what is heard. there is reason to fear that that statement has some basis in fact. It is deplorable to think that there should be even the semblanee of po- litical influence in high school affairs There can be no connection between the teaching of geometry or the elas- sics and the dehasing methods of some politicians. These methods achieve their most conspicuous successes where ignorance prevails. The politi- cal muddles in education IS the most insidious enemy. and the no.t success ful one too. of our school system. It is to be regretted that some way has not been found to eliminate the politieiaN with all his works and arts, from school affairs If the statements which have been made are true. teachers have been employed in the high school who were not intellectually fit to teach the classes to which they were assign ed. The principal is not held respon- sible for the employment of such teachers since they were hired over his head The Republican managers promise, if their ticket is successful. to rescue the high school from the control of the politicians.
 Issues Defined
 The Republicans and Democrats of Hartford have nominated their tickets for the municipal election and have adopted platforms. The issues between the two parties are now defined. One of the most important matters relates to the position of the board of finance in the municipal government. The board is now fifteen years in existence and it owes it's creation to the initia- tive of Former Mayor Henney. The purpose of organizing the board of f. nance was Co take the financial affairs of the city out of politics. With that as its purpose the board was q sue cess. Mayor Henney was q Repnbli- can, and q strong one too, but he had the good sense to see that in financial affairs politics had no legitimate place and he had sufficient local patriotism to incur the frowns of politicians. some of which were in his own party. to get a measure through the general assembly which would keep the city treasury from the designs of the pol iticians. But within the past few months the board of finance has fallen on evil days. Recent action by the Democratic board of aldermen has made it clear tha, the board of finance is no longer considered non-politieal or to be exempt from the interference of majority of the aldermen. Its rec concentrations, which were the result of months of investigation and study in the preparation of the budget, were rejected and budget that was an expression of the views of the Demo cratic majority in the board of alder men substituted for it. For the first
 ime in eighteen years the hoard of
 nance has bean turned down in Its recommendations. That action was a blunder. It brought the board with in the political radius. To be of any use to the city the board should have been kept outside politics. The financ- es of a city should not be discussed from the political angle or with the slightest regard for political exigen- cies. II is hard for most people, par ticularly those who pay taxes, to see why any phase of local affairs should be considered from the partisan stand point, and least of all finance. The ideal of many people, who desire above everything else to see their nome city economically and efficiently governed, Is to have partisanship eliminated from local affairs or to have the po- htical view miuimzed as much as possible. It Is difficult for q person who is thoroughly interested in his community to think that political par tisans. and who are that and nothing more, are the best people to be trusted with the administration of it's affairs.
 The Republicans have nominated a splendid candidate in Norman $. Stew ems He is a strong party man, but not SO strong as to think that the municipal affairs of the Capitol City of the state should be subordinated to political necessities. Mr. Stevens has served with credit to himself, and with advantage to the city, in the board of aldermen. His fine record in that board which he led at one time as ma
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