Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1926-03-19
BRYANTowN, ND.
4At1K UT TT
EDITOR OF THE MARYLAND


lNDEPENDENIs-
Mr.. Editor:-After the individ-
ual and collective efforts on the
part of our County School Super
intendent and members of our
local Board of Education, to just
ify their respective positions with
reference to the discrimination
complained of by me in my let
ter Of February 18th, l cannot
forego asking space in your col
umns for further comment.
Let it be understood Mr.. Edi-
tor, that / have made no charge
of political bias against any men,
Der of the School Board or the
Superintendent; nor have any
criticism to make of their per-
sonal qualifications for the posi-
tons they hold. Any insinuation
by them, or any Of them, that in
my complaint have beenprompt-
ed by political suspicious, is only
an attempt to distract the atten-
ton of the public from the real
issue. What | do charge. is I'M
Just discrimination and unwar-
ranted irregularity on the part of
the Superintendent in the selec-
ton of teachers and the fixing of
salaries, and manifest dereliction
on the part of the School Board
in not correcting this abuse of
power by the Superintendent,
whether such power be "assum-
ed' by him or delegated to him,
when such is called to the atten-
ton Of the Board. | base this
charge, not only upon the facts
related in my frstletter, but upon
the statements contained in the
several attempted replies thereto
which, in substance, admit the
condition against which | pro-
tested.
| accept the statement con-
tanned in the letter signed by all
three members Of the Board,
that there was no thought of
threat in their minds when
they authorized the Superintend-
ent to write my daughter that
lhey would not set the salaries
back at present, but if the mat
ter comes up again, they will be
compelled to do so" Just what
was in their minds is an unsolved
problem; but it seems only pro-
per, in justice to the Board, to
classify this suspected threat"
as only a simple bluff; because
the matter did come up again
and no reduction in the salary Of
any teacher has resulted there
from. Further than this, the
Board merely states that the
salaries Of the teachers having
been agreed upon by Mr.. Gwynn,
itcould not, in justice toMr. Gwynn
or these teachers, reduce or in
crease any of these salaries dur
ing the present school year. !"
Now. Gentlemen of the Board, if
you are going to give the Super
intendent absolute power in the
appointment of teachers and the
regulation of their salaries, and
thereafter, despite fragrant dis
crepancies, it is impossible for
you to interfere, lin fairness to
Mr.. Gwynn Tor the teachers, ,"
then. may | ask, what are your
duties on the Board :? Is it the
spirit Of the School Law that you
can so gracefully relieve your
selves of your responsibilities as
public officials? Or are you, in
this particular instance, simply
passing the buck?"
The Superintendent letter is |
no explanation whatever Of thel
fact that my daughter, with threeI
years previous experience as al
teacher, under his extraordinary
and with twoI
summer school courses to herI
credit, is receiving IS per month";
ess than another young lady. |
teaching for her first full year
and credited with only one sum-
mer school course. Neither holdsI
a regular teachers certificate;l
the former having Inadvertently
allowed hers to lapse. and thel
after IIs meyer eye having yet been Ger.