The Wrangell sentinel., 1928-06-14
TOWN COUNCIL
 PROCEEDINGS

the usual routine several matters ofI a special nature were brought up for consideration.
 The school board were present, also a eommitte from the P.-T.A., consist ing of Hon. Charles Benjamin, W. J. Bradley and 2. A. Lindman.
 When given an opportunity by the mayor to make known the purpose of their visit Mrs. J. H. Wheeler. president of the Board, stated that they had come before the Council in response to a cablegram received from the Commissioner of Education regarding the reinstatement of the Wrangell High School on the accred-I tied list In order to answer the Commissioners cablegram intelli-I gently 1t was necessary to know what policy of improvement of school con-I ditions the municipality intends toI pursue during the next two years Mrs. Wheeler stated that in some quarters there seemed to prevail the idea that inasmuch as the Wrangell school is not on the accredited list the teaching force should be reduced She stated that personally she felt that any reduction in the teaching force would be a grave mistake for the reason that such a step would necessarily mean the elimination of some subjects. and she felt that our children are just as much entitled to these subjects as the children in other towns where the schools are accredited. She further pointed out that inasmuch as the Territory pays 85 per cent of the teachers salaries the remaining 15 per cent borne by the municipality is really very light. For instance, a teacher receiving s16O0 a year would cost the town only $40.
 Mrs. Wheeler stated that she knew Hon. William L. Paul was closely in touch with the Territory's relation ship to schools and that when he was here recently she asked his opinion regarding the suggested reduction in the teaching force She said that Mir. Paul stated he saw no reason whatever for reducing the teaching force on account of the loss of ac- ereditation. On the other hand he would strongly recommend that the school board endeaYor to overcome in so far as possible the handicap caused through loss of acereditation by maintaining an adequate teach ing force, especially when the towns share of 15 per cent is so small in comparison with the important bene- fits to be derived.
 Mrs. Wheeler said that it was a matter of record Gas shown by the catalog of the University of Wash ington) that Wrangell was placed on the accredited list only proYisionally in the first place. She was confi- dent that Mir. Henderson. the Com missioner of Education, would be only too glad to recommend that the Wrangen High School be reinstated on the accredited list if the Council would give assurance of better hous- ing conditions.
 P. c. Mccormack, secretary of the school board, and Dr. o. H. Whaley, treasurer of the board, were also given an opportunity by the mayor to speak. Both gentlemen made a few remarks, but neither attempted to add very much to what had been said by Mrs. Wheeler, the president of the board, who had presented the case in an earnest, straightforward manner.
 After the school board had been heard the mayor asked what kind of an answer the Council desired to give in this matter. More than one coun- cilman expressed himself as opposed to undertaking any extensive work in the way of repairing the present school buildings. Mayor Diemart stated that he thought in another year the town could undertake a new school building. Leo Mccormack, chairman of the finance committee, stated that unless the town encoun- ters something unforeseen, he was sure than an adequate school build ing could be undertaken in another year.
 A motion prevailed that Mr. Chisholm, chief clerk of the munich pality, be instructed to write let ter to Mir. Henderson giving him the plain facts regarding the towns as- sets and liabilities, and assure the Commissioner that the present coun-