Askov American., 1941-03-20
League Censures
OF
Board Appointee
Asks That Name of Mrs.
Ann Smith be Withdrawn
from Consideration.

The State Executive Board of the
Women's International League for
Peace and Freedom sent a letter last
week to Governor Harold E. Stassen,
to reach him before the open hearing
before the Senate Education COM
mittee on the confirmation of Mrs
Ann Smiths name for the State Board
of Education. Accompanying the let
ter was comprehensive Statement
on the Carstater and Rockwell Gust
er Proceeding" accepted by the w
l. L. board at its February meeting
as report from several members
of the organization who have followed
very closely the public hearings in
the cases.
Asked to Withdraw Name.
The letter asked the governor to
withdraw the name of Mrs. Smith as
his appointee since cher appointment
was obviously a mistake, and her
extreme activity in this case, even
before her name was confirmed by
the senate, brings no credit to the
present administration or to the state. u
The letter went on to state that
GAS the facts of the case become
better known by the public through
the airing in the hearing, support
and admiration for Dr.. Rockwell are
growing everywhere.
1t is to be hoped that the Board
of Education will make its decision
fairly on the basis of the findings
and not perpetuate an already grave
error of judgment"
In the Statement" four reasons
were given for thinking that the State
Board of Education is acting from
political motives in this case. l. The
suspension of DR.. Rockwell, first on
the ground of his support of DR..
Carstater, then when the latter was
vindicated by the Civil Service Com
mission, changing the charge after
six weeks to general ineffciency.
2. The refusal to accept the de-
cision of the Civil Service Commits
sion even though unanimous. 3. The
disobeying of the district court order
to reinstate Dr. Carstater by with
holding back salary and changing
the qualifications for the office. 4.
The line of questioning by counsel
for the board in both cases.
"AbOve Reproach.'
On the other hand DR.. Rockwell
was declared "above reproach on the
charge of injecting politics into edu-
cation" because of two particular
instances of testimony of 'widely di-
vergent political Implications. First,
Mrs. Grace Holmes Carlson, the .''left-
ist' employe in question, had been
found by an impartial investigating
committee of university men ap-
pointed by the governor in 1888 to be
the most efficient and valuable coun-
cillor in the division of rehabilita-
tion in spite of carrying a case load
four or five times the average for a
social worker. Second, three of the
men employees of conservative lean
ings, Messers. Flynn, Utne and Bern
ing, who have appeared against DR..
Rockwell, were shown to have been
retained in their jobs in 1887 due to
intercession by DR.. Rockwell when
they were under fire for political
reasons from three members of the
State Board of Education.
Finally, the statement read, 1--WE
wish to remind both the governor
and the Senate Committee on Edu-
cation that the best interests of the
educational system itself should be
paramount in the appointment of
members to the State Board of Edu-
cation, and we consider Mrs. Smith
to be utterly lacking in those edu-
cational qualifications necessary for
this appointment.