Evening star., 1942-06-16
Board Accepts Report
Declining TO Extend
Dr.. Newton's Services
Wooden Rifles for
Cadets Given Approval
During Emergency

The move to extend the services
Of Western High School since 1915
and scheduled for retirement In
August, appeared yesterday to have
been blocked.
A report advising against the
necessary change Of law to permit
the principal to continue at his post
was submitted to the District Board
Of Education by it's Personnel Com
mittee at a regular meeting at the
Franklin School and was accepted.
Robert A. Maurer, chairman OF
the committee, said he had been
authorized to report that the mat
ter had been carefully considered :
and that members felt that there
should not be a suspension of the
operation of the law by Congress-
because there is no emergency,
which makes the suspension neces-
sary at this time" a..
Attention was called at the meet
ing to two communications the,
board has received urging continu-
alton of DR.. Newton's services. 1t
was revealed earlier this month that
associations and former pupils Of
Western were combining efforts to
retain the principal, but high
school offlcials said they disap-
proved the proposal chiefly because
Of an unwillingness to disturb the
administrative procedure Of retiring
teachers at 10 to permit younger
men to advance In the school sys-
TEN.
Wooden Rifles Approved.
The School Board approved unani-
mously q recommendation for the
use Of wooden rifles for high
school cadets until such time as
Government rifles again are reis-2
sued. School Supt. Frank w. Bal
lou, who presented the matter, re-
called that the guns formerly used
by cadets had been returned to the
War Department and that the
wooden models of the Springfield
seemed to be the best substitute in ,
the emergency.
Five cadets from Eastern High
School were present to demonstrate
the wooden rifles. When this was
completed, the substitutes, weigh
ing 31a pounds instead Of 81z
pounds, weight Of the regulation
Springfield, we're passed around
among some of the board members.
In answer to a question as to
whether the lighter weight of the
substitutes would interfere with ]
drill, one of the cadets recalled
that simulated rifles had been used
effectively in practice by both Ger
man and American soldiers. 1t
was reported that the wooden guns
could be manufactured by the
schools at an average cost Of 81
each.
Reports on Child Labor Law.
Superintendent Ballou informed
the board that he had considered
for some time advising a relaxa-
ton of the child labor laws, that
he had sent out 40 letters to civic
leaders asking their opinion and
that all but two Of the % replies
had been In favor of such a move.
He said he believed the laws could
be relaxed during the present eIf1er-
gency without injuring the health
and welfare Of children.
The board instructed him TO pre-
pare a list of proposed changes.
with the aid of counsel. and to
report back at a later meeting.
Approval was given a committee
recommendation that a temporary
building be constructed on the
northeast corner of Forty-ninth
and Hayes streets NV. to provide
accommodations for pupils in the
kindergarten and first to eighth
grades, meeting needs which ordi-
narily would have been met by
the Miller Junior High School and
the Merritt Elementary School.
Next meeting Of the board, first
for the new fiscal year, will be
held at 8 am. July /.