Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1955-05-20
A NEW SCHOOL BOARD WILL
TAKE OVER

A NEW SCHOOL BOARD WILL
TAKE OVER
We can recall no such turnout of voters
at a Milford School election as that of last
Saturday. A total of 1856 votes were count
ed when the final tabulation had been COM
pleted. AS had been expected by those who
have carefully followed public thinking
throughout the Milford Special District the
old Board, with one exception and he ran
with the opposition group, was defeated
The rate of defeated was approximately 3
to Pin other words 500 for the winners
to 4O9o for the losers. There is no question
but that the segregation issue had much to
do with the outcome of the voting, but per-
sonalities were involved Likes and dislikes
cropped up in many places and certainly had
lot to do with the balloting of some of the
voters. Rumors and counter rumors were
tossed about without regard to the truth in
some instances. All of these undoubtedly had
an effect on the final outcome-just how
much is problematical.
A new School Board will manage our
local school affairs These men, we believe
are just as much interested in the welfare
of our children as were those who were de-
feated. No one group has monopoly in
their love for the youngsters and for their
future welfare. The method of approach to
the solving of our school problems may be
different than the procedures followed by
the old Board but we are convinced that all
school matters will be given careful study
and consideration by all the members of the
new group.
Their first big decision must be made
when they employ a successor to DIR. Cobbs,
who resigned several weeks ago. The Sc
lection of a new Superintendent is an i'm
portant task. 1t seems to us that more than
an able administrator is needed in the quail
- 4
dial public relations are to be maintained
between our school authorities and the pub
lie, a man with a thorough knowledge of the
art of meeting the public and explaining our
school problems in an unbiased manner is
crying need. To us this seems to be sought
after in naming the man who will have a
large part in bringing better public rela-
tons to our local schools.
We urge the newly elected Board to give
careful consideration to all candidates for
the job of Superintendent so far as their
ability to meet the public is concerned. We
believe that the old Board suffered much
through a lack of efficient public relations.
Believing as we do that better understand
ing may be had through full explanation of
the actions of our School officials, the Chron-
icle offers, to the new Board of Education
and the school officials yet to be named, full
cooperation in presenting the school news to
the public-provided, of course, that full
cooperation is given to this paper by the
proper school authorities.
FAIR PLAY FOR YOUTH
While the seriousness of juvenile delin-
quency today can hardly be minimized, fair
play demands that the accomplishments of
the younger generation should not be OBJ
scured by overemphasis on the small per-
centage which causes the trouble.
This point of view is expressed by Judge
Nochem S. Winnet, Chairman of the Crime
Prevention Association of Philadelphia. He
recalls that a similar hopelessness about
juvenile delinquency was felt in the 1885,
Yet, he asserts, the youths of the 1905 gave
this nation its victory in World War II, are
better educated than previous generations,
are compiling an impressive list of accom-
plishments and are building better citizen
ship.
Judge Winnet lists four basic reasons for
the current increase in juvenile delinquency.
First, he says, improved enforcement ma
chinery results in increased arrests. Sec
ondly, the population increase dating from
World War II means that there are more
teen-agers today, all of them facing the COM
mon yet serious problems of adolescence As
the third reason he cites the failure to solve
the unemployment problem of youngsters
who leave school. Finally, he blames the
restless and dynamic period" in which we
live, when "cities are becoming bigger,
homes are becoming smaller, schools are be-
coming overcrowded'
AS realist, the judge is aware that the
problem of delinquency is serious and that
"as a community we must find ways of pre-
venting and controlling it." But as man
with faith in the future, he insists that at
is time to stop creating the impression that
people in the field Of juvenile delinquency are
realing with the many instead of the few
It's comforting, though easily overlooked,
to realize that juvenile deinquents do form
a small minority, and that we do have reason
to be n-ou' of most yogsls.