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Show WHAT HIRAM H. HENDERSON DISCOVERED WAS WRONG WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM One week from today, on Wednesday, Wednes-day, December 6, the voters, will elect a board of education for the city's public schoolB. The entire board is to be elected. The incumbonts. to bo voted vot-ed on for re-election, are W. H. Williams, Wil-liams, prosident; Hiram H. Henderson, Hender-son, Wade Johnson, J. W. Levedahl and Fred E. Williams. Friends of the opposing candidates are campaigning quietly and the election elec-tion is tho subject of much discussion. Until today, Mr. Henderson declined' to be Interviewed on tho subject, be cause he is incessantly busy with his legal work and school board problems. A Standard reporter today found him with a few minutes to spare and asked him this question: "Why are you taking" such a deep interest in tho schools, when it means so much more work for you, such a sacrifice of time and labor and worn'?" "Worry" is Disallowed. With one of his rare smiles, Mr. Henderson suggested that "worry" was Incompetent, Irrelevant and immaterial, im-material, for he never allows himself to worry or to be worried. "With that exception." ho said, "tho question is legitimate and acceptable, and I'll reply to it. I would preface my reply with tho working motto or the hoard. 'The noblest motive is the public good.' "When I went on the board, I was not a seeker of the position. Nothing was said of It until the night I wua elected. When I was called to attend a meeting of the members, I had done some legal work for tho board and naturally thought I waB to be asked concerning legal questions. When T arrived the question was, who should bo appointed to fill a board vacancy which then existed. Each of the four members present asked me to be a candidate. I absolutely refused. Thoy kept at me and said they were at cross-purposeB and that, in their opinion. opin-ion. I could, help solve tho situation. "Recognizing the force of the argument argu-ment that no citizen should shirk a public service In such circumstances. I finally consented that they should appoint me on condition that I could resign at any time. "Up to that timo T had paid little attention to school matters md I had never mixed with one side or the other. Discovers Jnharmony. "After being on the board several months I found things were not going along as harmoniously as should be. There was too much bickering among our teachers and between John A. Mills, the superintendent, and tho board members. "Things drifted along thai way for some time until the summer vacation came. Then we were, confronted with the fact that our Junior high schools were filled and there was no more room. The ninth graders tho year before had been taken from the senior high school and put in the junior high school. In order to relieve the congestion, the board thought best to take the ninth graders in the junior high school, consisting of about 200 pupils, and move them to the senior high school, where we had plenty of room, that would permit about 200 students who had graduated from the sixth grade to enter the seventh grade the seventh being the first year in the junior high. Superintendent Kicks. "If we had not done this, there would have been about 200 students who had been graduated from the sixth grade who could not have boen received in the junior high because wo had no room for them. "wnon tne Doara am mis, me superintendent su-perintendent severely criticised our action and wrote a diatribe declaring that the board was passing rules and regulations for tho benefit of tho classes clas-ses .and against the welfare of the masses. j No Prescribed Courses. "At this time also thero were no prescribed courses in the high school. The students thomselvos "were permitted permit-ted to go there and select from a long list of studies what they would take. For obvious reasons the board came to the conclusion that the high school should have prescribed courses of study, and that when a student carao from the junior to tho senior high ho could take any one of these courses, but would not be permitted to pick out the" easy studies and slip along In this way. Mills Kicks Up Again. "The action of the board In this matter also was severely and publicly public-ly criticised by Superintendent Mills and he delivered a long criticism on the subject to the board. "All this took place in the fall of 1915. In the preceding spring, when it became necessary to employ our teachers for the school year beginning begin-ning July 1, 1915. Superintendent Mills made recommendations what teachers should bo employed, and that their salarlos should bo increased in the aecrecate amount of about $10,- 000. "At this time the board had an overdraft over-draft and outstanding warrants at the bank"of about $40,000 nnd there was no money In the sinking fund, when there should have been abotu $15,000 in that fund alono. Thus tho board vas behind, at tho boginning of tho school year, July 1, 1915, the sum of S55.000. Teachers Disappointed. "On account of our financial condition, condi-tion, the board concluded it could not ralso the teachers' salaries in any amount. The action of tho board in this regard gave offense to a great many teachers. I don't blame tho teachers so much for wanting a raiso In their salaries, but, as anyone can see, It was necossary for the board to take drastic action in regard to its finances. fi-nances. From that time on down to the present timo the board has curtailed cur-tailed every possible expense, and has succeeded in WIPING OUT the overdraft over-draft and RESTORING our sinking fund of about $17,000. This money is in the bank, credited to the school board under tho name of a sinking fund and is not used .for current expenses. ex-penses. Mr. Mills Goes Out. "At the beginning of the school year, July 1, 1916, Mr. Mills was not reemployed reem-ployed as superintendent. There wore differences' existing' between' Mr. 'Mills and tho board "that wore not harmonious. harmoni-ous. "Aftorwards tho board employed an-othor an-othor superintendent, hut on account of certain family affairs the board thought it best for thiB superintendent not to serve. "The board then employed another superintendent, who accepted tho po- sltlon and qualified. He came here and stayed a week. Interviewed a great many of our so-called Prominent Citizens, Citi-zens, and after those interviews ho resigned. re-signed. Progresses Without One. "SInco that time tho board has not employod a superintendent and tho schools are now being run by the principals prin-cipals and the board of education, and, if I DO say it, thoro is moro harmony and good work being dono in our public pub-lic schools today than there had boen previously for six years. Tribute to Miss Peterson. "The board employed Miss Matilda Peterson, long a resident of Ogden, as a supervisor over tho first four grades. I think evoryone will admit sho Is doing do-ing superior work, and that tbeso important im-portant grades aro in a hotter condition condi-tion today than thoy ever have' beon before. Reason for Candidacy. "The only reason I have for presenting present-ing my name to the voters of the Fourth ward for re-election is that I believe the policies inaugurated by the present board, as it is now constituted, constitut-ed, are right and progressive and should be carried out. It is for tho people of this town to say whether thoy endorse those policies, or whether wheth-er they do not. If I am defeated, I shall have no 111 feeling against anyone, any-one, and I'm sure I would have moro time to devote to my own private business " "Then What Would Happen?" The roporter asked: "Would tho present policies be reversed, or what might happen, if the incumbent board members should be defeated?" Mr. Henderson replied with emphasis: empha-sis: "Tho opponents of this hoard in the Second, Fourth and Fifth wards during the late unpleasantness expressed ex-pressed themselves as being great admirers ad-mirers of Professor Mills and ardent advocates of his policies. If they should be elected, they would have a majority of the board, and tho people of this town could confidently expect that Mr. Mills would be reinstated. Whether this would be conducive of harmony remains to be soon." Mr Henderson paused and gazed thoughtfully at the celling for a minute. min-ute. Then he added emphatically: "My own opinion Is that If Professor Mills should be recalled and reappointed reappoint-ed as superintendent of the schools of this city, tho public school system in Ogden would soon be torn with internal inter-nal dissensions that would render them practically useless." "If Mills Had His Way " Tho reporter askqd: "If the board had yielded to Mr. Mills' demands as to salary increases, etc., what would have been tho net result?" Mr. Henderson replied: "The board would have had outstanding warrants for from $75,000 to $100,000 which It could not have paid." |