The Evening Herald

SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 1922

The Evening Herald
Published every week-day, by
The Herald Publishing Company of
Klamath Falls, at 119 Eighth Street.
Entered at the postoffice at Klamath
Falls, Ore., for transmission
through the mails as second-class
matter.

MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS
The Associated Press is exclusively
entitled to the use for publication
of all news dispatches credited
to it, or not otherwise credited in
this paper, and also the local news
published herein.

SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 1922

THE SCHOOL BOARD

A LETTER from R. C. Spink of
Chiloquin in another part of
this page calls attention to a state
of affairs that needs airing.
The correspondent blames C. R.
Bowman, member of the last district
board in control at Chiloquin,
and candidate for director on the
central county school board at next
Monday's election, for the condition
of affairs at Chiloquin.
The Herald is not trying to fix
the responsibility, but Mr. Spink
has long resided in the Chiloquin
community and his signed statement
must carry weight.
Some one is evidently responsible
for waste and mismanagement. That
much is clearly shown.
For two years Chiloquin has been
trying to establish a school that
will serve the purposes of a modern
growing community.
After two years all they have to
show are two sets of plans at
double the necessary cost; $15,000
tied up in a defunct bank, and no
actual start made or material on
hand to make a start toward construction.
The warning that The Herald
sees in the whole woeful mess is
plain: Our schools must be kept
out of politics.
Next Monday the people of the
county outside Klamath Falls will
vote for five school directors. Let
the electorate see to it that business
men and not politicians fill the
places.
We can conceive of no more important
office to be filled by public
choice than the office of school director.
The edifice of any community's
future is reared upon the
sound judgment of its citizens, and
the elementary training received in
the public school is the basis of
good citizenship.
Wisdom exercised by the voter
Monday will put the control of the
schools in capable hands, and avoid
on a large scale such fiascos as has
marked the attempt of Chiloquin
people to secure a suitable school
for their community.
As part of a general policy
which is opposed to centralization
of control in all public affairs, The
Herald has never advocated the
county unit plan of school government.
We realize that the plan has advantages,
if the men chosen to administer
school affairs are of sound
judgment and not bound by political
ties. We neither condemn nor
approve, but we are deeply interested
in seeing the theory applied.
But the fountain of education
must be kept uncontaminated. Parents
and tax-payers cannot afford
to let the school system of the
county become a pawn in politics.
The only suggestion we desire to
make is that the voters of the rural
districts view Monday's election in
its true light and cast their ballots
conscientiously, eschewing personal
considerations and weighing the
merits of the candidates as seriously
as the importance of the office
warrants.
For the success or failure of the
county unit plan depends upon the
five men who administer it. It is
entitled to a fair trial and a fair
start. No offices within the choice
of the people are more important
than the five offices to be filled
Monday. We are certain that voters
generally sense the situation at
its true worth and will pass judgment
accordingly.