National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-09-10
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Matters Considered Last Night by
the Trustees.
A Hitch Over tho Acoounts-Tho Result of
Changes Made by the Commissioners
The Female Trustee Question FL
nally Reaches the Board, aud
Is by Them Referred
TO a Committee.


President Matthews occupying the chair and
Mr. Brooks acting as secretary. A commu-
nicatiou was read from the District Commits
sioners enclosing the communication Of Mrs.
Bolva A. Lockwood and others relative to the
appointment of women rs school trustees, and
asking the views Of tho Commissioners as to
their powers to make such appointments. The
Commissioners refer the matter TO tho Board
of School Trustees for report. Mr.. Lovcjoy
moved that it be referred to a special COM
mittco of one. Mr.. Brooks offered to amend
tho motion by increasing the committee to
three. After a short discussion the question
was temporarily laid over.
A communication was read from tho Dis.
trlct Commiss oners approving the lease of tho
church building corner Fourth aud L streets,
aud authorizing improvements to tho limit of
5000 Another communication from the Com.
missioners asking advice in reference TO II re-
quest for increase of rent made by Mr.. Gill
was referred to the sub.board of tho sixth di.
vision.
Applications for positions rs teachers were
received from J. Edward Mason, Eva Lyons
Ellen VI. Walch (music), WIN. L. Campbell,
ii. V. BSstor, Mary L. Hammond, Kate Lynch
Sophy p. Wilcox. designations were received
and accepted from Misses Florence " Cook
G. Wach
A commun ication was received from Thomas
j. Fisher " Go. Offering to sell u lot at the cor
ncr of Eighteenth aud Boundary streets. Re.
ferrcd.
A communication WAS read from tile Com
mssioncrs to tho sub. board of tho first diyi-
sion approving their request to rent one school
room at the Thirtecnth.strcct Baptist church
ut a rental of $40; one room OH Twenty fourth
street, between Il and +, at a rental of S120,
and one on Sixteenth street, between l. and
NJ, at q rental of $500
TEACnERsuIPs.
The committee on teachers reported fayora.
bly, upon the nominations of Miss Martha b.
Briggs to DO principal of the Miner school :
Robert Griffin to be sub.assistant in school No.
l, sixth division; Sarah l.. Smoot TO be acting
teacher school No. 40, Hillsdale Miss Alice
johnson to be teacher of first grade city
schools Mrs. Agnes X. Hill aud Edith VI. Col
Inns, ms teachers in the seventh division; and
as acting teachers in that division, Mrs. S. p.
Vashon, Misses Sophia A. Brode, c. BERTHE
Brown III. i. Maud Bruce, Anna r. Over Anna
V. Saunders, Jane Z. Page, Anna L. Small
wood, Victorine Shewatcr, Ella " Chase and
Alice SomerviIe; and as sub.assistants. Mrs
Mary j. DOdson and Misses Kate Il. Moten
and Anna w. Silence to be acting supervising
principals in the same division, Miss Anna l..
Foote, Miner school, and Miss Anna V. Thomp-
hlHS, IOurtu anu Ia anu SCHOOLS.
The nominations were confirmed
CHANGES IN THE CoLoRED SCHOOLS.
Mr.. Smith, from tho seventh sub division
(colored schools), submitted tho following re-
port
The committee on teachers having made known
Is desire that for the best interests of the High
school the services of the principal of sad school
should be given entirely to the duties of that Office
the snb.board has relieved the principal of the
High school from tho duties of supervising princi.
PM OF the Miner schools aud respectfully nominate
Miss Anna H. Foote as acting supervising principal
OF the Miner schools, at a salary of 5000.
They have also TO report that in order TO more
eihciently organize the schools in the second sub
division, and give more time for teaching to the
principal, they have disconnected the Fourth aud
streets aud rhirdStreet schools from the super
yisng principalship of the John L. Cook school,
and respectfully nominate Miss Anna V. Thomp.
kins as acting supervising principal of Fourth and
and Third-street schools, at salary of 5000.
Tho increased numbers of pupils in the eighth
grade has made II necessary to organize another
school ofsaid grade which has been put In charge of
Miss s. L. Dofin, the third assistant teacher III the
High school, the reduced number Of pupils In the
first year of said school rendering II advisable
TO consolidate the two classes under one
teacher and thereby save tho cost of an additional
teacher for the eighth grade. The committee on
the High school for the present.
Two additional school rooms In the second and
one IN the fourth subdivision of this division ARE
absolutely necessary u accommodate the pupils al.
ready enrolled. Its therefore respectfully recon-.
mended that the room now used ny fuel room in
nilllhl Duiluillg nc cDuNcrtel INTO GLASS;
room, and the present principals classroo be
used as a regular school room. and that all add.
tionnl room bo rented In thcsccond subdivision at
rental not 10 exceed so per month, upon the APP
proval of the honorable Commissioners of the Dis.
trict of Columbia.
Resolutions were adopted authorizing the
renting OF two additional school rooms in tho
fifth division aud one in the third division,
each ut rental of S25 per month
HITCH OVER THE ACCOUNTS.
Mr.. Middleton from the committee on &C.
counts, stated that no had been directed BY his
committee to report 10 the board p di iliculty
arising out of the system of contracting debts
by the Inspector of Buildings, who, under "A re-
cent order OF the Commissioners, has charge OF
repairs to school buildings. He requested that
committee be appointed by tho board TO wait
on tho District Commissioners and ask that the
board be consulted in making disbursements of
the school fund. Bills came in, said Mr. Mid
dleton, aggregating in amount thousands of
dollars, and the committee knew nothing OF
how the money was expended, except that the
bill was endorsed approved, Thomas b.
Entwistlc." Waiting the instructions of the
board on this matter, the committee declined
to act on large number of bills which at
present they could only approve mochani-
cally.
Mr. Lov,joy said that the difficulty had
grown out of the action Of the Commissioners
III deprivlng the board of its mechanical iani.
tor. Heretofore the board had had control OF
all repairs, The place of the mechanical ani-
tor WAS supplied by II sub-nspector of build
ings. Under the administration of the me.
| chanical jantOr he was satisfied that they had
saved thousands OF dollars. Tho speaker re-
ferred to some recent work which had been
poorly done at II great expense, The inspector
was not acquainted with the wants of school
buildings. Every step ho had taken in rea.
| tion to the new building was pregnant with
errors.
Mr. Curtis thought ii farce to call upon
them TO approve bills which thoy knew moth
| ing of and had no voice IN contracting.
Mr. Brooks thought shat the committee
might hold such bills on which they had not
sufficient information to act upon. lie thought
tho Commissioners had made mistake Tho
sub'inspector was utterly OF no use to the
board.
After further discussion the following reso.
| luton, offered by Mr.. Lovejoy, was adopted
ReS0'usd. That a committee OF four consisting OF
the clluirmen OF the committee on buildings and
repairs ana committee OF accounts anu Two other
members of these committees TO wait on the honor.
able Commissioners of the District and represent
pairs ~ the Inspector of Buildings Is disadvHnta
SSous TO the schools, expensive to the District and
embarrassing to this board in the conduct of the
schools, aud renders II impossible for them 10 in.
diligently pass upon the questions OF account re.
ferred 10 this board by tho honorable Commits.
| slOners.
| The chair, in accordance with the provisions
of the resolution, appointed Messrs. Baldwin,
| Middleton, Brooks and Sumgryillu MS thu cOn.