Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-18
THE SCHOOL BOARD BILL.
The Hearing Before the Houoe District
Committee To-day.

THE SCHOOL BOARD BILL.
The Hearing Before the Heuse District
Committee To-day.
COMMISSIONERS WEBB AND Ex-coMMrssIoNERs
WEST AND DENT ARGUE AGAINST THE BILL
AR. WEST TAKES OCCASION 10 FIRE SHOT
AT E1suPERINTENDESr WILSON,
Gen. Birney continued his argument ON the
school question before the House District com.
mittee to-day. He said that the pending bill
aimed 70 restore many imperfections which the
board had got rid Of
COMMISSIONER wEBB's VIEWS
commissioner Webb then made statement.
He said the government of the District was
simply an executive government The Com
missioners were given by Law charge Of the
funds, the property Of the eoyernment This
Dill, he said, created another government-en.
tireiy oistinct-to take entire charge Of the
schools He read the law concerning the school
board, and said that his translation of the law
was that the board were the agents of the Com
m mus When he came into office he found
the BOARD IN full operation. They were wrang-
ling, Quarreling, and debating not over the ed
ncation OF the children, but over the appoint
see what could be done. All the other branches
OF the District government were in excellent
manv Inis alone was In disorder He tried
be turned to the law and found that 1t author.
lieu MIN 10 do just what he mad since done.
WAR MADE ON ONE MEMBER.
Upon the question of district representation
In the board, he said that war was made on one
member of the board by the rest because he did
not do just what they wanted him to. That,
too, In the face of the fact that he was the man
VINO mad been chosen by the people Of the dis
long since he had visited school house-one
OF the 1nestlooking in the country. There he
found I'VE rooms just too small for school rooms,
nj fhn hnilsH inc of s,t,v,A
mense hall, which, he was informed, had never
been used more than five minutes at q time.
1nis was large enough to make two or three
school rooms. From there he went down on
New Jersey avenue and found q young woman
teaching young children in dark damp base
ment rms school had been held there for two
years and was In charge of the trustees.
a He then explained what the Cemmissioners
missloners letter to the trustees.
commissioner Edmonds was next invited to
sioner West be heard instead.
EX-CoMMISSIONER WEST TALKS
Gen. West was then given twenty minutes
time to address the committee. He took the
grounds that no change in the law was neces-
sary and no change in the practice was advis.
able, except that which the Commissioners
ment Of the superintendent Of the schools. he
sac sald that they had q man in that position,
the the predecessor red Of the present incumbent,
every thing. He involved the expense OF 500
year too much on single item, that OF steel
pens: There was under his management, Gen.
west said, willful, and, he did not know, but
corrupt extravaganza.
Nv no appointed this superintendent" asked
Mr.. Gray, OF Louisiana.
THE Commissioners" replied Gen. West.
~ by did they not dismiss hiIn?" was asked.
because ne was the great I am" replied
every three years. II takes one year to learn
the workings of things. 1t took year longer to
De satlshed as to where the wrong lay.
Ex-coMMIssIoNER DENTS VIEWS.
Ex-CommissiOner Dent next spoke. He said
the only fault he found was that the Commits
sloners did not go tar enough. There ought to
be no school board with any power. There
ought to be merely board OF visitors. All the
boards In the District had proven public scan
dals The school board had had scandalous
disagreements.
Judge Edmonds then talked for ten minutes.
Commissioners.
MR.. LoVEJoY DEFENDS THE SCHOOL BOARD.
Mr. Lovejoy was next heard in defense of the
Dill, representing the citizens. He said that
Mr. Wilson, upon whom reflections had been
cast, was second to none in honor and integrity.
He described in detail the methods followed by
the school board, and contended that the
present excellent condition OF the schools was
Que TO the careful management of the board.
Inc COMMISSIONERS, he said, attempted to
annul this law by an order. There were
two ways to resist this. One by going into
When good school buildings nave been built.
he said, they were the work of the board: when
their recommendations had not been followed
that If the school board was allowed to be dis
turbed their good work would be sacrificed.
WANT THE OLD SYSTEM CONTINUED
Some of the members of the committee were
of the impression that the citizens wanted a
new order Of affairs, and asked the reasons.
since the schools were in such good condition.
DIR. Reyburn assured them that this was not
the case; They simply wanted the continuation
OF the oid system, which the Commissioners
wanted to change.
WHY THEY CALL THEMSELVES A "c1r1zENs'
CoMMITTEE"
Ex-Commfssioner Dent questioned their au-
thority to call themselves citizens commit
tee.
DR.. Reyburn replied that they claimed no
that which they derived by
terested in school affairs, and getting replies
conforming with the views they represented,
papers In the city took the same grounds as
agreed to allow citizens to submit their views
in writing to the committee for one week.
->O>-
A Candidate for Senator.
THE RECENT VISIT OF GOVERNOR WILSON TO
WASHINGTON.
The published report that Gov. Wilson, OF
West Virginia. refused to call upon the Senators
of that state during his recent visit to Washing
ton, and that q feud exists between them which
threatens the party in that state is very much
exaggerated. Gov. Wilson called upon the
Senators and was with them on several occa-
siOns. The simple truth is that the governor
is an avowed candidate for the seat in the Sem
ate now occupied by Mr.. Camden, and, of
course, this does not tend 10 render the rela-
tons between the two men very cordial. Gov.
Wilson himself denounced the report that he
was seeking to create q breach in the democ-
racy in order to build up q laboring mans
party, which could send MIN to the Senate. He
declared himself TO be a candidate for Senator
within the party, and under all its usages. AS
he resides in the same town Senator Kenna
that fact is not regarded as helping his chances.
Deputy Marshal McBlair Resigns.
Deputy Marshal Charles Ridgely McBlair
who for the past three years has been in charge
at the Police Court, to-day rendered his resigna-
ton to Marshal Wilson to take effect on Friday
next, and 1t was accepted. Mr.. McBlair re-
signs to enter the brokerage business.
The SMALLPOX IN CANADA UNDER Con-
TRoL.-The regulations issued last October for
the maintenance of quarantine inspections on
the northern frontier have been revoked. This
action is based on official information, that
smallpox, which was epidemic in certain
provinces of Canada, is now under control.
FINANCIAL AND CON MERCfAL