Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-27

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PUBLIC SCHOOL INTERESTS.
Citizens Have a Hearing Before the
Senate Subcommittee.
THE CASE STATED BY DR. REYBURN-REMARKS
OF MEssRs. LovEJoY, WOLF AND OTHERS.
The hearing before the Senate subcommittee
OF the District OF Columbia ingalls,,
Ptke and Blackburn non the public school
question did not begin until nearly IL O'CLOCK
this morning. There were present Of the citi-
zens' committee DR.. Reyburn, Messrs. Geo.
White, ]. c. Dulin, A. st. A. Smith. Fred.
Douglass, WI. Stephenson, b w. Fenwick,
Wm Syphax, VIM. J. Rhees, B. g. Lovejoy and
others; also, District Commissioners Edmonds
and Webb.
DR.. Reyburn stated that he would submit
some remarks and then the secretary would
Commissioners and the citizens committee.
Mr.. Webb-I don't understand that there Is
any any ttbonttroversy between the Commissioners
Chairman Ingalls-That win be developed in
ID, DR.: Reyburn-wen, points of difference,
Mr.: Webb want this thing settled first. We
uon want TO be put in the attitude OF ansag-
onlZlng the trustees or citizens.
DIR. REYBURN STATES THE CASE IN BEHALF
OF THE CITIZENS.
Senator ingalls, again suggested that the
hearing proceed, whereupon DR.. Reyburn
spoke.
he considered It strange thing that in this
erea century ana In the capita, o. 1ns
PEELED to appear to ask protection in securing
to the people OF the District the care and man
erai Commissioners of the District Of Columbia,
for nearly eight years, recognized the authority
of the board of trustees, but suddenly, on De-
fhn mt m
issued an order which virtually stripped the
school trustees of all power, and assumed to
themselves the duties and powers formerly ex-
The committee of citizens, he said, utterly de-
MED the legality or the equity of the position
assumed by the Commissioners in this matter.
DE referred to the various provisions OF the
pending bill, and said: sit may possibly be the
case that no residents of the District of Column
bia are fit to be entrusted with the care and
management OF their public schools except the
Commissioners of the District of Columbia or
trict do not think so. and they believe that they
are abundantly capable OF performing this high
and important duty, which Is exercised by the
citizens OF every hamlet, town and city in the
United States"
Senator ingalls, asked DR.. Reyburn for state
ment of the grievances of the citizens; what
they complain Of Whether the existing school
system is defective, teachers inefficient, etc.
Dr. Reyburn replied that the protest was
AGAINST THE DESTRUCTION OF THE EXISTING
SYSTEM,
which is approved by the people. He said the
secretary of the citizens committee would read
extracts of letters showing existing differences
and what the citizens want
The secretary then read the letter Of the
Commissioners of January 29th last to DR..
Reyburn, Of the citizens committee, declaring
that the school board had been abolished and
disappearing the bill proposed by the citizens
committee. He also read from Mr. b. G. Love-
joys letter, the memorial of the school board,
and other documents which accompanied the
bill OF the citizens committee when it was in
PRODUCED in Congress, and which have been
published in THE STAR.
The principal point submitted was the decla-
ration in the memorial of the citizens commit
tee that over the construction of the school law
a controversy had arisen between the Commits
sioners and the citizens; that the Commission
ers prefer to conduct the schools as they do the
police department, through paid superintend-
ent; that the citizens protest against the one
man power and desire the maintenance of the
school board.
MIR. B. G. LovEJoY SAID
he had been in the school board until recently
for eight years continuously. The system here
had always been conducted by school boards
with full powers Changes made in 1874 and
since deprived the board OF power to control
or expend money. The pending bill, contin-
board with money powers. He maintained
that If the Commissioners are to control and
have their ideas merely percolate through the
responsibility, then it would be Impossible
to get self-respecting men to accept the position
had shown that board of nine is an inefficient
board.
"Why?" asked Mr.. Ingalls,.
"For several reasons replied Mr.. Lovejoy. He
then proceeded to detail his experience as q
member Of the board of nine, saying he found it
impossible to attend to the duties imposed upon
had two coadjutors to aid him and consult with
him he was satisfied that the duties of his
school district would have been better per-
formed, and that many mistakes he had made
would have been avoided. MIR. Lovejoy stated
that the plan OF single trustee tor each district
tended to render each member arbitrary as to
his own district, and TO make him an autocrat
something like the courtesy Of the Senate
prevails there" suggested MI. ingalls,.
the Senate" replied Mr.. Lovejoy. Continuing,
Mr.. Lovejoy said the board had been inharmo-
NOUS to considerable extent, and the dissat-
isfaction of the citizens had arisen within the
last two years. He referred to various differ
ences between the trustees and Commissioners.
that the Commissoners have BEEN av srad%av
encroaching upon the rights of the trustees.
We named school buildings and the Commits
buildings"
MR.. SIMON WOLF NEXT SPOKE.
He said the citizens claim that the superin-
tendent of the public schools should be ap-
pointed by the trustees, who can better deter
for school buildings should be selected by the
trustees, subject to the approval of the Commits
SlOnerS Also, the clt1ZenS claim that the board
Is not numerous enough to properly attend to
the great interests entrusted to them.
Mr.. Ingalls-Ought there to be more districts?
Several OF the committee answered mo-"
Mr. Wolf favored the appointment of ladies
Of education and culture upon the school
board He would also be glad to see the civil
service system SO far Incorporated In the school
system as to maintain good teachers and pre-
vent their being dismissed by any cranky trus-
tee.
EX-MAYOR EMERY
hoped the District committee would look care
fully into the matter and maintain the system
SO dear to the public.
MRS. OLIVIA BRIGGS
did not think the public schools here had &C
complished great deal. She knew of no great
journalist poet that the public schools here
had turned out. She criticised the system as
more tor the benefit of the rich than the DOOR,
and concluded by declaring that the women Of
the District would defeat the citizens bill in
Congress il it shall be favorably reported.
MIR. FRED DOUGLASS IN FAVOR OF THE BILL
Mr.. Fred. Douglass declared himself in favor
of the citizens bill OF twenty-four trustees as
the best thing to be done. Being a woman's
rights man he was in favor of making up 'spart
of these twenty-fOur men of women" Laugh
ter.