Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-15
AFTER MIR. ENTWISLE.
Six Hundred School Teachers Wrath.
full Over His Remarks.

There are six hundred mad women in town.
1t is said that the realm of his satanic majesty
has no fury like woman scorned. In this case
the one woman is multiplied by six hundred,
and the object upon which their combined
wrath is about to be poured is the building in
spector. Mr.. Entwisle. Remarks which he was
quoted by THE STAR as having uttered in ref
erence to the regulation of the temperature Of
school rooms have stirred the indignation of
all the school teachers. He was reported as
saying in substance that school teachers had
been caught lowering windows and closing reg
listers in order to reduce the temperature 10
such point that their schools would have to
be closed for the day and they could get holt
day. Teachers and school officials with whom
STAR reporter talked emphatically denied
this. Some of the teachers thought Mr.. En-
twlsle ought to be requested to specify cases
and not let the accusation he. makes reflect
upon the whole corps of teachers. A promi-
nent school official speaking of the matter said
that if teachers erred at all in the matter their
tendency was TO err on the other side and keep
their schools going when they ought to be dis
missed. The competition among teachers to Sc
cure good records for their schools was so great
that teacher who was obliged to close her
school. while others continued their work, did
so reluctantly. In some cases they held on
until they were actually driven out by the
principal or supervising principal. Then, he
said, the teachers were as a body. conscientious
women, who would not resort to a dishonest
measure of the kind described by the building
inspector. Teachers, he said, were human
and liked n holiday. When there is a general
holiday and all the schools are closed the
teachers rejOiced as much as any other tired
workers did, but every teacher was too much
interested in her work and her own record to
seek holiday at the expense of the relative
standing of her school. Even if there was
teacher Indifferent or dishonest enough to
resort to the measure described by Mr.. En-
twisle. such thing could not be done without
being detected by the pupils, the principal of
the building and the janitor. Teachers and
school officials stung by Mr.. Entwisle's remarks
TO rather plain speaking have some unpleasant
remarks to make on their side. They want to
know if IL is not possible that the building in
spector, who has charge of the heating appli-
anees of school buildings, has undertaken to
divert attention from failures i'll the working
of apparatus due TO neglect on the part
of some one in his own Office by raising
this cloud of suspicion over teachers.
The only recent cases where schools have been
closed on account of insufficient heat has been,
a STAR reporter was informed, in a building
where. by order of the Commissioners. hard
coal had been substituted for soft coal AS the
official responsible for the heating apparatus
had failed to put in hard coal CRATE, it was
found impossible to heat the building suf-
tcientlv on a cold day.
There exists quite a difference of opinion
between school officials and teachers on the
one hand and the building inspector on the
other on the subject of windows and doors.
The building inspector issued orders that doors
and windows should never be opened for venti-
latiOn. The school authorities on the other
hand. have advised teachers to use common
sense in the matter. and when they found the
heat becoming to great to lower a window
windows if they thought necessary. always
being careful to note the direction of the wind
and to avoid dangerous draughts. The school
teachers talk of making an appeal in some form
10 the school board. so as to secure some en-
phatic vindication from the charge made by
the building inspector,