Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-01

IsTRATIoN ELSEWHERE.
hearing was given by the Commissioners
this morning at 10 o'clock in the board room at
the District buildings on House bill 1851, known
as the citizens school BILL" providing for a
board of education Of twenty-four members.
The hearing was given to committee
appointed blythe citizens committee of one
hundred to take charge Of the bill When
Commissioner Douglass called the hearing TO
order the committee was represented by Messrs.
W. c. Dodge, A. NJ. Gangewer. Dr. Robert Rey-
burn, A. P. Clark, z. Richards, Chas E. French.
E. Baldwin, NJ. l. Weller, Henry Johnston and
VIM. II. Smith
Commissioner Douglass announced that ac-
cording to custom the Commissioners would
hear the DIRECTORS first. No one appeared.
however, as antagonistc to the bill so Dr.
Hepburn rose and explained the advantages
claimed for the bill under consideration.
Mr.. DoDGEs STATEMENT
He was followed by Mr.. W. C. Dodge. who
pointed out that the bill under consideration
was simply one to establish school board and
define their duties in perfect accord with what
had existed in the District and what at present
existed all over the country. Going into the
details OF the bill he said that the
reason for increasing the number of school
trustees as contemplated was to have
sufficient number of parents and tax payers
visit the schools and see how they are managed.
TO get information there Of what 10 needed to
make them better SO that when the board meets
this information thus obtained by actual per-
sonal observation could be presented and dis
cussed
At present, Mr.. Dodge continued, each of
the trustees has an average of over one hundred
schools and the result is that it is impossible
Tor them to visit the schools in person, still
when N 10 do
partments as some of the present board do,
and consequently they cannot have
that personal knowledge of the daily manage
ment OF the schools which is considered neces-
sary everywhere else. 1t is not the intention
Of the committee, he went on. to criticise the
management of the present board but simply
to call attention to the fact that the board
cannot give the schools that personal atten-
ton they ought to have.
Referring to the statement that the bill was
designed to Dust the present superintendent he
said that the absurdity of such thing was
apparent. for the bill itself expressly pre-
scribes that the Commissioners should have
the power OF appointing the members of
any or all of them at will. Mr..
Dodge closed his remarks by reading an edi-
tOrial from The EVENING STAR of March q,
1856 bearing on the subject. Messrs Smith.
Allen and Johnson followed in the same line.
each pointing out the advantages OF the pres
ent bill.
MIR. HINE ASKS A QUESTION.
Mr.. Hine inquired in what manner the pres
ent school system deficient? Mr. Hoyey
quickly replied that they couldn't teIl-they
had no means of finding out. They heard
reports from day to day from their
children. and saw grand finale at tho
close of the year, but they did not know if
there were any defects for the reason that
they had no means of finding out.
MIR. Hlne resDOnded that his ouncfiop uao
not intended as invidious, but merely for In
formation.
MIR. Hovey, continuing, said that it was not
the desire OF the citizens SO far as he knew. to
criticlse the present management of the pub
lie schools. They may be all that is claimed
for them, and probably are, but the
mass Of the people have no per-
sonal knowledge of them. All they
asked was that the school board be enlarged so
that the great body OF the people shall know
just what is being done in the schools from
actual examination by the parents themselves.
and IN order to accomplish this the citizens
appointed to supervise the schools should be
entrusted with the power to manage them and
held responsible tor their management, for
thereby only can they be thoroughly interested
III the schools. So long they are
merely advisory agents, he continued. and
the real power Is vested i'll the Commissioners
they will take only an advisory or superficial
interest, but when the responsibility is thrown
upon them they will take an active and per-
sonal interest. They did so formerly. he said.
and 1T Is but fair to assume that they would do
so now when entrusted with the same power.
COMPARED WITH OTHER CITIES
As to the number of trustees, he said that in
1881 the minister to Germany reported to his
government certain facts about the municipal
government of the city of Berlin. That city is
the capital OF a monarchy and our city the cap
ital of republic. That city had then between
100000 and 1.200, 600 inhabitants. Our city
between 100, 00) and 200. 900. The number
OF children in the schools in Berlin at
that time was about 1000, and the school
board consisted of 240 members, GA of whom
were women. or little over one school trustee
for every GOO pupils. In our city today there
are over $4,000 pupils in the public schools
and school trustees or about 1900 pupils to
each trustee. In the German capital. in addi-
ton to the 240 members of the school beard, all
of whom serve without pay, there were about
900 members of subcommittee appointed by
the school board as visitors to individual
schools, SO that there were voluntarily engaged
in the management Of the public schools about
1,196 persons.
In the city of Birmingham. England. con-
tinued MIR. Hovey. having about half million
Inhabitants the municipal government is con-
Quoted on the same policy-to enlist in its
management the largest number of citizens
possible, a large part of whom serve without pay
The controlling power of magistracy consists
of fifty persons, only one OF whom is u salaried
officer. This board is appointed by the crown
on the nomination Of the city council Next to
them is the city council, elected by the people
by popular vote. and next is n large school
board, to which the entire educational manage
ment Of public schools is entrusted.
IN OUR OWN COUNTRY.
In this country, Mr.. Hovey said, with the
exception of Chic. go, the school boards are all
comparatively large and are entrusted with
substantially the same powers as by the citi.
zens' school board bill. The little city Of Wor-
cester Mass, he said, has a school board of
twenty-four members. Cincinnati over forty,
Louisville twenty-four, Philadelphia Law
school board, and the Berlin system Of appoint
ing sub-boards of visitors for most OF the
school buildings also prevails. 1t will there
fore be seen, he continued. that
the policy in all these cities
is to enlist in the management
of public schools as many of the parents as
possible, and the committee thought it would
BIO well to adopt that policy here. That is the
purpose and object of the citizens school
bill
After the gentleman had ceased speaking the
Commissioners promised to give the matter
their consideration.
Death Of q Well-Known Odd Fellow.
The funeral Of the late George ". Robinson
is IN progress from Wesley II. E. Church this aft
ernoon and is largely attended. The deceased