Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-14
Important Business Transacted BY
the Board Last Night.
fHE PENMANSHIP QUESTION SETTLED
The Vertical System Adopted With
Only One Dissenting Vote.
TEACH Frs APPOIN TED

Although somewhat shorter than usual.
last nights meeting Of the board of trustees
of public schools was marked by the trans
action Of considerable business Of impor-
lance to the system. President Whelpley
was in the chair, and Mr.. Joseph Falck
acted as secretary. The trustees present
were Messrs. Barnard, Harries, Hazen, VII
son, Bruce, Cornish and Shadd, and Mrs.
Stowell. Superintendent Powell and Cook
were also in attendance to- supply any in
formation that might be required Of them.
The surprise of the evening was the quiet,
but most effective, manner in which the
vexed question in relation to a change OF
text books on penmanship was disposed Of
This question has engaged. the attention OF
the board for some time and had reached q
stage generally regarded by the opposition
to the proposed change ase.an effectual
deadlock. Under the rules of the board ii
requires a two-thirds vote Of oil, the men,
bers, or seven, to change a text book, and
prior to last nights meeting the"proposition
In favor of vertical system of penman-
ship had never received mere@athan six
votes.
That there had been q decided change OF
sentiment on the subject. however, was de-
veloped at last nights meeting, But it was
not even suspected by the minority until
the final vote was taken. That the question
was coming up for consideration was clear
ly indicated at the very outset of the meet
ing, during the consideration Of the minutes
of the special meeting of September 10. As
printed, the minutes showed that a motion
offered by Mr.. Harries Ito lay the matter
OF copy books on the table, had been car
red.
Mr. Barnard took exception to that state
ment as not being strictly accurate. Ac-
cording to his recollection. the board had
simply laid on the table the joint report OF
the committee On text books and the COM
mittee on penmansnip, with the intention OF
taking it up at another meeting of the
board. Other members of the board. in
Guiding Mr.. Harries. expressed similar
views on the subject, and. on motion of MIR.
Barnard, the secretary was Instructed to
amend the minutes accordingly.
The Vertical Penmansllip Adopted.
The matter was laid aside temporarily to
permit the transaction Of routine business.
and when that was out of the way. Mr..
Barnard made formal motion that the
joint report of the committees be taken
from the table, and the motion was car
red without division. The report in ques-
ton contained the unanimous recommended
ton of the committee text books and
the committee on penmanship in favor of
the use of the vertical writing books, pub
lished by CHM & Co., in the fourth, fifth
and sixth grades of schools. Mr.. Barnard
in its adhesion to its former opinion.
Without any preliminary skirmishing,
Mr.. Wilson moved the adoption of the re-
port, and none of the members showing
any disposition to discuss the motion, the
president directed the secretary 20 call the
roll on the motion. AS their names were
called, Messrs. Barnard Whelpley. Haze n,
Wilson, Shadd. Bruce and Cornish and
Mrs. StOweI voted aye and Mr.. Harries
nay and the secretary announced the
vote as for and l against the motion,
whereupon the chair declared that it lad
been carried, and that the text hooks rec
commended by the joint committees had
been adopted by the board. Heretofore
Mr.. Cornish had consistently voted against
the proposed change. and it is also stated
that Mr.. Shadd had promised to vote
last nights meeting. AS already shown,
however. both gentlemen voted in favor Of
the adoption of the report. Had they voted
otherwise. it would have lacked the two
thirds vote necessary to its success Inas-
much. however, as the matter was not even
briefly discussed. there was nothing to
show what caused the unlooked-for
strength of the majority.
No Need of a Woman Janitor.
A communication was received from Mrs.
b. S. Luckett. superintendent of the purity
department, Women's Christian Temper
ance Union of the District of Columbia re-
questing that the board appoint proper
persons to have supervision of the closets
in the school buildings during school hours,
and of the play grounds and play rooms
when occupied by the children" and also
requesting that a woman janitor shall be
appointed for each high school building,
to whom young girls may appeal in case of
need" IF the desirability of these ap-
pointments is not at once apparent" said
Mrs. Luckett, Representatives of the w. c.
T. L. will be glad to present reasons in sup
port of the same"
A general discussion followed, in which
it appeared that there is no necessity for
the action suggested, and. moreover, there
is no authority CT law for such appoint
ments in case they were needed. Mr.. Hazen
said that the school monitors attended to
this matter, and Mr.. Harries said that
there were so many female teachers in the
schools that the pupils can easily find some
one to appeal to In case of need.
erintendent Powell having been called
on for opinion on the subject, said: Il
do not believe such appointments are
needed, for, as Mr.. Harries said, there are
SO many female teachers that one or more
may always be found in the yard during
recess. This work is now forced upon
teachers by the supervising principals.
agree with Mr.. Wilson that we cannot
make the appointments requested because
We have no appropriation for that purpose,
unless We assign teacher to. do that duty
All of these movements are IN the right di-
recttOn. and they make better schools and
pupils, but I should say this matter is one
of the things that at present are leas,
needed
Finally. on motion of Mrs StowelI, the
secretary was instructed TO inform Mrs.
Luckett that the duties suggested are being
attended to, and that there Is no appropria-
ton for additional appointments
Mr.. Wilson stated that District Commits
sioner Powell had recently suggested to
him that the board explain fully the neces-
SIty for additional school buildings and ex-
press itself on the subject of compulsory
school law for the District On his sugges-
ton, the proper committees were instructed
to prepare the data for the benefit of the
District Commissioners,
Minor ChanScs
AT their request, Misses Carrie NJ Fuller
and Susan a. Moore, who have been on rhe
substitute list for over two years. and
whose work has been satisfactory were
granted certificates for the coming wear
without an examination.
The resignation of Miss E. NJ. Getchell-
teacher seventh grade, Twin.ng was ac-
cepted. Miss Marie H. Siebert, teacher Of
German in the High School, was granted
leave of absence for three months She is
now in Berlin, and asked for a years leave.
Mss Sampson Of the Birney School was
also granted three months leave to study
abroad.
Teachers Appointed.
The following appointments of teachers