Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-14
Testimony Before the Senate Inves-
tigating Committee.
TRUSTEES DEFEND TIE SYSTEM
Gen. Harries Makes Some Crit
cisms Of Methods.
PERTINENT QUESTION S

was continued yesterday afternoon after
The Stars report of the proceedings was
closed.
General Ellis Spear explained that gram
mar Is now taught orally more than under
the old systems. He said the desire was
to teach the children to use and write the
English language correctly, and If that
was done he didn't think it was material
whether they know the technical terms of
grammar The main object sought, he
thought, was attained.
General Spear explained the system In
the schools in regard to the supervision of
the schools. Under the law, he said. the
trustees are to prescribe the course of
studies in the schools but so far as he
was concerned he said, he deferred to the
superintendent and principals Of the schools
In these matters, as they give their entire
Tune to their work, while he does SO as
there had been no friction between the
trustees and the superintendent.
Senator GalIinger's Questions.
Senator Gallinger asked if the salaries
should not be made higher for teachers.
Gen. Spear said the trustees had made such
recommendations as far as it was thought
wise.
Senator Gallinger said he had been told
that the superintendent had diverted the
salary from one teacher to another and
asked whether that was done.
Gen Spear replied that he had heard that
that had been done, but he did not know
whether 1t is being done now.
Senator Ganinger said that there had
peen g. case IN his state in which post
master had diverted salaries that were
fixed by law, and the result was that he
had appeared before the grand jury. He
thought that whatever salary the law fixed
should be paid to the teacher. He said he
mad been asked to introduce in the Senate
q resolution Of inquiry on this subject but
he had not thought that it would be well
to bring that matter up in the Senate
When asked how the fact concerning this
charge could be ascertained Gen. Spear
said he supposed it could be secured from
the superintendent He had had this charge
called to his attention and he had intend
ed asking Mr. Powell about 1t, but he had
overlooked it.
The Teachers' Salaries.
There was further discussion of the sub
1ect of salaries paid to teachers In the Dis
trict. Gen. Spear said the salaries are SO
low the trustees could not get teachers from
outside the city, but could only get those
who live at their own homes here. The Nor
NAL School. In supplying teachers at low
salaries, he thought, had more than paid its
expense Of operation. These salaries in
many instances, he said, are lower than
those OF messengers in the government
service There were some college graduates
whose salaries are as low as $500 year
in the school system. He thought thew
should be higher.
Judge Barnard said some people think
that Superintendent Powell has a. patent
on the system here but the fact was it is
the system used in many other places only
It was better in the District than elsewhere.
He explained the system of teaching the
children by observation.
He said he had learned his multiplicat ton
table by rote and had learned to smell
words he knew not the meaning of and
ne d1dnt know what it was an about.
NOW the children are taught more intelli-
gently and when they are taught to smell
word they know what the word means
Judge Barnard said the division of sal
aries Senator Gallinger had referred to was
not In violation of any law. He said the
salaries In the lowest grades, he Thought
should be equal to those of the higher
grades.
Gen. Harries' Criticisms.
General George H. Harries said there had
been great deal of criticism of the schools
in regard to the teaching of spelling, aritb-
metic and other fundamental work. This
came before the trustees, and three months
ago they talked 1t over with the SUPER
lntendent. They came to the conclusion
that in order to meet this criticism thew
would emphasize the teaching of these
fundamental studies in the system They
mad done so, and he supposed that criti-
cism was properly met by that action. He
SAID the course OF study was carried out
only as construed by those who are charged
TO carry 1t out. For instance, he said
copyboOks for writing had been prescribed
and those with power to do so had ordered
that they be used as scratch books only
He said that in the second division the
copybooks are not used today He criti-
c1sed the system in the school for the rea-
son he found the children acquired a vo-
cabulary of polished language. but they
a .@Nt
they actually come in contact with For
instance, his little boy could identify and
spell ''stamen," petal etc, but he was
not as well trained in the use of names
in the first four grades number Of teach
more than double those in the gram
mar schools get less money in the aggre-
gate than the latter.
A District Dialect.
Gen. Harres said that system of learn
ing language has been taught in the Dis
triat that SO far as he knew was taught no.
where else on earth. He referred to a text
book of which the author is Superintendent
Powell, which 1t had been proposed to use
in the schools here.
A member of the board said that this
text book is not now in use. Gen. Harries
replied that the superintendent had in
structed the principals and teachers in this
system, and it was actually being taught
Ihere nave been times, he said, when
the superintendent has had to revise an
opinion he has expressed, and he would re-
wise it. but not until the teacher had accept
ed the first statement. 1t is true the board
of trustees has not yet adopted this book
An objection to it Is that people who are
rot accustomed to the District of Column
hia language find difficulty with it. They
do not understand why a verb should be
called an asserter.''
Senator Stewart: ut IS creating a new
dialect"
Gen. Harries: 81 suppose we are entitled
to dialect
Mrs. TulIOck Defends the System,
Mrs. Tullock defended the system in
vogue in the schools here.
II attended school in New Hampshire,
where we were supposed to have very good
educational system she said, "but I re-
greet every time go into our schools that
/ had not the benefit of such schools as we
have in Washington"
She said the children in the first and Sec
ond grades understand something about Ian
guage If they are not taught long list of
verbs and nouns without knowing anything
about English after they get through. She