Evening star., 1900-02-07
0vercrowding Of Studies Upon Pub
lie School Pupils.
ACflON0F COLUMBIA HEIGHfSClTlZENS
Question of District Suffrage Un-
der Consideration.
CONFERENCE COMMITTED E

18th and Binney streets, that of the alleged
| unreasonable crowding of studies upon the
pupils In the public schools. and that of
suffrage in the District. The first question
was disposed of by the appointment Of q
committee to investigate the subject, to-
| gether with committees from other associa-
tions, and the other went over until the
| next meeting, but not, however, until after
those favoring a restoration of suffrage
here We're defeated on a test vote.
The president of the association. Mr.. Leo
Simmons, occupied the chair, and after Mr..
| Edwin A. Clifford had been elected to mem
bership, Mr.. August Peterson, chairman of
| the committee on telegraph and telephone
poles and wires, called attention to his ef-
poles and the stringing of wires thereon
over private property in the vicinity of
Chapln street, which efforts, he added,
have so far proven unsuccessful. The more
he has protested to the District Commits
sloners against their erection, believed by
him to be unlawful. the more poles and
wires nave been erected. 1t seemed, said
Mr.. Peterson, that about all the people can
do is to quietly submit, although they
might themselves erect three more poles
and name each one after the Commission
ers, in commemoration of their action in
the matter.
Educational Matters.
From the committee on education, its
that he regretted to say that Congress has
not yet acted upon Senator Mason's propo-
sition TO appropriate the sum of 81 600 for
the purpose of providing sanitary heating
and ventilating apparatus for the johnson
public school in Mt. Pleasant.
Mr.. = NJ. Campbell offered a resolution to
the effect that the association views with
pleasure the fight being waged at present
against the overpressure of the children
attending the public schools, particularly
that form of overpressure which requires
balf-grown children to do from two to six
hours of night study at times when the
laws OF health imperatively require recrea-
tlon The resolution directed the secretary
of the association, Mr.. w. B. Todd to for
ward copy of it to the school board
This resolution was unanimously adopted
after discussion in which number of the
members of the association participated
Mr. Campbell said there is not the slightest
doubt that the children of the District pub
lie schools are being overcrowded in their
studies. He referred to the recent suicide
OF a school girl because she feared she
would fail in one of her studies, and said
ne was recently informed by well-known
LEGAL physician that another girl had be-
come insane because of the pressure of
studies upon her. The teachers are of the
opinion. added Mr.. Campbell, that too much
is required of the children. but they can do
nothing but carry out the directions in The
matter of those above them
Why, 1t is said to be a fact" remarked
+hi NdillpDell, tEdl superintendent Powell
does not allow spelling lessons in the
schools. l am a college man, and have l
think, very good idea of grammar, but |
confess that cannot solve the problems in
that study brought home by my boy l am
told the only grammars they have are a
few which are kept in the school libraries
and while my boy has not yet obtained
even tail-hold on the study he tells me
drop 1t. AS Mr.. Powell is said to be the
responsible person, he IS the one to go
after"
Onerous Tasks.
Mr. B. P. Davis also stated he believed
that there is much more required of the
school children here than is necessary or
proper. The teachers give out tasks, he
said, that they themselves are often in
capable of performing An effort should
be made to ascertain the responsible per-
son, and sift the whole matter to the bot
tom. The practice is wrong and the teach
ers themselves are often to blame, said Mr..
Davis, and If the health and future welfare
of the children is to be preserved they
should be protected when their minds are
in the formative period.
Mr.. 5. G. Rogers expressed the belief that
if the people of the District had any voice
in the selection of the members of the
school board, superintendent or teachers, a
majority of such officials would not be long
tolerated. Two of his children have passed
through the District public schools, stated
Mr.. Rogers, but when they finished they
lacked the practical. beneficial education
which he obtained in the common schools
in Iowa. They appear to have obtained
only a smattering of studies of no practical
benefit, not even learning in the District
schools to read spell well. The
whole trouble, remarked Mr.. Rogers, is
that the public school officials here are
above the people, and, therefore, do lust
about as they please.
Mr.. L. NJ. Saunders expressed the opinion
that the trouble is alone due to what he
claims is absence Of a truly American form
of government for the District. Mr.. Davis
said the superintendent should be elected
annually, for very often educators get to
riding hobbies, and get to be deSpots and
when they do, he added, they should be
succeeded by others.
Mr.. jameson said he has been Informed
that the teachers are not permitted to an
swer inquiries of their pupils, and that
they will not explain matters which the
children do not clearly understand His
boy, he stated often is compelled to study
as late as 10 or IL o'clock at night in order
to keep up in his studies, and frequently
brings home problems which his father
cannot understand or solve.
Expresses Satisfaction.
Mr.. b. F. Brocl1ett said his five children
lave gone through the District public
schools, and that he is satisfied with the
progress they made. He did not push his
children, and when they fell behind he al
lowed them ample time in which to get
along OF course, he said, the course of
instruction today is far different from
that in existence when the members of the
association attended school, but so has the
means of transportation. the collection and
dissemination of news changed since then
Upon the motion of Mr.. O'Donoghue the
pI esident was authorized to appoint a COM
mttee of five to confer with committees
from other associations in the matter of
the alleged overpress ure of the school chill
dren; investigate the subject; discover, If
| possible, the responsible person or persons;
suggest a remedy, and report at the next
meeting of the association. Messrs. ODon-
oghue Rogers, Campbell, Saunders and DR.
B. F. Gibbs were named the committee
The Telephone Question.
Mr.. Campbell called attention to the de-
cision of Justice Barnard in the matter of
| telephone rates. saying that the case en-
phaszed the necessity for municipal own
| ership of all telephone and electric lighting
conduits in the District. Upon his motion,
| the association expressed its belief that
| the District should own all such conduits,
| which ouce for all should be constructed of
| ample size to meet future requirements,
| that the sheet anchor for the present mo-
| nopolies is the public opposition to COM
| peting companies tearing up the streets