The Washington times., 1906-03-02

janiror of an eight-room school build
ing receives a salary of $40 per year.
7. Edward CLARK, saying he repre-
sented the common veal. declared
that the greater part of Washington 5
population is mostly Government, en-
Dioyes, held together by the cohesive
power or public pap and said the Com
missioners are always held up and de-
feated by District employees and other
officials.
He said he was born ION the banks of
the Apacostia and was twenty-five
years old when Commissioners West and
Blddle We're i'm swaddling clothes lie
said. therefore, that as an old citizen
he wanted To talk. not for any bill par
ticularly, but for improvements nj the
school system.
= think" he said. that this system
here is all wrong. for this reason, sta
tiStics show that only seven out OF eN-
cry 100 children who enter the graded
schools ever enter the high schools
The curriculum of these lower grades IS
TOO fun of stuff. Children spend too
much time memorizing sections % "Lal-
Ia Rookh" and "A Tale of Two Cities
Schools All Wrong.
Few people know what goes on in
the school rooms of the city. I do
know. and it's all wrong.
Members of the board | think. new
it's 10 a commencement or something Of
that sort
Il was in the normal school here
once, some ttme ago f0r half an hour.
and all that time the talk was about
why a woOdpecker's eggs arc speckled
and why IA woodpecker invariably nests
i'm the hollow OF a tree"
1T is not like thai now-you can cut
out the woodpecker.'' said Mr.. stuart
pol raF Ia 6-B
some things just as foolish now As
soon as ! had decided that the system
wasn't worth a cent, l said So, ana
Wrete my opinions 10 the newspapers.
There followed an nVCsJIgat by the
Senate committee in 1900 and Congress
passed the bin which ROW governs the
schools
But things in our schools are still
in very bad shape. There WAS howl
of indignant tiOn against POWells system.
and l say that today The present sys~
TEN is practically the same as POWcll's
was. IhaJ IS lay objection
Too much time Is spent in teaching
children that potatoes grow in the
ground and birds live in the air 4 have
Il grandchid twelve years old who can
read, but who doesn't know her alpha
bet That's all wrong.
Mr.. Clark declared that prominent
business man OF Washington had told
were schOolcd in the District schools
made poor clerks, while those from out
side schools and the Catholic parochial
schools have made good clerks
Mrs. Charles G. Darwin said some
thing is lacking in the teaching of spell
ing IN the schools of the District.
Mrs. Curtis said the health condi-
non at the Mott school Is very bad, as
there are several inches of water under
the building all the time.
Some time ago she said. "a girl
thirteen years old went totally blind be
cause she had TO sit in a room at the
Mott school which was 50 dark that
Sasight has TO be used in il all the
time"
Berth Not Easy One.
j HoldswoTth Gordon, president of
the Board of Education. appeared be
fore the subcommittee yesterday after
noon and declared that the present
board is not concerned about keeping its
Job. He said the only thing he wanted
to do was To conserve the interests Of
the schools of the District
Mr. MOrrell wanted 10 know why Mr..
Hughes had neglected on one occasion
- sign TWO diplomas issued to pupils Of
the NJ Street High school Nr Gordon
said Mr. Hushes was later directed 70
that the TWO pupils in question had no.
properly qualified.
William II. White. representing the
East Washington Citizens Association.
told the board that his association
thinks tEere should be no pronounced
changes in the present system OF school
administration in the District.
Kelly Miller. COiOre1. representing the
Civic Club, said his organization wanted
TO indorse the present board.
Director Hughes of the high schools
made al detailed statement. explaining
his business duties, and saying he acted
under orders from the Board of EduCa-
ton In regard to the unsigned dipIo-
mas issued TO two pupils Of the NJ Street
High School. he sIid he was under oath
10 do what he believed to be his duty
Mrs Curtis, wife of DR.. Curtis col
OTed. who is a defender Of Mrs A J.
Cooper, has made the direct aCcusa-
tiOn that there is Il conspiracy. of which
Mr.. Hughes is the head. to oust Mrs.
Cooper from the principalship of the NJ
Street High School.
Mr.. Morrel then said that for the
present the subcommittee prefers not to
go into the NJ Street School affair