Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-20
LOCAL MEN FAVORED
FOR POSITION OF DISTRICT
SCHOOL sUpERrNTENDENT.
Matter Said to Be Narrowed to Two
Candidates-Residen and
Outside Man.

| From developments today 1t appears
| that the matter of the appointment OF
/ new superintendent of the public schools
OF the District has practically simmered
| down to two acknowledgements Chas-
5. Clarke of this city and an outside man.
/ II Is said. however. that there are three
| outsiders under consideration for the APP
pointment. 1t is the belief and hope Ut
Very many people in Washington who are
deeply interested in the magnificent pub
lie school system here that Mr. Clarke
| will be selected at a conference of the
committee. and perhaps some other men,
1 bers of the board. to be held next Monday
at the Franklin School building.
| Mr.. Clarke has been connected with the
| public schools of the District OF Columbia
| since 1882. He was at first teacher, but
| was quickly promoted to principalship of
| very difficult building which he handled.
| 1t Is declared, in such tactful and able
| manner that when vacancy of super
| vising principalship came he was again
promoted
His district. the first. was one the proper
handling of which required tact and quail
ties of an unusual order. II was the district
| In which the sons of Presidents of the
United States, those of senators and rep
resentatives diplomats and leading bus-
| ness men attended school. and where diff
| cultes might be naturally expected. On
the contrary, however, since he has been
| the principal the district has given abso-
| lutely no trouble to the powers above.
Mr.. Clarke is said not to have been a
participant in any of the factional troubles
! of the past, but attended to his own
| knitting. His friends confident he has
all the requirements of executive and edu-
| cational qualifications necessary to make a
successful administration of the Superin-
tendency.
In Interest of Candidates.
| 1t Is said that when Admiral George w.
Ia iTd raf Cd IN off obi Gdaxy
evening he found more than fifty letters on
| his desk. all bearing on the matter Of the
] superintendency, and favoring Messrs-
Clarke and Percy M. Hughes. 1t was also
stated that fortytwo petitions in favor Of
! the candidates have been received by the
committee.
| 1t is said to be the intention Of the COM
mittee to get the best man possible, as the
public schools here are regarded national
| in their character, and Washington is
fast becoming the educational center of the
United States. 1t was also stated that many
| foreigners regard the local schools as mod
| els for the world to take pattern after
hence the schools are frequently inspected
by European representatives.
One who IS in position to know, said to
Star reporter today that the new superin-
i tendent. whoever he may be, will have far
more power than the former one. That he
will be it!'
| 1t Is understood that the committee has
| already had number of outside men here
their names would put them in embar-
RAISING position account of the post
lions they now hold in other cities.
Mr.. Barton W. Evermann. member of
| the committee. said to a Star reporter this
afternoon that the situation is still interest
Ing and that the committee and the board
are doing all they can to find the right
man for the position.
Statement by Mr.. Clarke.
One of the many rumorS that has been
| in circulation IN connection with the school
| superlntendency was to the effect that Mr.
Clarke had made up slate of appoint
ments to be carried into effect should he
receive the appointment. When this rumor
was repeated to Mr.. CLARKE today by a
Star reporter he made the following state--
ment:
II have not made promises, to any one In
this matter and am not I'm. Ter obligations
to anybody in regard to appon tnfents.
Whatever appointments might have oc-
casion to recommend whatever policy
might be adopted would not be in pur-
suance of any agreement promise ex-
pressed or implied. to any person or per-
sons but would be determined solely in ac-
cordance with the best interests of the
schools of the District of Columbia