Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-14
DISCUSS SCHOOL BILL
District Matters Taken Up in
the House.
ACTION WAS RECONSIDERED
New Classification of Teachers il
Made.
OPPOSE USE OF INFLUENCE
Mr.. Burleson Makes Impassioned
Speech Against What He Calls
'sPetty Graft"

Ihe House took up the school bill today
as the unfinished business for District dav
Ihere was some delay In getting down to
the consideration Of District legislation as
the democratic flibuster was continued.
Inc roll wass called on the approval OF tho
journal and calls of no quorum were mada
at frequent intervals
Inc nrst District measure called I'M bv
Representative Babcock was the hill au-
thorizing notaries public of the District 70
$4,000 $500. peIore the government depart
Guilty. A"'" UNI
The House then passed the bill providing
TOT the reassessment of benefits for the ex-
tension OF Sherman avenue
representative Babcock made an effort IN
&c. peiore the House at this time the bill
authorizing experiments in the chemical
," puIiicaton OF Potomac water but the regu-
lar ORDER was called for and the school hill
was taken up at the point at which con-
ago. wen"
representative Burleson called the at
tehtion OF the House to the fact thar
when the bill was under consideration
Iast Dlstrlct day an amendment was
agreed to placing the teachers of phvsi-
20. 81 tuiauIe, -; a,n manual training, drawing.
&C, In class six instead of classes one to
nVe' as provided in the committee bill
Mf Burleson insisted that this previous
actloh mad been very ill-advised and
=
the salaries of some of these teachers
would be raised from $500 to 81, 900 at one
jump. ~
The class of teachers he had reference TO
were, ne said, the least deserving in the
entire school system, and while he thought
they should have an increase of salary he
thought 1t should not be disproportionate
to the other and more deserving teachers
Representative Gardner of Michigan SEQ
onded Mr.. Burleson's views, and the House
then reconsidered Its action of last Dis
trict- day and adopted Mr.. Burleson's
amendment, placing this class of teachers
IN classes two to five. This gives them In.
creases In proportion to the other teachers.
Gaines Takes Hand.
Representative Gaines of Tennessee en-
tered into the discussion and wanted to
know why Congress did not raise the eala-
rles or senators and representatives. Con-
gress was always raising somebody's salary,
he said, but never gave itself anything He
called his collea gues a lot of towards for
sitting around afraid to take action along
this line He would vote for such q bii
rupted Mr.. Gaines and amidst the iaughter
OF the House asked the gentleman froni
Tennessee where railroad passes could be
obtained at the present time
Il don't know, roared Mr., Gaines 'sbut
l don't believe anybody in the House knows
more about free passes than the gentleman
from Wisconsin" 0aughter).
After Mr.. Gaines had given some more
publicity to his views on various questions
the House resumed consideration of the
school bill. Representative Smith of Mich
igan offered an amendment which, In effect,
provided that teachers in the public schools
should not be required to take any examl-
nation to retain their positions.
This called forth an impassioned speech
from Representative Burleson of Texas.
who said he had heard rumors that various
persons had received appointments in the
local school system through influence alone
and without regard to merit He thought
incompetency should be weeded out where
ever found and he believed It TO be the
duty of the members of the house to see
that the local school system was free from
1t. He said that he had heard that a mere
STRIPPING who was not graduate of the
normal school nor even of the high school
had been appointed to a high position in
the local school system through pull This
he conceived to De well-defined species of
petty graft.
The Smith Amendment.
Mr.. Morrell OF Pennsylvania, in charge
of the bill, had already announced his
acceptance of the Smith amendment, but
upon Mr.. Burleson's presentation of the
case he withdrew it He insisted that the
committee was anxious to obviate any
possibility of influence having any weight
in the appointment of instructors. but he
understood that the Smith amendment
was merely to provide that teachers who
had already passed examinations and
were doing good work in the schools
should not be again required to take an
examination to retain their places.
He pointed out that the board OF educa-
tion and the superintendent of public
schools had ample power to remove teach
for cause.
In reply to a question from Representa-
tive Goulden of New York. Mr.. BurIeson
toned of evil conditions in the school sys-
tenn were founded on facts: therefore, he
opposed the amendment for that reason
alone.
Teachers Examinations.
Representative McCleary of Minnesota
and Representative Gardner of Michigan
favored the Smith amendment, and Repre-
sentatives Payne of New York, Sims of
Tennessee and others spoke against It. Mr.
Payne did not think the bill as reported
made provision for the examination or
teachers already in the service and could
not see the necessity for the amendment.
Representative Sims agreed with him. Rep
resentative Burleson of Texas offered an
amendment to the amendment, providing
that any teacher now in the service who
had not entered by the front door. that is
to say. who had not undergone an entrance
examination. should be examined for pro-
motion. This was defeated and the Smith
amendment was then passed.
An amendment offered by Representative
Burleson, providing that after the passage
of the bill no teacher or principal shall re-
eeive less than his or her present salary,
was adopted.
Another amendmentsofered by Mr.. Bur-
Lesson provided that principals OF normal.
high and manual training schools shall re-
ceive salary OF &. 600 year. with an an
nual increase of 500 for Ave years, q MAXI
mum OF g, 500. The bill as reported pro-
vided that these principals should receive
5000 year with an annual increase OF
$I00 for ten years. maximum of 5000.
The House then adopted an amendment
offered by Representative Burleson pro-
viding that the salary Of the directors Of
drawing. physical culture and 90 forth shall Z
be 81 800 year, with an annual increase OF
$50 for five years, instead Of ten years. ana )
that the salaries OF the assistant directors
shall Increase annually $50 for hve years.
instead OF ten.
The House then adopted the amendment
submitted by Representative Champ Clark
of Missouri. providing that teachers under
trial BY the school board shall be per7nittsd