Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-29
HOSTILE TO REFORM BILLS
Reorganization Scheme Would Defeat
Greater Salary Proposition.
VIEW OF MoRRELL COMMITTEE
DESTROYS Of Attaching Conditions Call
ing for Retrenchment In Expenses
of the District School System.

The situation In Congress with reference
to legislation affecting the public schools Of
Washington is very much In the air.
IF the House District committee favor
ably reports a bill to increase the salaries
of the school teachers OF Washington. that
measure will pass the House. with plenty OF
votes to spare
IF the House District committee re-
ports bill to Increase the salaries of the
school teachers of Washington and loads
1t down with provisions looking to re-
trenchment. reorganization and reform
that measure will fail"
The above statement was made to q
star reporter today by member of Con-
gress who is interested in the local schools
who Is DESTROYS OF seeing the teaching
force Of the local public school system re-
ceive adequate compensation and Is in a
position to know pretty we'll the sentiment
of Congress on the subject. This member
believes. as may be Judged from his re-
mark quoted above. that the easiest way
In the world to kill whatever school bill is
brought into Congress at this time is to
weight 1t with reorganization and called
reform provisions.
He does not believe II could pass the
House. and he is certain that even IL II did
the Senate would kill It, On the other
hand. he is convinced that measure mere
~ carrying a reasonable and adequate IN
crease In the salaries of the teaching force
would pass the House and the Senate with
out trouble.
Attitude Of the Subcommittee.
The school subcommittee of the House
District committee of which Representa-
tive Morrell of Pennsylvania is acting
chairman, apparently does not feel this
way about it. Whatever this subcommittee
may eventually decide to dot Is the pres
ent intention to report the bill to the fun
committee next week--lt Is evident that
Its members now believe they should en-
deavor to bring In a reform bill, which
shall include increases to the teachers as
one of its many provisions.
Those representatives who are particu-
larly interested in the local school question
either directly or through their friends, and
who have introduced bills on the subject
have been invited by the subcommittee to
confer with its members in the drafting or
measure 20 be reported TO the full COM
mittee. Among these gentlemen are Rep
resentatives Foster Golden and Olcott.
Each of them has different views as to
what constitutes an ideal school system
Each member OF the subcommittee seems
to have separate set of ideas on this ques-
ton.
And to go little farther, 1t Is probable
that each one of the eighteen members
of the House District committee has his
own particular opinion on this question
The only thing these gentlemen seem to
be agreed upon is that the local teachers
both grade and high school. are underpaid.
This, too, 1t seems safe to say, IS about
the only important proposition in connec-
tlon with this subject on which members
of the House Of Representatives could get
together IN the limited time remaining
of the present session.
Pint If a sIlfecommift does not change
its views rather radically between now an
next week, when. as stated, Ii is contem-
plated to submit the draft of a school Dill
TO the full committee, that measure when
handed over will contain provisions with
regard to supervision, reorganization, re
trenchment, special. features, salary IN
creases, the board of education and per
haDs even more.
No Opposition to Increased Pay.
So far as can be learned by careful IN
quiry, there is no decided opposition among
the membership of the House to bill in
creasing the salaries of the local teachers
and doing nothing else.
OF many members who were asked their
views on this question today very few
had any coherent idea concerning the To-
cal school system. They did not know
never having inquired whether the local
system was an expensive one or other
wise. whether 1t was good system or
the reverse, or whether teachers were
poorly paid, adequately paid or overpaid
Moreover. they did not seem to care a
great deal about It. Those members of
the House who did know something about
the subject, but who had not gone into
the matter at great length, were very
frank in saying that IL 1t could be demon
strated to them that the teachers in the
local school system were underpaid they
would very gladly vote for a bill to place
In. iafa
more equitable basis.
The gentlemen did not ask whether the
local system was expensive in other dtrec-
tons and they did not demand reforms.
They seemed to believe, from what they
said to a Star reporter, that the most i'm
portant point to be settled at this session
IL 1t was important enough for that-was
that with reference to the inadequate COM
pensation provided by the present pay
rolls.
Champ Clark's Prediction.
Representative Champ Clark of Missouri.
one OF the leaders of the fight on the floor
last year when the District appropriation
bill was under consideration and the mat
ter of the inadequate pay of local teachers
was brought up, said today that a bill to
raise the salaries of the teaching force In
the local public schools would go through
the House. as he expressed it. with q
whoop."
direction. however that IL the House Dis
trict committee reported a bill which con-
tanned any provisions relating to the reor-
ganization OF the schools or which had any
reform propositions embodied in it the
measure would fail He was of the opin-
ion that the matter of the teachers sal
aries should be attended to first, and the
other things left until there was more time.
He did not think the local teachers should
be made to suffer under their present bur-
den of Inadequate compensation because
tie bill for their relief contained other pro-
visions which did not meet the views Of va
rious members of the House.
Mr. Clark called attention to, the fact
that pretty nearly every ex-school teacher
in Congress had his own personal views
as to how the local schools should be run.
He thought that bringing in bill with rad
ical changes embodied in 1t would simply
result In prolonged discussion and the
failure of any bill at ALL
May Introduce Bill Himself.
Mr. Clark, moreover, called attention
to the fact that last year In the fight on
the floor for the relief of. the teachers. a
member of the District subcommittee of
the appropriations committee had prom