Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-08
THE SCHOOL INQUIRY
Lively Session of the House
Subcommittee.
CONFLICTING STATEMENTS
Mr.. Oyster Contradicted by Mrs.
Cooper. -
ALL DISCHARGED TEACHERS
Had a Chance to Make Statements
Which Disagreed With Those
Of the Board.
ALL DISCHARGED TEACHERS

Hearings on the Greene bill were begun
today before the Morrell subcommittee OF
the House District committee and present
indications are that the testimony pre.
| sented will serve to clear up some points
which have been in dispute ever since the
BOARD OF education took hold of the public
schools. The hearing was full of acrimo-
NOUS dispute. contradictions, unfiatterfnr
comments and the like. The question OF
veracity was raised between Mr.. James F.
Oyster of the board of education and Mrs.
Cooper, the former principal of the M
Street High School
All of the dismissed teachers had a
chance to make statements before the
subcommittee today, and their testimony
disagreed in various ways with that Of
fered by Superintendent of Schools Chan
cellor, Admiral Baird. chairman of the
board of education, and Mr.. Oyster of
the board. Representative Greene. who
conducted the first hour and n half of
the hearing, owing to the unavoidable
absence of Representative Morrell. car
ried things along in good shape Mr.
Oyster tried to browbeat Mr.. Greene and
demanded the motive that prompted the
introduction of the bill
But Mr. Greene promptly informed him
that 1t was none Of his business and kept
him In order thereafter. The hearing was
well attended. and the greatest interest
was shown in the testimony. which was
geographically recorded. and which will
be printed in the course of a few DAYS
The committee adjourned shortly after l
o'clock, and the hearings will be con-
tinued at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning
Mr.. Greene In brief explanatory state
ment said he had not heard his bill criti-
cized except indirectly through the me-
dunn of the newspapers He had heard
nothing personally from critics, and was
glad the opportunity was afforded by the
hearing for any one who did not believe
in the bill to express views on the subject
Section may be somewhat indefinite"
lac said. I'VE will perfect it," (Section 2
requires that employe of the board of
education shall be disciplined without FIVE
days notice. rs there any one here in
opposition to the bill?" asked Mr.. Greene.
To Advise About the Bill.
II am here" said Admiral Baird, rising
from his seat, mot exactly in opposition to
the bill, but to advise about ito ask Con-
gress to the yoke and tighten the bur-
den of the board of education in the ad-
ministration of the public schools of the
District"
My idea said Mr.. Greene, was to re-
store rights to those deprived of them.
There was no dispute in this committee, in
the House, in the Senate or in conference
the bill not to disturb the teaching force
on the rolls when 1t was passed But while
at my home this past summer L learned
that what appear 10 me-and to many 9TH
erS, including a judge of the Supreme Court
of the District of Columbia-to be violations
of the law had occurred"
And | want il understood that this bill
was not framed particularly in the interest
of colored teachers, but for all the teachers
every one of them. If one teacher has
been summarily removed due to misunder
! ST of he
treated in the same manner. Moreover, L
want to say that this bill not drawn in
any spirit Of antagonism to the public
schools. l have not the advantage of a lib
eral education and l felt the handicap that
comes to any man in the same fix But
have made it my purpose at all times to do
what | could to see that those who have
the duty of guiding and instructng children
! shall have the full protection of the law.
II understand that the chairman of the
| board of education appears here not in OPP
position to the bill. but to improve il. II
there is no here in opposition. let us
get down to work and consider the bill IL
! self and do what we can to perfect 1t and
make 1t absolutely effective.
Admiral Baird's Statement.
Admiral Baird took the chair at the head
of the table to make his statement.
I'm the first place. he said, "a vigorous
enforcement of the law is essential to good
government You have provided in this bill
that no employe of the board of education
shall be disciplined unless with five days
previous notice"
Admiral Baird then apologized to the la
dies present for what he was about to say,
and told of the indecent and disgusting ac-
lions of a colored janitor in one Of the col
ored schools, remarking that had he peen
there at the time of the occurrence in ques-
ton he would personally have kicked the
man out.
d toti (.raana pOnTlDaf-
ically.
Pardon me-" said the admiral, mot
under the law
sometimes it is well to follow a higher
law than that which is written on the
statute books" said Mr.. Greene.
Il am very glad to hear you say that
other case the details of which he explained
were unfit for publication, and which he
had managed to keep from the newspapers.
II asked DR.. Chancellor to let me hahdie
it." said the admiral because it Is too
shameful a case to be presented at a public
trial"
Admiral Baird said that he believed that
every one in the schools should have fair
hearing but there were some cases, OF which
the above were samples. which should not
be brought out in public trial. He went
on to say that he thought the school teach
ers of the Washington system constituted
the finest body of teachers to be found any,
where, and he included the colored force
in this statement.
aThe only colored people we have had any
trouble with" said the admiral. ARE the
disgruntled ones. see some OF them here
today"
Continuing his statement Admiral Baird
said the local newspapers had criticised the
board of education very severely.
Everything Public.
Representative Greene interrupted to
say that in his own state all meetings
of the board of education were free and
open. Everything went on in daylight.
rs it only in the city of Washington"
asked Mr.. Greene, that the newspapers
are interested in getting the news? How
does a man stand who, when a newspaper
reporter calls. invariably refuses to dis
cuss the news?
That would be easy. replied the adj