Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-03
TROUBLE HAS ARISEN
School Superintendent and
Board Member Disagree.
CASE UNDER CONSIDERATION
Prof. Evermann the Champion Of a
Denoted Teacher.
MIR. CHANCELL0R'S POSITION
Believes Miss Lucy Moten to Be In
competent for Principalship.
Rumors Abroad.

All is not peace and quiet with the board
of education and the school officials these
days. Several matters are known to be
troubling the waters, not the least Of which
is the case of Miss Lucy E. Moten, whose
demotion from the position of principal Of
Normal School No. 2 was recommended by
Superintendent Chancellor at the last board
meeting. The interesting part about the
matter is that the superintendent recon-
mendation did not come up for consldera-
ton, the committee on teachers and 5anltors
having either lost it or failed to report
upon 1t.
The situation that now presents itself as
a result of these happenings Is understood
to be che of strong antagonism between
DR.. Chancellor and Prof. Barton w. Ever
mann of the board, who is understood to be
opposing the superintendent in the Moten
case and to have with him in the fight John
F. Cook and DIR. A. T. Atwood of the board.
Miss Moten has strong supporters and
strong antagonists on the board and OH or
it, and it is stated that the opponents have
locked horns over the afa:-.
The superintendent reason for desiring
to remove Miss Moten from the principal
ship is that he belie.es her 20 be lncompe-
tent account of deafness. Her position,
he points out. Is that of a teacher as well
as an executive officer and demands that
she have acute hearing. In an interview
with otar reporter this morning he said
this was his only reason for making the
recommendation.
Discovery Made.
After the board meeting last Wednesday,
when Prof. Evermann and the other sup
porters of Miss Moten were congratulating
themselves on having defeated the purpose
of DR.. Chancellor, they were surprised to
discover that the name 81. f. Moten' APP
peared on the list of salary changes which
had been approved en- masSe by the board,
and that she was reduced by their action
from s. 900 to sl,65O. which was virtually
what the superintendent had recommended
in his special communication on the SUBJ
ject-the one that was lost. Was this &C
ton binding? Some held that it was, but
Prof. Evermann hald that it was not.
The attitude of the superintendent on this
important question was unknown to the
public until this morning, when he stated
to reporter that, of course, the recon-
mendation for reduction in salary contained
in the general list was contingent upon the
recommendation that was not acted upon.
and was therefore to be considered as not
approved He did not say, however, that
he intended to drop the matter
Persons who are watching the school
situation closely are interested in these re-
cent developments because they reveal, 1t
is said, wide disagreements between the
board of ducation, or a considerable por-
ton of 1T, and the superintendent and es-
-pec1dlly between the superintendent ana
Prof. Evermann who at first was regarded
as his strongest advocate.
Rumors Afoat.
AS the school year nears a close all sorts
of rumors of changes are in the air. DR..
Chancellor is known to have antagonists
on the board who are said to be anxious
to see him leave. On the other hand, it Is
stated that Assistant Superintendent Percy
NJ. Hughes who was a candidate for the
SUPPLEMENTARY last summer, is quietly
working in his own behalf and would like
to see DR.. Chancellor go in order that he
might have another chance for the place.
Mr.. Hughes has been very active through
out the present school year in school poll
tics, and, it is said, has not been acting
always in harmony with the superintendent.
So persistent have the rumors about Mr..
Hughes in his relation to the superintend-
ent become that the matter is being much
talked about at the Franklin building. A
Star reporter asked DR.. Chancellor this
morning if he had heard anything of the
kind and he replied that he had not. When
asked whether he had been receiving sup
port from Mr.. Hughes and regarded him as
a valuable assistant, he replied
Il would rather not answer that question.
You may infer what you like
affairs at this juncture is regarded as so
critical that something exciting may hap
pen at any time.