Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-08

Mr.. Oyster was special commissioner in
II was not" cried Mr.. Oyster. with some
heat.
Then you were missionary" declared
Mr. Greene.
81 was not" replied Mr. Oyster with
still more warmth. You seem very will
ing to misrepresent me, Mr.. Greene. and to
tsngie me up-or perhaps you don't UNDER
stand"
WAS not Mrs. Cooper given public
hearing?' asked Mr.. Morrell. 1T seems to
me that 1t Is just as much in the way OF
protection of the superintendent of schools
that his reasons be made public as TO the
teachers in trouble"
Mr.. Morrell's Question.
Mr.. Oyster replied that the superintendent
was there to answer for himself, but Mr..
Morrell said that he wasn't demanding rea-
sons. but was merely inquiring whether
there wasn't any disposition on the part Of
the board to give this faithful empioye
who was offered q higher salary hearing
before dismissal Mr.. Morren then suggest
ed that the dismissed teachers present be-
fore the subcommittee tell whether they had
made formal application for Investigation:
and Robert Love- formerly Of the M Street
High School said that on the 10Th or
September last he had made formal writ
ten application for an inquiry into his case.
He said the superintendent didn't seem to
know why his name had not come IN Tor
reappOintment or anything about the case.
Mrs. Mary Nolle, colored teacher. for.
merry of the M Street High School. told
the subcommittee that she had applied IN
writing for an inquiry into her case. Mr..
Swartzell. formerly principal OF the East,
ern High School, said that on september l
he went to Superintendent Chancellors Of
flee to inquire whether he might have an IN
fiprat
this, he said. was that he saw In the Even
ing Star of August 30 or thereabouts d
statement purporting to come from the su-
perintend1nt of schools declaring tnat lie
would investigate the Swart1ell case before
action was taken. Mr.. Swartzell said that
Superintendent Chancellor had denied 10
him that he had made any such statement
and had declared that he was utterly OPP
posed to any further investigation or the
Swartzell case.
Mrs. Cooper's Contradiction.
mo offer was made to me either by the
superintendent or by the board Of educa-
ton of any place in the school system"
declared Mrs Cooper, In fiat contradiction
of the statement made a short time pre-
viously by Mr.. Oyster. Mrs. Cooper said
further that Mr. Jackson, the present prin.
cipal of the M Street High School, had peen
appointed on the 18th. and action on her
case was not had until the 14th when she
dismissed
Ice" She added that she had entered the
high school in 1887 through no effort or her
own. but merely as the result or recon-
mendation sent to the then superintendent
of schools by the president OF Oberlin Col
lege Mrs. Cooper said she went to Mr..
Oyster and asked him IL he were willing
that after a teacher had served nineteen
years she should be dismissed without trial
by a new superintendent without single
dissenting voice from the members of the
board of education.
There was absolutely nothing said at that
time, Mrs. Cooper testified about another
position. and she added that no member OF
the board had offered her position, nor
had the superintendent She remarked that
Assistant Superintendent Hughes hao been
very much opposed to her appointment. but
that she understood that the Dill passed at
the last session legislated him out OF OF
fee.
''That is precisely what the committee in
tended to do. emphatically inter1ected
Representative Morrell. Because of his
prejudice and our belief that he could not
take an unbiased view We did not want
him to have anything to do with the col
ored schools Representative Morreils
sons present
when you telephoned me and came to
my office wasn't 1t prior to the meeting OF
the board of education?' asked Mr.. Oyster
Of Mrs. Cooper.
cit was not" replied Mrs. Cooper. "Iou
had already appointed Mr.. Jackson to the
principalshp Of the NJ Street High School"
Mr.. Oyster denied this.
asked Mr.. Oyster.
you did not" emphatically replied Mrs
Cooper. A.,
cussion by remarking Il am very sorry
that 1t has come to be question OF verac-
ity between the two OF US.
Mr. Morreil read that portion OF the
school bill of last year relating to the
duties of the colored superintendent of
schools, and turning to Mr.. Chancellor ne
remarked: IF 1 had been the superltnend-
ent. Mr.. Hughes would have been the last
one whose advice l would have asked
Just here Mr.. Love bobbed up.
Turned Over to Mr.. Hughes.
"Supt. Chancellor wrote to me-" he said,
that he had turned my letter Of applica-
ton for an inquiry over to Mr.. Hughes
That" said Mr.. Morrell gravely, was In
direct opposition to the law"
Did you authorize Mr.. Hughes to have
ANYTHING to do with the schools?' asked
Mr.. Greene.
No" replied Mr.. Oyster.
Did he have any authority?
No"
details of the earlier days Of the present
board of education, but Mr.. Greene cut
him short.
II don't want to know all Of that" said
he. Il want u hllOW WiIOiS AAoohSS ooS AAAS
authority"
.:I'n get up to that" said the admiral.
The only thing Hughes did was to advise
me concerning books for the school IL
brary." -.
Mr. Greene then produced letter writ
ten by Mr. Hughes to Mrs. Cooper at the
time he was supposed to be out of ONCE in
which he gave certain orders concerning
the disposition of the battalion equipment.
I'm this letter. said Mr.. Greene, "Mr
Hughes apparently gives orders that he had
no authority to give. Did he have such
mot the slightest replied Admiral
Baird Il don't believe he wrote such
letter"
Mr.. Greene banged the table in front OF
him. He did," he roared. For 1 have
the original here"
Mr.. Swartzell got on his feet long enough
to say that about the same time he got the
same sort of a letter from Mr. Hughes ana
this called forth statement from Mr.. Oys-
ter that Mr. Hughes was probably finishing
urp his work as director OF high schools at
that time.
.'Oh. l suppose So" commented the Mas
sachusetts representative.
Mrs Cooper then explained that although
she had worked during the vacation, after
the passage of the bill. the board of edu-
cation, when 1t dismissed her. provided
that the dismissal was to take effect June
30. two days before the appointment OF the
present board, and seventy days before the