Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-10
CHAOS IN THE SCHOOLS
Views of the President of Ana
costa Association.
CRITICISM INDUCED IN
Board of Education Largely Response
BILE for Trouble.
MEETING OF CITIZENS HELD
Street Railways, Police and Fire De-
partments and improvements OF
Anacostia Flats Considered
MEETING OF CITIZENS HELD

A
Citizens Association last evening was
taken I'D with a continuance of the dis
cussIon of public school matters that was
started at the previous meeting of the or
ganization DR. James A. Watson. the
president of the association. called another
member to the chair. while he took the
floor and proceeded to score the admins
tration of the public schools in the fol-
lowing language:
ct is a matter within common knowl-
edge that deplorable conditions nave
been brought into existence in the
public school system of the District or
Columbia Recently enacted legislation
designed To place this system on basis.
which if rightly operated, would nave
made for the public good and strengthened
our LEGAL educational lines has been per-
yerted So that "A condition akin TO dcncral-
izatiGn resulted, the end of which IS not
vet Laying aside all personal matters al
fecting any person heretofore or now as
sociated with the public school system IN
the District it appears The first step To-
ward these undesirable conditions that
have confronted us as citizens was made
by the board of education of the District
when it went outside TINS Distrlct ana
named new superintendent of public IN
struction.
That his advent has been followed by
tumuit in the public school system. by IN
temperate ana unUlSulHbI utlti iiItSo "
ward officials of this District on his part,
by perverslon of the legal enactment look
Ing Il the administration OF our schools, ana
by unnecessary and harsh measures toward
those in the service teachers when he
came are matters bound up in the record
of his incum6ency as superintendent OF
public instruction
AS thinking citizens. vitality Interested In
the public schools. it becomes our duty to
express ourselves as TO these conditions
that have sprung IN.
Local men for Local Offices.
DR.. Watson then offered as res 1iution
that the association go on record as OPP
posing the principle of selecting for local
offices men outs de the District, as was
dom, in the case of Superintendent Chan
celor that the action of the board of edu
cation resulting in his appointment be cen
sured: that condemnation be made If the
Illegal and unnecessary dismissal of teach
ers without first granting them trial; that
the organization resent Superin endent
Charcellors attitude toward the | istrict
COmniSs ouerS. and that he be censured for
taking u trip to the south for the express
purpose of studying negro educatfonrl sys-
tens and applying them in the District.
bringing to the fore race problem that
had no real existence here"
DR.. Watson defended his resolution. Mr..
IOhn /. Earnshaw remarked that he would
support the resolution il only for its advo-
cacy of the home rule principle. He also
stated his opposition to the visit made by
Superintendent Chancellor to the south in
the interest of colored schools in the Dis
trict. Mr. Graeme expressed himself
being of the opinion that the board of edu-
cation did not want District man for the
office of superintendent of public instruc-
ton. Mr. Eugene f. Thompson voiced his
support of that section of the resolution
condemning the selection of outside men
for District offices. Mr.. James c. Leonard
and Mr.. Charles r. Burr counseled modera-
tion the question. Several others spoke
on the subject and the resolu ion was
finally referred to the committee on public
schools.
Street Railway Affairs.
In making report for the street rail-
road committee Chairman Thompson pre-
sented news item from The Star which
he read concerning appeal made to the
District Commissioners by street railway
officials for amendment to the police
regula atoms as to allow cars to run at
the rate of fifteen miles an hour within the
city limits and at the rate of twenty miles
an hour in the suburban districts Mr.
Thompson referred to the position taken by
the association relative to the alleged
speeding of street along Monroe street
in Anacostia. under the present regulations
and said the organization should oppose
any regulation permitting the speed to be
increased in such sections.
Mr.. George o. Watson. chairman of the
committee on police and fire departments,
submitted a report. in which, among other
erection of a fire alarm box in proximity
to the Garden Memorial Presbyterian
Church on Minnesota avenue. He also re-
ported that the police patrol and fire alarm
boxes located formerly at Adams and
Washington streets had been removed to
Taylor and Jefferson streets leaving the
center OF the town without necessary
equipment. In addition to recommending
the erection of fire alarm box on Mime
sofa avenue near 18th street the report con-
tanned reference to the Importance of hav-
ing additional patrolmen assigned to duty
In Anacostia. This recommendation will
be placed before the Commissioners
The Anacostia Flats.
Mr.. James c. Leonard. the chairman Of
the committee on the improvement Of the
Anacostia flats, said he had called upon
the Commissioners by whom he had been
told that nothing will be done toward the
reclamation of the flats until Congress has
passed on the Commissioners request for
the sum of $4,000 with which to pay legal
fees for an opinion as to the title of the
submerged lands and In whom vested
Secretary Burr reported having COM
municated with the Commissioners trans
uniting the Endorsement of the association
to the plan OF extending Polk street to
form Il junction with Arthur street and
read reply from the Commissioners who
stated that the proposed extension would
require the condemnation OF a strip Of
ground sixty feet wide and 100 feet long
WHICH, with TWO small frame houses on the
line OF extension, would make the entire
cost about 5000. The Commissioners be-
lieve the total cost should be covered by as
sessment on the abutting property and In
case bill for the extension is introduced
In this way IL will receive favorable recon-
mendation from the Commissioners
communication was presented from the
East Washington Heights Citizens Associa-
ton, through MIR. ID. G. Fountain, its secre-
tary, urging the cooperation of the Anacos-
tia association in securing the erection of
standpipe at Good Hope from which
water could be distributed to the elevated
sections across the Eastern branch.
Secretary Burr was authorized to write
to the Commissioners and ask them for
the proposed plan of naming the streets
In Anacostta which they recently stated
they had under consideration. Mr.. Leonard
said the association should reiterate its DO
sition of opposition to granting authority
to the Commissioners to cause any streets
to be narrowed This was agreed TO and
notice of the action was ordered to be
transmitted 10 the Senate and House COM
mitteeS on the District of Columbia
Seventy-Five Cent Gas.
Mr.. Earnshaw called attention to the bill
introduced by Representative Madden for
75-cent gas in the District Mr. Earnshaw