Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-02
A LIVELY DISCUSSION HAD
Its Merits Shown as Well as Objec-
tions to It.
DEBATED FOR TWO HOURS
Laid Aside Without Action Except
as to Committee Amendments,
Which Were Agreed To.

the abolishnlent of the District board OF
education and the thirteen supervising
principals and for the control of the local
schools by director of education. to be
appointed by the United States commits
sioner of education, was taken up in the
Senate this afternoon on a motion by
Senator Burkett OF Nebraska. chairman Of
the subcommittee which reported the bill
II was debated warmly FROM 1890 until
o'clock, when 1t was laid aside to make
room for unfinished business. No action
was taken except upon the committee
amendments. which are agreed to. But
many senators strenuously opposed its
passage.
Senator Burkett. chairman of the sub
committee of education and labor of the
Senate committee on the District of Co
lunrbia moved to take up the Dolilver
school bill Immediately after the conclu-
sion of the morning business today. When
the Vice President put the motion there
We're scarcely any audible ayes and
number of noes but he announced the
motion adopted. and when Senator Smoot
of Utah asked for the regular order ruled
that by a vote the Senate had made the
school bill the order of the day.
The bill was read and then the commit
lee amendments adopted. The only new
amendment among this number changed
the date upon which the bill Is to take
. effect from April l to July 1. All the
committee amendments were agreed to in
committee of the whole. and the bill was
referred practically as it came from the
District committee from the committee of
the whole to the Senate. At this point
Senator Nelson of Minnesota took the
floor and declared that he desired to be
heard upon the bill.
MI. Nelson's Objection.
Mr. Nelson said that a year or so ago
Congress passed a law to provide for a
new board of education. The present
bill, he said proposes to utterly legislate
out of existence this board and put the
schools In the hand OF one person. If
there is anything the people take an in
terest In, he said. 1t Is the public schools.
He said so far as he knew this was the
first instance that it had been attempted
to entirely disfranchise a community as
large as the city OF Washington.
why should these 10000 people be so
disfranchised." he asked. 'and put under
autocratic control? 1t is unheard Of"
Mr. Nelson then stated that the bill does
not say from what place the director shall
be selected.
Senator Scott of West Virginia. mem
her of the subcommittee, asked whether
the District judges did not come from
other places
That is an entirely different matter
said Mr.. Nelson.
The Minnesota senator then wanted to
know what qualifications the United States
commissioner of education had that he
should appoint the director of education
for the District schools. He declared that
the commissioner controlled the education
al affairs of Alaska only.
Why" he declared. the national gov
ernment appropriates dand for agricultural
colleges and public schools in the terri
tories and yet no attempt is ever mace
to divest the people of their right to
control the schools. The people of the
District of Columbia are sufficiently dis
franchised today. 1t would be a great
outrage to take this matter which is
so near and dear to them. out of their
hands. l can't conceive what wrongs
they have perpetrated that they should
be SO penalized. Unfortunately, last year
the superintendent was selected who kept
the schools in hot water all of the time. .
There has always been board here. -
put in Senator Gallinger. chairman OF the
District committee, 'and there has been
row nearly every day since it has been
appoint ed.
Senator Nelson then went on TO say
that the District committee had report ed
the bill without giving the people of the
District chance to be heard on it. He
said a committee of the Chamber oi
Commerce had been refused hearing.
Scarcely anybody has been heard on
this bill, he asserted At this point he
bill prepared by the Chamber of Com
merce. WHICH was read by the clerk
Moves to Reccmmit the Bill.
Il now move that the bill he recon-
mii,ed TO the committee that reported it, .
stated Mr.. Nelson.
The Vice President was about to put
the motion when Senator Burkett Sc
cured recognition and said he had few
things TO say about the bill.
Before he could proceed, however, Sena
tor GallinSer interrupted him to say that
he had listened with some attention To
what Mr.. Nelson had said and wanted to
make an observation.
Il want to say that the president ot
the board Of education is president of the
Chamber of Commerce, and If that gen.
tleman is TO be discussed here the discus
SION will be made very interesting said
Mr.. Gallinger.
NO senator | want to saw TO the
Senate. who had not served on the Dis.
frict of Columbia committee" continued
Mr.. Burkett. can realize all the trouble
that comes TO a senator. There is moth
ing more trying than municipal affairs
and none of these affairs are more deli
cate to handle than those relating to the
public schools
lie then proceeded to review the schoo
history in the District for the past year
He said when the Senate convened las
-all the schools were in a 'tumbe ant
a turmoil. and the District committe.
was instructed by the Senate TO investi
gate matters He said the members o.
'he subcommittee had given the matte,
the most careful consideration. and wher
the Dolliver bill was introduced and re
ferred to them decided to report il to tn,
full committee with several amendments
He said al a meeting of the District com
mittee. which was attended by practical
~ all the members the bill was ordcre,
reported favorably by unanimous vote
with the exception of one member who
excepted single feature OF IL.
Al this point Senator Dillingham; an
nounced that he had been Diet aimed by i'll
ness rom attending the meeting
Senator Hopkins asked what educator.
had appeared before the subcommittee an,
what arguments they had made in favo
81 the change in the plan of school ad
mInistrati"n. but before reply could h.
made Senator Flint of California aste.
Mr.. Burkeft whether there were not com
hinations of members of the board mad.
for the purpose of controlling schools
and ignoring other members of he board
Il would rather not answer that uues
ti"n directly. replied Mr. Burkett. .'Ther
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