Evening star., 1908-01-29

anu lHdt, Willie SOHlc HlIlok
may prove sooner or later to be desir-
able, it is not now desirable 10 nave
any new legislation, but the presen, 40
without change of any kind snouio 10
given further trial.
The general opinion throughout the
Washington school system Is that what Is
now needed, above every other consul
Grafton in the interest OF the pupns.
is absolute quiet and peaceful working
out OF the present law.
There has been no friction Whatever.
at any time, between the present ooard
of education. the supervising principals
and the teachers.
THE retention in the administrator
representation as a safeguard against po-
litical disturbance. favoritism and auto
cratic rule. is highly desirable.
ANY such law as that proposed by
the two bills, known as the Burleson ana
Dolliver bills. now pending before the
District committees of the House ana
Senate, would be extremely disastrous in
its effect upon the schools"
Work Of the Committee.
Beginning November % last. the COM
mittee held thirteen meetings and took
much testimony, amounting in all to
probably 10000 words.
The committee has also examined with
some care the laws controlling the ad-
ministration of the public school system
in all the states and in many OF the large
cities, a digest of which laws. and other
data in regard to them, having been III
the hands of each member.
I'm no case" it is pointed out, has
the committee found that school admin
istration has been without control on the.
part of the people OF the community ano
state The committee has also atailed
itself of such information as is con-
tained in many judicial opinions inter-
preting the laws Of the various states
The attendance at the meetings of the
committee ranged from seven to ten OF
the thirteen members at each meeting.
and all matters relating to the schools
and referred to in the report were dis
cussed and considered from the stand
point of the best interest of the pupil, and
then from the standpoint of the welfare
of the teacher and the system as whole.
Frequent Reorganizations.
1.-The committee deems it proper to
point out" the report continues. 1.-The fire.
quency with which our public school sys-
tenn has been reorgantzed within the very
few years just passed. and the unusual at
tention, devoted to the framing Of our
present school law by members of both
houses Of Congress. 1t Is evident that
when we have good school law the COM
munity will have to make strong efforts
to retain 1t and to protect 1t from the
peculiar danger that II is subject to
through appeals for change made annual
ly at each session of Congress, often by
small fraction of those who are interested
in school matters, who, by reason of their
activity. may unwisely agitate the public
school system with only harmful results.
1.-The scheme of public school admins
tration proposed in the two bills now
pending in Congress and known as the
Burleson and Dolliver bills would take
away all local control of our schools. I'm
less men to be put at the head of the
school administration under such laws
were ideal in every respect the result of
having such an administration Of public
schools would. in the opinion of the COM
mittee, demoralize the whole public school
system. If the scheme OF the proposed
bills should not result in the demOraliza-
tion of our public school system, quiet
would only be obtained in the schools. In
all likelihood. at the expense of justice to
the community at large and the great
body of teachers, while those charged
with the direction of the system would be
too prone to be subservient to powerful
influences. Such system OF school con-
troll is out of all harmony with that gen.
orally prevailing In this country.
Must Preserve Rights.
THE nature of the present organization
Of the District Of Columbia as a munich
pality makes 1t doubly necessary to pre-
serve such representative rights as can
be given to the people Of this District,
and we should not through silence ap-
pear to sanction the taking away Of such
rights.
I'm view of the duty resting upon the
Washington Chamber of Commerce to
express the views of the community and
teachers in SO far as it is representative
of them the committee on public schools
has not been willing to assume the re-
sponsibility Of delaying the submission
Of this report
The report was signed by Percival NJ.
Brown, chairman; Benjamin w. Guy. r.
A. Chester. ]. c. ErgOod. B. f. Barnes.
Albert Schulteis, Fred G. Coldren, A. Left
wich Sinclair. Ernest II. Daniel. William
F. Guide, Edward F. Albert and Isaac
Cans.
Frequent Reorganization.
At the close of the reading of the re-
port b. F. Barnes. a member of the
committee, moved its adoption.
II see," John Joy Edison remarked.
that the Dolliver bill is reported to have
been agreed upon by the Senate subcom-
mittee 1t abolishes the board of educa-
ton and appoints a director. who Is &C
countable to the United States commits
sioner Of education. The object Is to
put the schools of the District of Colum-
bia under the general government. There
is considerable tendency to put municipal
a
it keeps, on very little will be left. This
is a step in the wrong direction. 1t Is
more serious than abolishing the board
of education, and Is virtually putting our
school system under the United States
government You have no time to lose,
for the subcommittee is to report at
once"
F. G. Coldren suggested that the bill
will mean "a one-man power and that
the most effective work can be done by
seeing senators and representatives on the
District committees and urging them to
oppose the measure.
Capt James r. Oyster gave resume of
the school troubles from the beginning to
the present time, and declared that the
board Of education had found DR.. Chancel-
lor to be unfit for the duties Of superin-
tendent
Arthur c. Moses urged the selection of a
special committee to see the members of
the Senate and House District commit
tees to be composed of Percival NJ.
Brown, Chapin Brown. John Joy Edison,
Cuno III. Rudolph, D. J. Callahan. jackson
II. Ralston and Fred G. Coldren. Mr..
Barnes suggested that a special meeting
of the members of the chamber be called
for Friday evening to consider the report.
Scott c. Bone opposed the delay. and de-
clared that immediate action should be
taken John l.. Weaver also wanted to
wait The vote resulted in tie. Presi-
dent Harper then voted against delay. The
committee, as proposed by Mr.. Moses, was
appointed.
Transaction Of Other Business.
John L. Weaver was named to serve
as pallbearer at the funeral of Norman
Gait, who was one of the directors of the
chamber. Messrs. Chaplin Brown. Scott
~, Avfh MartyC