Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-02
NEW SCHOOL BILL.
Continued from First Page)

have all the facts.
| Senator Nelson announced that he bad
| copy of the hearing of the fun commit
| tee and that he noticed that nobody APP
| peared except senator's interested in the
| bill and IAN old rear admiral who was
| appointed on the board and got dlsgr'n-
| tied at an early stage of the proceedings
| and resigned
| And the committee might have done
much worse said Mr.. Burkett with
some warmth. than listen to this same
| old rear admiral"
THE room was full of people. stated
Senator Gallnger. jumping TO his feet.
| who might have been heard had the!
| wanted to be-"
Mr.. Burkett Continues His History.
| Continuing the history of the present
| bill. Mr.. Burkett said that two years ago
an attempt was made by the Nstric'
| committee to do away with the thirteen
| supervising principals. The opinion or
| educators he said was that this should
| be done. but the committee finally real
| lied that each Of the thirteen supervising
principals controlled about 100 teachers IN
| the District whose influence extended far
| out He declared that It could be easily
| seen that the school people were not
| qualified to testify.
AT that time he had to insure the jobs
| of thirteen hundred teachers in order TO
get the bill passed. All the interests VINO
opposed that bill opposed the Dill pe1ore
! the Senate now.
| Does the senator from Nebraska think
| If the thirteen supervising principals were
consolidated in one man this influence
would be lessened?" asked Senator clark
of Wyoming.
THAT is not the object of abolshing
them" replied Senator Burkett.
Senator Clay of Georgia here entered
the debate asserting that there were only
two features to the bill. one transferring
-.,I,r rNlu n
board to a director of education and the
other providing for seven assistant d.
| rectors to be under the control OF the d.
rector.
Then doesn't this bill place the author
tity absolutely in one man.? he asked
Ought not board of education OF a
great city like this control the head of the
schools?"
II don't want to disguise anything.
was Mr.. Burkett's answer. We want to
get rid Of the school board that has been
causing trouble. We have had four
boards in ten years. You can't get GOOD
citizens OF the District to stay on a school
board. In that time we have had forty
two members the school boards.
This il rather a la Dor of love. isn't it,?
asked Senator Smith Of Michigan. How
about an>amendment making the director
a resident OF the District for I'VE years
previous TO his appointment:
Does the senator know anybody in
the District vino has the qualifications?
asked Senator Burkett.
Mr.. Smith replied earnestly: Il think
Washington has competent citizens as
any city of the country to manage its
school affairs. 1t would be a rank dis
criminati to take this power from
them"
Senator Clark wanted tn know if any
other city in the country controlled the
schools by a one-man power. and Senator
Burkett replied that Buffalo. y. y. did.
but that this District was different from
other cities in that the people have no
vote.
Mr.. Gallinger's Interruption.
MrGallinger interrupted to say that in
no other city does the government pay so
much I'm taxes as in this city. Besides. he
| said. the judges of the appellate court are
from Texas. Wyoming and other states
and the postmaster OF the District is from
New York
But the postmaster was a resident
| said Mr. Clark.
There was vigorous fight at the
time on the ground that he was not
citizen of the District declared Mr..
Gallinger.
According to Mr. Burkett. who took up
the thread of his remarks again. the
board Of education of he District is like
fifth wheel i'm the local government.
He pointed out that it has no fisca! au-
therity and that at present a deadlock
exists between the board and the Com
mssioners over the question of fire pro-
lection in the public schools. He said
there is absolutely no other city like
Washington.
"The real controversy said MIR. Rurk-
EFT lis over these thirteen supervising
principals. Nobody cares anything about
the board Of education except the board.
Mr.. Oyster is the president of this COM
,nerciaI club which is opposing this bill
Here Mr.. Long of Kansas got up TO say
that he was the one member OF the Dis
trict committee who voted against re-
porting the bill favorably. He said he
objected to the manner of appointing
the director. that is. of giving the ap-
pointing power to the United States
commissioner Of education. For that
reason he said he would vote against the
bill.
1t was stated by Senator Burkett that
the senator from Kansas wanted the di-
| rector appointed by the Commissioners>o
the District but. he said. the appoint
ments of the District Commissioners have
not been very successful.
1T took special act of Congress. he
declared. "to get rid of a chief of the fire
mar and had never served in the depart
ment.'
MIR. Long said that Mr.. Burkett was
mistaken: that he did not favor giving the
appointing power to the commissioners.
Mr. Long. however did not state what he
was in favor of in this respect.
Necessity for Going Outside.
Senator Burkett. in explaining the alleg
ed necessity for going outside the Dis
irict 10 get a director of education. said
the District had means of draw ng
upon other communities than Washington
for a man Of the necessary training and
experience. II was. for instance. not in
the provision of Indiana where Indian
apolis had dozen smaller towns to draw
upon for such an officer. He de Jared that
there was IN the District no man who
could have had the training and actual
experience which would qualify him for
At this point Mr. Burkett called atten
ton to the fact that more than dozen
sena tors were in their seRts. and Senator
Scott suggested the absehce of a quorum.
The roll was called and the little sill
yer call bells We're rung. Senators slowly
came in from the cloakrooms and COM
mittee rooms and dining room. and after
about fifteen minutes delay. fifty-one
senators had answered their names
and a quorum was declared 10 be present
by the char.
Senator Burkett then expa ined the
duties of the supervising principals DIS
superintendents of groups of schools.
He said they were not only super
numerary. but were d drain upon the
salary budget without having any ade-
uuate or useful part In the school ad-
ministration He read from the list of
schools of other cities. showing that
Washington has many more administra-
tive school officials than any other city
In the country.