Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-10
COMMISSIONERS EXPLAIN
REPLY TO ALLEGATIONS RE.
GARDING SCHOOL MATTERS.
Deny Cutting Estimates for Fire
Protection-Statem Of What
Occurred Last Year.

For the past four days the District Com
missioners have been kept busy contra
dieting statements credited to Capt
Oyster, president of the board Of edu-
cation, relative to an alleged desire on
the part Of the Commissioners to oppose
recommendations by the board for ap-
preparations, etc, relative to the public
schools.
Commissioner Mcfarland today made a
statement explanatory Of the position
of the Commissioners in the cases re-
ferred to by Capt. Oyster
I'm view of repeated statements init
| mating in varying forms that the Com
missioners have cut fire protection esti-
mates of the board OF education, or have
dsregarded requests of that board for
measures of fire protection. a very serious
matter if it were true" Mr.. Macfarland
says, II must state, after having a care
full examination of the records made,
| first, that no fire protection estimate of
| the board of education has been cut by
| the Commissioners during the past seven
years; second, that no board of educa-
! ton estimates under the head of repairs
| to buildings have been cut during that
| time; third, that, on the contrary, every
such estimate has been Endorsed and
pressed by the Commissioners: fourth.
WV
| mate has been submitted by the board
| of education for fire escapes, fire ex-
| tinguishers or other fire protection: fifth.
| that, under the law, all public school es-
Inmates must be initiated by the board
| of education.
Reference to Records.
"In regard to the latest statement.
which Is to the effect that the board of
education last fall asked for fire alarm
numbers for each school and the right to
publish book giving each school fire
alarm number, which might be phoned
just as a box call and that the Commits
sionerS refused to stand for this expense,
and the board Of education had the printing
done at its own expense from the contin-
gent fund, the records will show that the
printed fire alarm books have carried the
telephone numbers of the schools as fire
alarm stations together with the assign
ment of engine and truck companies made
for each school, since 1904.
What occurred last year. according to
official correspondence between the chief
engineer of the fire department and the
of April, 1907, the chief engineer notified
the board of education that a reprint Of
the fire alarm book, containing as for
merly the telephone numbers Of the
schools as fire alarm stations. was to be
made, and the board was asked to take
twenty-three of these books; the number
furnished the board in December, 1904, at
an estimated cost Of $91 80; that the board,
through its vice president, declined I'M
der date of May /. 1907. to pay that
amount, stating that 1t did not desire
the fire alarm books. Under date of May
2 the chief engineer wrote the board of
education. explaining more fully what had
been done in the past and the value of
the telephone fire alarm service and book,
and on June 6, 1907, the board of educa
ton notified him that it would pay $91
for the purchase of the fire alarm books"
1t Is probable that the District COM
mittee of the Senate at its meeting next
Friday will instruct its subcommittee on
education and labor, Senator Burkett.
chairman, to investigate the question Of
protection from fire in the local public
and private schools. according to a reso-
luton introduced yesterday by Senator
Culberson and agreed to.