The Washington times., 1908-01-31
President of Chamber of
Commerce RefuteS Al
legged Interview Criti-
ciSing Oyster.
Says Statement n Morn
ing Paper Was Car
bled and Is Ma
liciOuS.

In forceful terms Robert n. Har
per, president of the Chamber OF
| Commerce, denied today the inter
view printed in d morning paper
and alleges that an attempt has
been made without any warrant to
put him in the position Of impugn
ing the motives Of the chambers
school committee, Of discreditinq
their work, and Of charging Capt.
James F. Oyster with having infiu-
! enced the choice Of members of the
committee for his own purposes.
Mr.. Harper seemed very much
Perturbed when a Times reporter
called upon him this morning, and
asked whether he had said the
things about the school committee
which he was quoted as saying.
Says Interview Malicious.
He denied having said anything
to a reporter last night that would
have justified the statement that
appeared this morning, and charged
malicious misinterpretaticn.
When Mr. Harper was asked for q
statement this morning by a reporter.
he said:
The allegation In a morning paper
that I have either directly or Indirect
ly criticised Captain oyster o. the
committee OF the washington
Chamber Of Commerce is entirely false
ana am more than surprised that anv
respectable paper should publish a
Statement Of the kind.
1 have been unJustIy and maIIcIouslv
misquoted as criticisinz the v-av ia
which the sChooI committee Of the
Chamber of Commerce was formed Of
the manner in which II has done its
work. and as throwing aspersIons. rnou
Captain oyster.
Garbled Statement.
a reporter called me out from a han
quet last night and asked me a nun,ber
OF questions relating TO the formation og
the present school committee and
gave him the facts as nearly as I coul5
recall them, The report in n morning
paper Of the interview is garbled
statement Of what was said and does
the committee, the Chamber of Com
merce, Captain oyster. and mvseIf a
gross injustice. At no time have 7 ava-
50 much as thought Of imrugnfno- me
IuollEes or the men who suggested the
appointment OF school committee of
the members Of that COMMITTEES or ~
captain Oyster and to be ont in the
pOSluon or Crluclsing them even by i'm
pHcatloh or suggestion is unwarranted
ana does me grave Injustice
What 1 told the reporter was that
tHe appointment OF school committee
was suggested at a meeting of the
chamber In the early fall by CaDtain
OyaJer- AZ that time the Chancellor
trouble had not started Captain OYSTER
IN suggesting the appointment Of
SChoOl committee, said that the board
of education had a large task lIpon its
iiahdsr lhat II did not know whether its
acts were meeting with public favor or
not, and that IL desired that a represen-
JailVe committee be appointed in order ,
to criucise its work and make any slIg-
gesLIohs that seemed 10 it proper.
Wanted Assistance.
'In other words. ne desired the as
sistance Of the Chamber in order TO find
out what was for the best interest Of
the schools. There had been such a
committee of the old Business Mems
Association and it had proved very vaIu-
able.
I suggested when it was proposed to |
appoint the committee then and there |
that it was only proper courtesy to con-
suit Captain oyster in the selection of |
the members Of the committee This
IS the general rule in making IN ali
committees OF the Chamber, and il saw
no reason for deviating in this CAKE.
Va raaf
suited, IS were others, and I named i
those whom / considered, from an nv i
Information. best fitted to deal with 1
school matters.
= Admiration for Services.
4 have nothing but admiration for
the way n which these men have given /
their time and efforts to an impartial 1
investigation Of school conditions. Their 4
whole desire was always to find facts /
and do justice impartially to all con-
cerned, and consider that they have /
done more Of real value in discovering
the needs of Washington schools than
any committee or organization of any
kind at any time
Their report in every way met with
my approval and was unanimously
adopted by the board of directors of
The chamber on Tuesday last There
lore. for anyone even to intimate that |
take the position as set fCrtr in the
paper Is a reflection On me 10
IN extent which 1 cannot condemn too
particularly as TO the way n, /
which it was manipulated
Il never made the statement that the
members OF the school committee were /
,lOse friends of Captain Oy ster in The
sense that they were any closer friends
IF Captain oyster than the average
membership of the Chamber of Com
uerce.
ANY statement attributed 20 me in
connection with the school committee
,ontrary in effect to this one is un-
Iualidedly and maliciously false"