Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-09
TO- PRESENT ARGUMENTS
Request Made for Hearing Before
the Senate Committee.
INCONSISTENCIES POINTED OUT
Present Law Contrasted With the
One Proposed-School Officers
and Teachers Quoted.


administration of the schools of the Dis
trict have been prepared by special
committee appointed by the board Of d.
rectors of the Washington Chamber of
Commerce, made up of Benjamin w. Guy,
R. A. Chester. J.. c. Ergood, B. F.
Barnes, Albert Schulteis. Fred G. Col
| dren. A. Leftwich' Sinclair. Ernest H.
Daniel. William F. Guide, Edward F. Al
/ bert Isaac Cans, Allen D. Albert, Jr.,
/ and Chaplin Brown.
Following are the objections to the bill
as prepared, which will be formally pre-
scented to the Senate when opportunity
is given:
| 81. Local control
1.-THE present school law provides for
local control of our schools. The Dolliver
bill cont aims no such provision, but un-
| der it the schools which the children OF
the people of this District must attend
| may be managed entirely by non-resi-
| dents. The citizens of the District are
| taxed to support the schools. but under
| the Dolliver bill they are not assured or
any voice in regard to them.
| What New Law Provides.
| "2. Autocratic Power.
| 1.-The Dolliver bill abolishes the board
of education, secretary of the board, the
superintendent assistant superintendent
and the supervising principals and vests
| an autocratic control of the schools In
| director of education to be appointed py
| a federal officer. the commissioner OF
| education, responsible in no way 10 the
| people of this District.
rs. One Man Power Unchecked.
1.-THE Deliver bill after providing FOR
| the appointment of a director OF educa-
| ton authorizes said director to appoint
| seven assistant directors. any or all OF
whom he can remove summarily in his
discretion. No educational quallhcatlons
are prescribed for these assistant dl-
| rectors, and they are necessarily entirely
subservient to the director.
Features Nullified.
a. Present Law.
1.-THE Dolliver bill nullifies or makes
easy the notification of all the good fea-
lures Of the present law. which features
were put into the present law to guaran-
tee Justice and fairness in regard to ap-
pointment promotion and dismissal of OF.
ficials and teachers. The Dolllver Dill
places no check on the director of edu-
| cation in the direction OF the olspufse-
| ment of school funds.
"5. Ideal Man.
'.The Dolliver bill requires an ideal man
| in all moods and at all times, and 1t Is
| folly to expect to secure such a man. IN
| whatever measure he may have bad quail
| tiles, the opportunity for him to do harm
| is unlimited and unchecked SO long as
he is solid with the appointing power
| Alleged Unchecked Control.
"8 Political Disturbance.
1.-The Dolliver bill provides a system of
school administration that is peculiarly
! liable to be dominated and controlled by
political and other powerful influences;
| under the unchecked control of direc-
tor of education, dependent for continued
tenure in office on a dependent federal
appointing power the schools will be con-
| tinually in danger Of having pressure sue
cessfully applied to introduce into them
| incompetent if not otherwise undesira-
| BILE teachers. The citizens OF the Dis
| trict having no assurance of voice in
school matters, local public sentiment will
be ineffective or utterly unavailing to
prevent or correct any evils which may
| arise.
a. Supervision.
THE Dolliver bill destroys entirely the
! present supervision of the LOO graded
school classes and the LOO teachers of
| those classes.
| "a. The principals of the school build
| ings are themselves teachers, and could
not possibly exercise the necessary super
vision and preserve uniformity IN the
| system.
"B. The seven assistant directors could
not possibly perform these supervising
duties as they. in connection with and
under the control of the director, will be
charged with all the duties of the two
| assistant superintendent as well as all
the business affairs Of the schools.
What Officers and Teachers Say.
IS. Testimony from the schools:
with practical unanimity the school
officers and teachers testify that the pres
ent law is an admirable one. and none of
them has suggested or advised changes
to the committee. except In comparatively
unimp ortant details which may be made
by minor amendments. The few who have
suggested any changes are opposed to
asking that they be made at present tor
fear of a change in the general features
of the law which are absolutely satisfac-
tory. The present law is scientifically
framed and provides admirably for eff
cient administration and proper protection
for the teachers and the public interests.
| 20. misunderstanding.
: 1.-THE teachers of the city are thoroughly
alarmed at the prospect Of the enactment
Of the Dolliver bill. which was reported
favorably to the Senate without a hearing
to the teachers or school officials or citi-
zens of this District, save a few who
were favorable to the bill. The Washing
ton Chamber of Commerce, through it's
public school committee, requested a hear
ing before the Senate District committee
but the request was not granted.
40. Peace and quiet.
"a reasonable discussion of school af
fairs will take place in any community
and only good results from 1t. That some
little excitement might arise from certain
exigencies occasionally to be dealt with
i'm school matters affords no justification
for taking away the rights of the people
to a local and representative control and
entirely depriving them Of any voice in
| school matters by fastening upon them
an autocratic system Of control In which
they can have no say.
Trial of Superintendent.
1.-The exigencies which gave rise to the
trial of the late superintendent caused an
agitation and discussion which had been
magnifled by a few enemies of the pres
ent school system, and were charged as
having created factions which do not ex-
ist The people generally approve the re-
suit that has been brought about by their
| representative body. the board of educa-
ton Of the District of Columbia, and IT is
not too much to say that practically COM
plete harmony will prevail in school af-
fairs in the District OF Columbia, and that
the best class Of educational work is pos
Sible If the present law Is not disturbed.
| Peace and quiet obtained under an i'm
perial and autocratic control will be OBJ
! tained at the expense of justice and fair
| ness. A short duration of such autocratic
| control would probably result in introduce
ing more harm into the schools of the Dis
| trict of Columbia than could be eradi-,
| Gated In many years.
Absence of Demand.
THAT there is no demand. except upon
the part of very few people. for any
| such change in our school laws as that