The Washington times., 1909-10-29
Charges Ineficiency in Caus-
tic Letter TO Com
miSSionerS.
ARCHITECTS OFFICE
PARTICULAR TARGET
Board of Education Chairman
Says Delays Are IN
excusahle.

One OF the most severe criticisms ever
aimed against the District government
and its executive heads is contained in a
letter TO the Commissioners, made pub
lie today. BY Capt James F. Oyster,
president Of the Board Of Education.
Captain Oyster charges fnefficiency in
at least one branch of the District gov
eminent" eharacterizes delays in COM
pleting additions to schools as "inex-
eusable." and accuses Commissioners
West OF having published IN the daily
papers letter "extolhng his own vir-
tues"
The letter was read to the Board Of
Education Yesterday afternoon as the
best answer to complaints registered
through the Columbia Heights Citizens
Association regarding the delay in COM
pleting the addition to the Johnson and
Monroe Schools. This letter IS the latest
and the most biting Of a series Of heated
communications between the heads OF
the District government and the presi-
dent Of the Board Of Education. 1t is
believed It will destroy all chance Of a
reconciliation in the near future which
many friends OF Captain oyster and the
Commissioners had hoped to bring
about. despite the strained relations ex-
isting ior some time.
The letter was received with express
sions Of marked approval by the Board
Of Education, as was evident at various
time during its reading. This approval
is taken 10 mean that the board viii
stand solidly behind its president il war
is declared between him and the Com
nissioners.
To Commissioner West.
a.
West. who WIS, on October &c. when
the letter is dated, acting president OF
the Board OF Commissioners.
II have the honor TO acknowledge the
receipt. on October % OF your COM
munication, dated October %, Captain
Oyster wrote. regarding the inexcus-
able delay In the construction OF the
johnson annex ana Monroe addition
This was two days after I was aware
OF portion Of its contents, through
your publication IN the daily papers
II this city Of that section OF the letter
eXtolllng your own virtue. Had YOU
published the whole letter I would have
raised no objection whatever, as the
citiZ6ns OF Washington and partfcuI-
arly those living on Columbia Heights
IN the neighbOrhOod Of the Johnson and
Monroe schools. would have been fully
informed By yoL OF the reasons why
the Board Of Education has been pre-
vented from providing proper school
accommodations for the children of that
nelghboFhOods although the initial ac-
ton toward such result was taken BY
the board when IL made up the public
school estimates IN the summer and fail
OF 1907; In your letter you acknowI-
edge that a period o. two years and
two months, after the appropriation be-
came available, VIII be required TO COM
plete a fcur-roOm addition 10 the Nom
roe school Your explanation of this
procrastiBatsOn is that 6ll such work
must be handled in q business-like
manner
In the next paragraph Captain
Oyster launches into a severe arraign-
ment Of zone branch Of the District gov
ernment-"
The Board Of Education" he con-
unueds lis willing 70 leave IL TO the
judgment Of the community as to
whether there is anything business-like
IN such waste Of time. Certainly, no
man with any appreciation OF even eIe-
nlentary business principles would ap-
ply such dilatorys destructive, and costly
methods IN the conduct Of his own bust
ness and expect results; yet, you apply
such methods and content yourself with
the idea that this means 'an orderly,
Continued on Tenth Page)