Evening star., 1909-06-24
GIVEN THEIR DIPLOMAS
Commencement Exercises OF
Three High Shoots.
PRESENT INSPIRING SCENE
Eastern, Central and Western Grad
yates Fill Mammoth Stage.
PUPILS WORK IS PRAISED
Washington Schools the Best in the
Country. Declares Representative
Foster-Scholarshi
PUPILS WORK is PRAISED


scented itself in Convention Hall than that
of last night. when the graduates of the
central, Eastern and Western High
Schools received their diplomas in a tri-
angular commencement celebration. Every
scat in the mammoth hall was filled with
tho fellow students, the families and
friends Of the graduates, gathered to
applaud them for their achievement and
wish them Godspeed in their journey
along the path of life. At intervals during
The exercises the Marine Band under the
direction of Lieut. Santelmann, crashed
out inspiring airs.
On the platform were the speakers of
the evening, including members of Con-
cresS, prominent District officials and the
principal school teachers of Washington
In back of them, filling tier after tier,
were the graduates. the young women
lad simply in white. the young men
wearing the conventional black.
From the time Capt. James +. Oyster,
president Of the board of education who
was the presiding officer, called the great
gathering to order until the last strains
pI the closing number of the band had
died away the program was carried out
with marked punctualty. In spite of the
iusufterable heat, the enthusiasm of the
audience was always at flood tide and
loud applause greeted the awarding of the
diplomas by Justice Ashley NJ. Gould,
Sociate justice of the District Supreme
Court. and the announcement of the prizes
and scholarships by Superintendent
Stuart
Mr.. Fosters Address.
After the Invocation had been deliv
cred by Rev. John Reid Shannon. pastor
of the Metropolitan Methodist Episcopal
Church, which was followed by a musical
selection, Capt. oyster introduced. the
principal speaker of the evening. Repre-
sentative David J. Foster of Vermont.
Mr.. Foster called the Washington high
schools the schools of Uncle Sam"
They are the only schools, he said. under
the control of the general government,
and for that reason, he thought, they
should he made the best schools in the
8. country And | think they are he
added
Il think the Washington schools should
have the best system in the world.
continued the speaker. This = mat
ter that Congress should take particu-
ar care of. Perhaps, when we get
through with the corporation tax legisia-
ton. we will have plenty of revenue and
b. able to spend some more of it on the
schools.
Washington should be great educa-
tional center All teachers should come
her to find model for their institutions.
Such salaries should be paid as to attract
the best teachers. The entire nation should
feel personal interest in all that per-
lains to the city's schools
Our public school system is the corner
stone of our national life. AS such
Washington Should be associated with
the best system Of public instruction.
There can he 10 question on this point.
~ Is not Il question upon which Congress
should betray any hesitation.
Suggests Motto.
We are all sovereigns in this nation.
yet We are all interdependent, owing to
the amazing complexities of our economic
system. No man stands by himself The
education which these young men and
women received is one to prepare them
to do their work not alone, but in the
" highest form of cooperation with others
: In return for this training which they
received al the expense of the city We
ask an honest, patriotic, courageous citi-
zenshp. That is the best payment they
can give us.
AS u motto for you graduates | sug-
SeSt this: In essentials, unity; in nom
essentials, liberty; i'll all things. charity
5 tapt Oyster spoke of the progress tnat
had been made in the development of the
school system of the District during the
past twenty years and told of the work
OF the board OF education of which he is
the head, during the past year. No OPP
pGTtunity overlooked by Can't. Oys-
: Ter in the course of his address To point
30 the necessity of a greater appropria-
tton from Congress for the schools. lie
ltielfed tacetiously to the speech OF
Representative Campbell TO the graduates
OF the Mckinley School ON Tuesday.
Pointers" for Congress.
only yesterday said Capt. oyster,
Representative Campbell told the pupils
at Mckinley School that the girls should
he taught to make good coffee. Yet he
lid not promise to use his influence in
congress for an appropriation to bear
FeScntatiVe ltobSon recently told the pu-
pills Of one OF the schools that the schools
should be decorated with American flags.
lIe seemed ignorant OF the fact that Con-
sress has appropriated the money for one
nag for each school, and one flag only.
There is still much for us 10 do IN
our school work. We are watching close
IL the methods of the public schools of
.iile west, which, during the past few years
EaNc outStripped the eastern schools i'm
the development of their systems par
ticuiarly with respect of manual training
courses
The board of education wants mod
cru SohoolhouSes- in their pro
visions for the health and the happi-
ness and the spiritual growth of the
children. And some modern school
houses We have secured. The schools
of Washington are in sense the schools
OF the nation: better schooihouses here
are al example and incentive to com
nunities throughout the country. y
ii y that is set on d hill cannot be
mid
Your board of education wants the
pest teaching. We know full well that
just as the teacher is more important
than The schoolhouse. So the children
are more important than the teacher
Teacher and schoolhouse are, after all
hut Instruments for the development ot
the children. IT Is true that no city
Ia America is served by a better corps
Of teachers. more excellent in spirit than
tNrgp nI % - N off
the same time education in America like
everything else in this extraordinary
land, il constantly undergoing improve
meut New England schools, for exam
p}e despite their honorable career have
been in several important respects out
dfStaured by the schools of the alert
communities of oar western common
yeaIfhS Your board of education does
not propose 10 see the teaching in the
schools Of the nations capital outdiS-
tauccd Tn. best is none too good for
IS We insist upon pro2reSs-not fitfuI
spurty and unba lanced change. but prog
ress that is genuine ana steady and nor
mat
Relations With Commissioners.
The legal relations between the board
of education and the Commissioners of
4thc District of Columbia are IL little
. anomalous. .tt the outset the board of
education did not perhaps receive from
the Commissioners that full measure of
attention. regard ana cordiality which
tie Importance OF the schools 10 the y ell
tare and pFceresS OF the community de-