The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-11-03
Commissioners DiScourteouS
In School Inspection
Trip, Is Charge.
ARCHITECT BLAMED
FOR DELAY IN WORK
Stormy Session of Board of Edu-
cation Brings Forth Many
Complaints.

Charging the District Commission
ers with showing "a lack Of common
courtesy" declaring that he, for one,
would be among the absent when tho
next invitation came from the board
to accompany them on a tour Of in
spection Of schools. and charging the
municipal architect with gross ne
glect in the failure to ask for bids
for the construction of an addition
to the Mckinley Manual Training
School within sixteen months after the
appropriation was made available.
Capt. James r Oyster furnished the
principal topics Of discussion at a
stormy meeting of the Board of Edu-
cation,
Urged by W. D. Baker. chairman
Of the committee on buildings. and
at the request Of members Of the
board, Captain Oyster narrated yester-
day afternoon in a half-humorous and
half-serious vein his adventures on a
tour Of inspection Of schools at the
invitation Of the Commissioners.
The superintendent and 1 had ar
ranged to meet the Commissioners at
1880 o'clock at Western High School
and go through the new wing Of that
building. We had a number Of points
to which we wished to direct their at
tenuon," said Captain Oyster.
We arrived there and found that the
Commissioners. who had beaten us
there by about five minutes. had I'm
ished their so-called inspection, and
as they rode away in their automo-
bile yelled back TO meet them at the
Clevelang Park School
We speeded TO the new Eaton School
at Cleveland Park where we had hoped
TO explain some flaws TO the Commits
sioners, but they won again and We're
departing as we drew up.
with grim and firm determination
we set resOlutely toward the Chevy
Chase School by a shorter road than the
Commissioners took and we were re-
waTded by arriving there first While
We were waiting in front of the building
the Commissioners. who had pulled up
their speedy auto on the other side
came through the school and said they
had finished their inspection.
They invited us TO go through the
LOVeJOy School with them. Here we
took counsel and decided to run the risk
of breaking the speed limits. We put on
the high speed clutch and our auto ex-
pioded a tire in front Of Union Station
We jumped in taxi and arrived at the
LoYeJoy Just as the Commissioners wert
leaving"
The recital Of Captain oyster was
punctuated with peaIs Of laughter from
members OF the board. Recommends
lions that he engage a higher power ma
chine or use an aerOplaue were offered
The delay in putting out bids Tor the
new addition TO Mckinley Manual Train
Ing School was brought 20 the attention
OF the board by ". d. Hoover and Cap
tain Oyster, members Of the building
committee
Captain Oyster said there seemed to
be an impression that the apprOpria-
ton had been ready only since last
June. The money had been available,
he said. since June 1909, and the be-
ginning of actual work on the structure
had already been one year tardy
1 now understand that bids will be
asked for next week." he said. In that
case there Is nothing for the board to
do but make a protest against this de-
lay. which Is costing us money and
which is a gross injustice to pupils
Their health viii be endangered by
running from building to building this
winter, and school Is being conducted
at Mckinley under adverse conditions"
Mrs. Terrell In Tilt.
The session Of the board was marked
by a tilt between Mrs. Terrell and Mr..