Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-07
SAY It IS UNJUST
Criticism of Cost of Schools
Resented by Board.
ONE MEMBER TO RESIGN
Assigns Press Of Business as the
Reason.
OTHER MEMBERS INDIGNANT
Regard Presidents Reference to Dis
trict System as Based Upon
Incomplete Figures.
ONE MEMBER TO RESIGN
OTHER MEMBERS INDIGNANT

The resignation of one Of tho most
prominent members of the board Of etlu-
cation and the settlement Of the question
of who shall be superintendent Of schools
are scheduled for the meeting Of the
board late this afternoon. AS it ap-
peared at noon today, when several men,
bers of the board were interviewed,
Supt. A. T. Stuart will be contin-
ued in Office. AS for the rumored
resignation, members of the board have
been telephoning to one another a good
part Of the day in an effort to check
the determination to retire on the part
Of one Of the most active members, who
has said that his business interests are
taking too much Of his time.
Come in for Criticism.
Few of the members of the board were
willing to discuss the portion Of the
Presidents message dealing with the
schools. and would not allow quotation
marks to be used with what they had to
say. but nevertheless Commissioner Jud-
sons ears would have burned today if
burning ears 90 with sharp criticism.
'The figures which Commissioners Jud-
son prepared for the Presidents mes
sage do not mean as much when 1t is
considered that there are all sorts Of
ways Of arriving at the efficiency Of the
schools" said a member Of the board. Il
understand that the census oflce will
have within a few days figures more
complete than those furnished by the
Commissioner.
"Washington's schools may be expen-
sive, but so are it's police and certain
other municipal functions. This is no
cheap town. However, 1t is not to be
believed that Congress will do anything
startling at this session because Of these
figures"
Blames Engineer Department.
Another member of the board said that
il the schools have been extravagantly
or wastefully run good part Of the
waste can be laid at the door Of the en-
zineer department of the District govern
ment:
THE logical place for the schools is
under the Commissioners, but it would
not reduce the extravaganza any If the
engineer department Is to continue to do
for the schools some Of the things it has
done lately"
Whether or not the Presidents message
s%dll have any effect on the impetus given
recently to the trade school movement Is
q question to be settled only when the
board finds out what money It will have
for new teachers and trade school ma
terials next year = - =. -
Needs of Trade Schools.
I'VE can't have q trade school with
a building and a few teachers Of car
penter work. said Supt. Stuart today.
1--WE have to have trained teachers Of
the various trades. We don't want to
turn out several hundred carpenters a
year. We want to have a graduating
class of apprentices Of the first class in
all sorts of trades, especially those trades
which demand the greatest number OF
men and boys in, this section of the
country. II we can have enough teachers
we will have two good trade schools
What the President Said.
The Presidents reference to the Dis
trict school system, to which exceptions
are taken. was as follows:
1.-The cost of education in the District
of Columbia is thus seen to be excessive
as compared with the cost in other cities
of similar size. and it Is not apparent
that the results are in general more satis-
factory The average cost per pupil per
day in Washington is about 3S cents.
Wn1le the average COSI III thirteen OtnoI
American cities fairly comparable with
Washington In population and standard
of education Is about 25.5 cents.
For each dollar spent In salaries of
school teachers and officers in the Dis
trict about "a days of instruction per
pupil are given. while in the thirteen
cities above referred to each dollar ex-
pended for salaries affords on the aver
age 6S days of instruction. For the cur
rent fiscal year the estimates of the board
of education amounted to about three
quarters of the entire revenue locally
collected for District purposes.
Lack of Definite Plan.
IF I may say so. there seems to be
lack of definite plan In the expansion
of the school system and the erection of
new buildings and Of proper economy. In
the use of these buildings that indicates
the necessity for the concentration of
control All plans for improvement and
expansion in the school system are with
the school board. while the limitation
SiOners.
II think 1t would be much better to put
complete control and responsibility in
the District Commissioners, and then pro-
vide board of school visitors, to be
appointed by the Supreme Court of the
District or by the President, from the
different school districts Of Washing
ton, who, representing local needs. shall
meet and make recommendations TO the
Commissioners and to the superintendent
of education--an educator o. ability and
and responsible to the District Commits