Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-15
Board of Education Members
See No Virtue in Il.
SAME OLD ROW, THEY SAY
Do Not Mind Being Legislated Out
ofoOhice.
RELIEF FROM MUCH LABOR

Oppose Scheme on Principle, and Be-
ieve No Good Will Come Of
Change in Administration.
Members of the board Of education ar.
troduced in the House yesterday by Rep
resentative Peters Of ssachusetts,
which proposes to do away with thu
board Of education and the board o,
charities, replacing them with a directo,
Of education and a director Of charities
coming directly under the District Com
| missioners.
| They are inclined to see in the measure
the Same plan to change the scheme Of
education in the District which has been
put forward in other years, and which
has been defeated In Congress each time
1t came up.
Members Of tho board Of education,
however. hasten to declare that they are
not opposed to the bill because it would
deprive them Of the honor OF sitting as
1t would abolish that board. They take
the position that they perform a great
deal of hard work as members of the
board Of education and give a great deal
each year. for which they get no recon-
pense except the knowledge of having
done their duty.
Oyster Opposes Principle.
Capt James w. Oyster. president Of the
board Of education, said today to q re-
porter for The Star:
Il do not agree with the principle con-
tanned in the bill Of Representative Peters.
The schools were formerly under the
control OF the District Commissioners.
They have been progressing steadily under
| the present term.
while the cost of the schools has been
large In the last few years. this has been
due largely to the fact that the schools
were allowed to run down and 1t has been
necessary to make many improvements in
| them.
Not Welded to Job, Says Cox.
IT am sure the members OF the board
| Of education will not oppose this bill
because they care to remain on the board
| of education" said w. v. Cox. vice presi-
dent Of the board, to a reporter for The
Star today. They work too hard and
with too little glory to care particularly
whether they keep their positions on the
board or not.
1.-THE only reason they would care to
remain on the board is their belief that
they are doing their duty to the people
of the District in caring for the educa-
tional interests Of their children. Ii this
bill becomes q law 1t will merely furnish
a graceful opening tor the members OF
the board to get rid of lot Of hard
work.
LAS for the bill ITSELF" continued Mr..
Cox, lit is the same old chestnut which
has been laid before Congress. It is dished
up, this time, in little different form,
that Is all.
Il don't know whether it was inspired
or whether Mr.. Peters was seeking no.
tortety when he introduced it. l should
like TO know
Would Let Well Enough Alone.
B. w. Everman. said:
so far as can see, the bill introduced
by Mr.. Peters would make no improve
ment over present conditions / believe
1t would probably do harm.
Il believe the friends of such measure
do not realize the amount OF hard work
which is done every year by the board of
education: All TINS work, ii the board of
education Is abolished, would fall on the
| shoulders of the new director of educa-
| ton and the District Commissioners.
| The District Commissioners already
4
would be wise to still further burden
| them.
II can conceive Of no other system of
| control for the educational system of the
| District which would give the people Of
| the District who are vitality interested N
| 1t SO tair representation as does the
present system
Foresees No Benefits in Change.
| Mrs. Mary Church Terrell said:
II do not see how the enactment of the
Peters bill into law could reap a benefit
for the District.
L do not think that any members of
the board of education would oppose the
measure because 1t does away with the
| board itself The only reason that they
serve on the board now is to do their duty
TO the public schools of the District
Mrs. Elizabeth Hoeke. who has recent
~ become q member OF the board OF edu-
cation, said she preferred not to comment
upon the bill at present. She thought ii
any expression were made by the board OF
education in regard to II, 1t should come
after a meeting Of the board and should
be official.
There is q regular meeting of the board
| of education at the FranklinsScho0l build
ling tomorrow afternoon" said Mrs.
Hoeke, land it may be that the board will
discuss the bill at that time and decide
| what course it Will pursue in regard to
the measure.
Comment Is Withheld.
r. r. Horner would not discuss the
merits Of the Peters bill at this time
He said he might have something to
| say in regard to it after he had care
| fully examined the provisions OF the
bill.
W. D. Hoover said he had not yet
| read the bill and therefore could not
now discuss It. He added, however,
| that he had read the published com
ments Of Mr.. Peters on the alleged
poor business methods Of the board ut
education. and that he thought the
men on the board Of education were
probably better business men than
Representative Peters.
Board Of Charities Silent.
Members OF the board of charities
were reticent today in regard to the
Peters bill. They are anxious to ex