Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-12
Let Us Have Peace.

Let Us Have Peace.
,r,o contention that n greater percent
age OF the municipal revenue is spen'
upon the schools of Washington imam l.
expended for educational purposes in the
average American city OF the hrs' Gas
may be helpful as a suggestion 10 the
Commissioners and the board Oh eou'a'
ton that they examine carefully "hethe'
there are local conditions requiring VI
iustifying in the public interest greater
school expenditure here: or whether Oh
the other hand. too many teachers are
employed or too high salaries are pafu
ar too many school buildings are erected
whether. In short. any of the schoo
money is appropriated by Congress Ill
their instance uselessly. ana therefore
extrayagantly. If the Commissioners con'
vince themselves that they nave peeh
approving and Congress has been appro'
prIa ing too much for the schoois. ana
100 little for other municipal functions
then they should point out specincahS
wherein they and Congress have erred. III
O. der that Congress may no. longer ap-
uropriate for useless teachers, or over
laid teachers, or unnecessary schoo
,,,ildinns. This contention, backed by
statistics. while thus possibly helpful In
:, domestic discussion of the wisest and
most equitable apportionment OF the
municipal revenues among the municipal
needs. is absolutely Irrelevant as an ar
rument for the abolition of either the
board of education. the District Com
missioners. or the military dictatorship
and ..alien pro-consulsnip'' which has
been exercised in the opinion of frac-
ton of our citizens by the Engineer Com
missioner since the date of the organic
act.
That the schools of Washington have
been permitted to absorb greater per
centage of the municipal money than
those Of some other American city is not
in itself discreditable to Congress. the
Commissioners or the board OF educa-
ton. The taxpayers will protest only II
the money has not been well spent
In no two cities are the municipal reve-
nues apportioned among the .municipa
needs in precisely the same percentages
In Washington there are some functions
with allotments above and some below
the average Of other American cities
If It were shown that the police or f1r'
department was allowed a higher per
centage than this average, or that thu
public library was given a smaller per
centage than this average, 1T would no
follow that the Commissioners had beer
either extravagant in the one case oil
unwisely penurious in the other; and the
suggestion that on account of these di-
vergences control of any OF these de-
partments should be taken from the Com
missioners and lodged in an independent
board Of citizens would be properly de-
rided as preposterous.
10 it not equally preposterous, first. tc
assume offhand that there is nothing ir
the local conditions which has justified
Congress in making the large school ap
preparations of the past: second, to place
the blame for an imaginary and unde
fined extravaganza upon the board Of
education which of all the parties con
cerned has the least to do with appro
priations. and, third. to propose to rem
edy an evil. which has not been shown
10 exist, by abolishng a board which ha!
not been shown to be responsible for It?
To remove the schools from even thu
supervision of an unpaid board OF citi
zens and taxpayers and to place then
under the control of the Commissioner
or the Engineer Commissioner. on TIL
ground that the schools cost at presen
80 per cent more than they ought, would
involve a command to the new schOo
despot to reduce by one-third presen
school expenditures by discharging teach
ers, cutting down salaries and omittini
To erect new buildings. This cons;dera
tion throws a wet blanket upon the en-
q los, far ip,Y
the part of those of us who have here
toforc favored as logical and broad
beneficial the restoration TO the Commits
sioncrs of the power OF appointing to tn
school board. For there can hardly b
Washingtonian who believes tina
tcacherships, salaries and new schoo
buildings can be cut down one-thir
without vital injury 10 the local schools
The Washington taxpayers have wit
the Commissioners and the board OF edu
cation urged Congress TO make those I'm
creased appropriations for underpai
teachers and for the erection Of undul
delayed school buildings which must b
responsible for most of the excess per
centase in school expenditure. There
no evidence Of any disposition on tn
part OF the local taxpayers TO WITHDRAW
their support from these appropriation
or to demand a gripping of the school
In order to increase the money used 70
some other municipal purpose
II this community could speak to 1t
oficials with the authority OF the ordi
nary American municipality it woul
doubtless say to the public servants a
the District building and at the Frankli
building. Quit wrangiing and fightin
with one another. Cease to hurl at on
another two-edsed statistics. Stop tryin
10 abolish one another, to the unwhole
some disturbance OF the schools in pei
Torrance OF the educational function an
10 the injury-working confusion Of Cor
gress in performance Of the appropriatin
function. Investigate thoroughly int
every suggested specino waste Of publ
funds In the schools or in any othe
branch Of the municipal service: and,
waste Is found, do not merely talk abo,
1t and blame somebody else for It, b,
correct It.
Mr.. Bryan generously refrains fror
formally fndorsin1 any NJ tha Aaroorrot