The Washington herald., 1911-01-22

! Premature announcement of the criti-
| cisms on the conduct of Washington
| schools before the schools committee of
the Board of Trade had taken a vote on
| the resolution bids fair to make orderly
discussion of the subject somewhat diff
cult.
! Capt. James F. Oyster. president of the
board of education, who has been exon
and severely censured with the other. de-
clincs to discuss the question until he
has some authentic information of what
| the committee complains about Herbert
+. L. Allen. who offered the resolution.
says that il Capt. Oyster ignores the
question. or if any other member of the
board of education does SO, he is failing
in his duty TO the public
When Capt. Oyster was seen yesterday
he said that all he knew about the action
Of the committee was what he had read
in the newspapers but when properly ac-
quainted with the subject of complaint.
he will undoubtedly take action on the
matter
will Receive Attention.
The criticism was so grave and the
charges sweeping that they are GER
tain to receive serious attention at the
hands of the board Of education in due
time
The Allen resolution recommends that the
management of the schools Of the Dis
trict be given over to the Commissioners.
but it has not been voted on by the school
committee.
1t has been discussed by this committee
of the Board of Trade. and. by vote of
to 8. ii was decided to postpone vote
on the resolution until next Wednesday
night After that vote. il the resolution
is carried. the matter will go before the
Board of Trade fer action. and this body
will then decide whether or not the rec
concentrations of the committee will be
indCrSed.
From such information as is available
it would appear that there are seven
members of the schools committee of the
Board OF Trade who would like to see
the schools managed by the Commission
ers, and three who are opposed to any
change. No action of the Board Of Trade
will be official until the full Board has
an opportunity to pass upon the COM
mittee'S report.
Copy Sent to Board.
Mr. Allen said that ne was reliably in
formed that a copy Of the charges had
been sent t. the board of education some
days prior to the meeting of the COM
mittee: that the superintendent of schools
had been asked to be present at the meet
ing of the committee. and that certain
questions bearing upon the investigation
had been drawn up and forwarded to
the chairman of the board Of education
prior to the meeting.
So Mr.. Allen thought that the board
of education had been sufficiently noti-
fed of the action that the schools COM
mittee of the Board Of Trade intended to
pursue in their inquiries.
The resolution that is pending de-
clares that as far back as 1903
a similar committee Of the Board of
Trade recommended that the dual system
of school management was unsatisfac-
tory and should be changed. and that
President Taft. in his last message to
Congress- doubted the economical and eff
ficient management of schools under the J
present system.
Basis Of Decision.
The basis of the decision Of the COM !
mittee. or a majority of 1t, seems to be |
a communication from Snowden Ashford, |
in which specific instances of what is re- |
garded as inefficient and irresponsible !
by the board Of education Is !
set forth in detail and which forms the |!
ground for the charges which the COM
mittee prefers against the school board. l
There is, however. a plain effort on the
part of some members Of the commit
tee to have 1t appear that the inefficient
and wasteful management of school at
fairs by the school board is no reflection 1
upon the capacity or integrity of the
members of the board of education, but
S an inevitable result Of the defects Of the
dual system whereby the Commissioners
bear the responsibility and the board Of
education has the control