Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-26
CHARGES PUT ASIDE
Board of Trade Committee In.
dorses Board of Education.
NO CAUSE FOR CRITICISM
Quality Of Desks Furnished, How
ever, to Be Investigated.
LIVELY Tits MARK MEETING
Charges Declared to Be the Same Old
Ones Exploded Two
Years Ago.
NO CAUSE FOR CRITICISM
LIVELY Tits MARK MEETING.

The present public school system of the
District Of Columbia was approved by
the public school committee of the Board
Of Trade at a meeting of the committee
last night. Charges which had been
made against the school system and the
board Of education were declared by the
committee to be unfounded
The committee adopted a resolution
providing for the appointment of a sub
committee Of five to investigate the con-
ditions in the schools with a view to i'm
proving the system and giving the board
OF education more power.
President James F. Oyster Of the board
Of education, and Superintendent of Pub
lie Schools Stuart appeared before the
committee last night and answered the
charges which had been made against
the school system. In the opinion Of the
majority Of the committee the replies
made by the school authorities were
ample and the charges were tabled.
Quality of Desks Questioned.
There was one exception, however-new
matter which was laid before the COM
mittee last night. 1t was charged that
during the last four years the furniture
provided for the schools, with the excep-
ton OF two rooms. had not measured up
to specifications. Snowden Ashford. mu-
nicipal architect, and Herbert +. l.. Allen,
chief accusers of the public school sys-
tenn, declared that instead OF receiving
maple desks, desks Of other and less ex-
pensive woods had been received and GER
titled to as maple. They declared that
they had the opinion OF experts of the
forest service on this matter. Capt. Oys-
ter and Supt. Stuart replied that the fur
nlture haG been examined by commit
tee for the school board when received
and reported upon. They said that there
were no experts on the committee, but
practical men.
The committee decided that this charge
should be slfted, and If furniture which
was being furnished the schools was be-
low the specifications report OF tns
matter should be made to tine Board OF
Trade. A resolution calling for COM
mittee OF three to make this investiga-
ton was appointed.
A letter from the furniture dealer who
supplied the desks was read stating that
SO tar as he knew the desks had been up
to specifications and that he would take
the matter up with the manufacturer.
Discussion Is Spirited.
The meeting lasted nearly four hours
and was marked by many tits between
the school officials and the critics Of the
school system, and between members of
the committee Mr.. Ashford declared
that the charges of inefficiency and lack
of economy against the school system
had been deemed SO serious and so clear
ly proved that President Taft In his mes.
sage to Congress last December nao
recommended that the system be
changed.
Brainard H. Warner, a member Of the
committee, asked Mr.. Ashford II 1T were
not true that the charges and lnforma-
ton upon which the President had based
his message had filtered up to the
President" from Mr.. Ashford himself
Mr. Ashford denied that this was true
hut being pressed still further by Mr..
Warner, said that the matter was LAID
before the President by the engineer
Commissioner Of the District.
And you supplied the engineer com
missioner with the data" said Mr. war. Wat
ner. I'VE may draw our own infer
ences." -.
CAPT. Oyster charged Mr.. Ashford with
getting his information against the scnool
system by ''housebreaking metnoos ana
by entering the schools through their
back DOORS"
This was hotly denied by Mr.. Ashford,
who said that he had not been able to
obtain the information which ne desired
from the board of education and mad
therefore made Investigations Tor himseu.
as any citizen Of the District was entitled
to do. the schools being open to all.
Calls Charges Old.
At the conclusion Of lengthy state
ment in reply to the charges Of Mr.. Ash
ford and Mr.. Allen made by Supt. Stuart,
Judge Charles s. Bundy declared when
he heard charges were made against the
school system, that he thought there
was something new to be investi-
gated by the school committee of
the Board Of Trade. but that the reply
made by the school officials had proved
that these charges were the same old
exploded charges made two years ago
brought here to create a panic in the
District over school matters" He said
that these identical charges and identical
answers had been acted upon by the
Board Of Trade two years ago and that
he did not believe 1t worth while to take
up any further time with them
Mr. Ashford made the statement that
no charges had been preferred against
the board Of education or any OF Its mem
bers. He said that the matter before
the committee was the consideration OF
a report made by a subcommittee of the
public school committee OF the Board OF
Trade appointed to look into school af-
fairs.
"This is the first intimation that I have
had Of that fact" declared Adds B:
Browne, chairman Of the committee. Il
was under the impression at the meeting
of the committee week ago that we
were considering charges made against
the school system by Mr.. Ashford"
Didn't Know Of Report.
"Who signed the report Of the subcom-
mittee?" Mr.. Warner demanded. II am
a member Of the subcommittee. but this
is the first / have heard of such a re-
port
A motion was made by DR.. Arthur T.
Ramsay to lay the resolution offered by
Mr. Allen. asking the approval OF the
subcommittee report upon the table. II
was evident that 1t was about to be car
ried. but plea by Mr.. Allen that he be
allowed to cross-examine Mr.. Stuar,
upon his statement to the committee was
allowed and the meeting dragged on for
haf he y