The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-21

charges against the state Depart
ment OF Public instruction will not be
Investigated. 1.
In the opinion of the Serate' Com.
mittee on Public Instruction and Edu-
cation Chesterfield citizens did MOI
produce enough evidence to Warrant
a further probe and the committed
will report adversely this morning the
House joint resolution to investigate
the department. This decision wal
reached late yesterday afternoon after
an executive session OF two hours.
When the committee met at 1
O'Clock, ]. d. Eggleston. Jr.. super.
intendent of public instruction. and
many Chesterfield folks were on hand
The. committee declared 1t had heard
enough and would consider the mat.
ter further behind locked doors
Chesterfield citizens filed additional
charges and evidence and charges by
citizens of Brunswick county.
1t is said that OF twelve members
of the committee. only one. a Repub-
lican. voted to report the resolution
favora bly,.
This endz the investigation. Al
though the House passed the resolu-
ton. failure TO concur by the Senate
means its death without furher
action. When first taken up, some
members of the Senate COMMITTEES
favored reporting the resolution with
out preliminary hearing. but others.
who, were tn@the majority, were 81
the ontnfoh mar charges sheprd be
substantiated to some extent before
the Legislature went further. \
EgglestOn Files Statement,
Mr.. Eggleston filed with the com.
a Il at ntap~
ing all charges brought against his
office in the Chesterfield bill OF par
ticuiars. The allegations are taken
up separately and answered
Chesterfield people. who remained
In the State house yesterday until
the, ssasaH7iftee adjongyfed,. we're dis
appointed at the report They de-
clared that had they been empowered
to summons witnesses they could
have proven every charge brought:
but that as they could not force any
one to testify they were unable to
subsantiate some of the allegations.
The Eggleston statement reads:
To pi went any one Interested. or
diEinterested. friendly or unfriendly.
from misunderstanding or misstating
my position. desire to present In
writing a brief resume of my an
swer to the complaint of Messrs. Davis.
Lambert, kipps. Bensley and Bellwood.
citizens OF Chesterfield county. before
your committee.
First To the charge that county
superinterdents have been allowed to
alter and change their annual reports
after they have been filed In the ONCE
bf the State Superintendent OF schools
as public records. | replied that the
department corrected errurs WHEREVER
they were discovered by the officials Of
the deparement. or reported BY q a.
vision superintendent. keeping in every
instance a full record OF the proceed
ir1ds. | showed that We had adopted
a scheme which enabled us to make
these corrections without even chang.
Ing the face Of the original record.
Seeing that such a charge was
ridiculous when II came to meetfns
the facts face % face. the complain
ants shifted their position and assert-
ed that the department had not "al-
tered and CHANGED the reports to q
suff Client extent. They poin.ld to
certain errors and Inconsistent bal
ances, from year tn year that We had
mot touched, To this we replied that
the cOmplxiuAnt9 had undertaken. at
our euggeafion but partially at their
expenee. IN lnvextixattcn which would
enable - ~ draI With such matter1
(continnsd % page Sill