The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-04
Three Teachers Give In
vestigating Commit
tee Their Views.
TIRED MEMBERS
INSIST ON RECESS
Sharp Tilt Between Chairman
Pollock and Attorney George
Bryan-Assistant Primary Sill
perintendent Not Permit
ted to Be Represented
by Counsel.

Having graveIy heard evidence for
nearly two hours last night az 10
whether II Is desirable for tho eight
ana ten-yca,-o old pupils OF the public
schools 70 have some rclaxation to
break the monotoEy Of the slx-hour
ual!y sehoo! course, the Special Com
m'ttee on Investigation of tho Pubic
ocnools found IL necessary 10 take a
=o-'ninute recess In order that the
members or the committe the witness.
ics and those taking part in the in
puiry. might relax themselves ny
! walking about tho building -Four
hours Of dii!gent inquiry brought out
nothing that was new, and nothing
that VAS deroga;ory TO the Richmond
SCHOOLS three teachers of the pr!-
mary grades giving in sone details
! Their Views as to how the schools
/ should he conducted.
Decide Against Miss Hnrrl,,
MI OF tho evidence 50 Tar has re-
lated TO The primary grades. those
dealing with children from seven TO
! twelve years ., age. and because Of
/ the age OF tho pupils and the obvi-
Gus necessity OF varying their course
! Win some light recreation. members
/ OF the committee and the spectatory
/ heFe not taken too seriously the sug-
| Eestion that time was being wasted
/ in singing. druw!nEs ana phys!ciai OK
| crcises, which might better be devoted
10 the elements OF education \ sharp
| TIT between Chairman Gilbert IS. Pol.
lock and Attorney George Bryan. who
appeared Tor Miss Ada Van stone
I Harris assistant superintendent OF tho
/ primary grades, served TO cnliven Tin.
/, session. Tho inquiry from the start
mas ben directed against ccrtaf,, ST.
| pervislns teachers. who II has beer,
! charged. receive salaries tar in excess
OF the Na!ne OF the services rendered,
! ana rla tns Commits supported Chairman
! roiIoek IN practically denying Miss
harris the right to be represented is
counsel during the investigation.
Miss MaIIoncc Hrsu,ues stnnd.
MISS ElYa |. MalloRcc, OF 1904 Grove
4 Avenue, who had held her own OH the
witness stand with sigma! ability at
Z former session, was recalled for a
tur.her examination of two hours
curat!nn. She explained further aer
Views as 10 tho uso OF the group sys-
TEN OF instruction. and read from a
protest against manual training in
the scnools forwarded TO the School
Eoarc III 1908 BY Mrs. Alice NJ King
OF 1919 West Cary Street as presi-
Dent OF the Randolph Street school
Mothers' club. .s!e was unable 10
produce the answer OF the School
Board. and Chairman Hutzlcr regretted
that the official copies had been lost
IN the recent ire in the school Board
! headquarters, but the witness stated
that an answer had been sent hv the
| School Board eNplai n!ng its reasons
Ter introducing manual training IL, The
schools In answer to DR.. Chandler.
Miss Mallonee said her pupils were
doing too much reading TO be thor
ough In their work; that the selections
| were beyond their comprehension, snd
that the timc allotted for reading was
more than sufficient.
| Hill Examines witness.
! Assistant superintendent Albert II.
! Hill then took the witness, and In his
| cross examination showed n close ia
mil'arity with tho actual working of
the schools IN answer TO his ques-
tons. Miss Mallonee asserted that
simple cal!sthenics and breathing
exercises would be sufficient. and She
| preferred them to the present course
in physical exercises. which required
more space than the schoolroom af-
forded. In answer 10 Mr.. Hill. she
said she did not know that the exer-
cises in use here had been planned
by board OF experts. 50 per cent. Of
whom Were physicians. 10 give the
| children the right exercises for :he
right ages. Asked II she did not con-
slider exercises scientifically planned
after careful study for each aye Of
development superior to merely leaving
such matters to the teachers, she said
that she did not have enough room
| for movements in her classroom, but
admitted that II was necessary to have
| some form OF exercises to relieve the
monotony, and had no special objec
ton to the program OF exercises pre-
scented, save for the time consumed.
She thought she could give her
pupils exercises relaxing and beneficial
In three minutes. which would clear
their heads and help materially in
the work of later classes. such as ari-
thmetic and languages. She would
not recommend the entire elimination
of manual training from tho schools.
but would cut it. out of the primary
grades, though she admitted that 1t
was a natural inatinct of child to
attempt to draw.
Opposed to All Hand Work.
Nr. Hill attempted 10 draw out the
opinion of the witness as TO the ac-
! cepted opinion of educators on the
development of hand and brain. but
Miss Mallonoe insisted that all time
allotted in her grade to hand work was
so much time wasted.
What percentage OF people make
their living with their hands instead
CONTINUED on Third Page)
II Governor Harmon Has