The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-21
EMPLOYERSSCORE
SCHOOL TRAINING
Declare Boys and Girls Between
Fourteen and Seventeen Are
Deficient in Essentials.
HUTzLER AND POLLOCK TILT
School Board Chairman Asserts
His Authority on Question
of Testimony.

l.
of Testimony.
Two hours OF further investigation
into the school situation last night
developed lively tilt between Chair
man Gilbert *. Pollock of the in
vcstisating committee. and Charles
Tutzlcr. of the School Board. touch
ing the interruption OF a witness for
the purpose OF Introducing evidence
which the latter was disposed TO re-
GARD out Of place. Joseph ii.
Saunders, principal of the William
Fox School. was on the stand, and
was tcstifying to high value OF man.
ual training and similar courses in
the high school. -
Chairman Pollock asked and secured
permission from DE- j. y. c. Chandler,
who was examining the witness. 10 in
t. oduce a number of letters from bust
ness men in the city stating their
opinion OF the school training of boys
and girls employed by them in their
stores y communication was read
from Miller & Rhoads. which stated
that a large number OF the boys and
girls between the ages Il fourteen and
seventeen employed by the firm were
found deficient In the essentials and
that II was found necessary TO supple
rent their training by extra instruc-
tion in the store.
HutzIcr Offers objection.
81 submit" said MIR. Iutzler, in
\ tcrrupting the reading OF similar
letter from another .irm, that the
witness can testify only to what ne
knows Of his own experience and that
+, is wholly out OF order TO expect him
to express an opinion On the evidence
which is now introduced. 1 request
that the examination OF the witness
/ proceed, and that these letters be pre-
scented later at tho proper time
Mr.. Pollock explained that he pre-
scented the letters at this point with
the express permission OF Dr.. Chand-
\ Ter, who was conducting the eXamina
ton OF the witness and that he
thought il pertinent at this time TO
ask his opinion OF them. since they
seemed TO be somewhat a variance
with statements just made TO the
committee.
Il request. in that case" said Mr..
hutzler that Or. Chandler Withdraw
his permission for the introduction
of these letters at this time II that
is not enough. shall insist. in my
capacity chairman of the schoo!
Board. that they be barred during
, the examination OF this witness"
Sir. iiutzler spoke as If he meant it.
and there was danger OF break,
when DR.. Chandler adjusted matters
with few words of PLANTATION. II
was agreed that only one more letter
be read and the rest fled with the
committee.
snys Children Are Deficient.
The letter from Miller & Rhoads
? was addressed to Miss Harriet L.
, Hughes. secretary of the Teachers AS
/, sociation of the Elementary Schools.
: Touching the boys and girls employed
by them, the communication stated:
We Invariably find them very de-
:icent in the fundamental knowledge
of business transactions. reading, writ
ing and common arithmetic. In fact.
we have found them so deficient in
this respect that IL has been necessary
for US to employ some one 10 teach
them a few hours each day in these
branches IN order tina; they may hold
. their positions"
\ similar communication from Four
. qurean, Temple & co. caracterized the
scnool children employed by them as
defective" in many OF the branches.
} y letter 10 Miss Hughes from Miss L.
: Il. stcuhcn, auditor of the Cohen Com
: pany, complained that the children
are not taught TO think"
Commend John Marshall Graduates.
e, Principal James c. Harwood. of the
John Marshall High School In the
course of his testimony touching the
number of letters from business men
commencing in highest praise the
!. High School graduates employed By
, them.
5 Neil d. Sills wrote that he employed
three John Marshall boys in his office
and found them unusually efficient
0 and well-trained." a number o: other
! letters in the same strain were ordered
} filed.
Assistant City Attorney George
Wayne Anderson warned the commit
= tee that letters like those received
= from the department stores. which
! criticized the quality OF the training
/, OF their boy aud girl employees with
, out establishing the feet that they
were taught In the Richmond schools
We're practically valueless as evidence
in the present investigation. In order
to carry 'Sht at all, he said. il
/ should be shown clearly that the
the local schools.
Would Not Omit "FriiIs."
Asked If he would omit from the
course OF studies the so-called frills--
manual training. music, sewing and
! cooking-Professor Saunders. the nrst
examined replied emphatically that he
would not omit anything from the
curriculum as it is now constituted.
The assemblage Uttered when Chair
man Pollock followed the reading OF
a letter from Mrs. Pollock. with the
I remark that the writer was not a
relation. 1t roared Il moment later
when Professor Saunders read an
1 other from fond mother who wanted
4 the disputed studies continued because
music has a refining influence which
i is very much needed in the public
i schools The committee rose at 1915
1 o'clock. after short examination of
4 DR.. J. A. c. Chandler, to meet again
at the call of the chairman.