The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-08-15

GOES TO COUNCIL

Behind closed and locked doors
with the transon down. the keyholes
may have been filled with putty. so
far as the reporters who had sat
through long sessions of the COM
mittee knew.
For several months this committee
has been holding spasmodic sessions.
Many people have appeared before
the committee, over which Council
man Pollock presided, and of which
Messrs. umiauf, RULER, Hirschberg,
Kahn. Mitchell and Gunst are mem
beers.
The full committee got together last
night. They Immediately proceeded
to lock the door.
For several hours the committee
discussed the tentative report pre-
scented by Chairman Pollock. They
will be ready TO report to council to-
morrow night, Il that body succeeds
In getting quorum. There are
doubts as TO whether that end may
be reached.
The committee Was appointed to
look into the methods pursued by the
officials of the public schools Some
Of the teachers had objected to the
curriculum, and there was some OBJ
lection to the interjection OF music
and manual training in some OF the
grades. Other matters OF apparently
little importance, were also brought
to the attention of members of coun-
ell. and the result was the appoint
ment Of the committee to look into
the matter. and to see what could be
done. ~a
High Grade Graduates.
Ii had been shown that graduates
of the Richmond schools had
achieved high positions and had been
awarded high honors. and when the
matter of, investigation was flret
proached no one took 1t to mean that
there was anything in the methods
prevailing In the grades that needed
reform, or that there was anything
serious the matter with the school
system.
However. the committee was ap-
pointed. Men were placed on the
committee who were known TO be OF
broad and liberal Views coupled with
The common sense that goes with good
Judgment. There is not college grad
uate on the committee. All OF the
gentlemen are what one would call
self~made men.
They are business men with one
exception, that of Mr.. Pollock, who is
a lawyer.
1t was believed by the presidEht of
the board of aldermen and the presi-
dent OF the common council that such
men could handle question. like the
enc presented, better than others
who might have been college grad
yates end men who might have been
biased in their opinions of the value
OF public schools.
Many Meetings Held.
Mary meetings of the committee
were held. Many leading educators,
not only from Richmond, but else
where, appeared before the fnquisition
and testified that from what they
knew and could learn the public
schools Of Richmond were as good
M any In the United States.
So, the committee. had te~go along
10 the finish, and in doing so. heard
many fine lectures by professors, IN
srnctcrs. teachers and clerks
The testimony adduced In the eS-
Animation OF witnesses covered 1850
pages Of typewriter copy. These pages
were given the members Of the COM
nntttee after the investigation had con-
ri.ded. about two weeks ago. and
since then they have had time 10
digest the evidence which they had al
ready heard
Wn.n the report Is handed in TO-
morrow night. 1t will be received by
the whole council. That body has not
lad time TO read and direct tho evil
dence. A motion will likely be mace
that the report lay on the taoie OF
II printed. which will mean that
ncrning will be done during the iife
~ rhe present council.
III this should transpire. which IL
likely. the only way to keep the qaes-
ton alive. will he the adoption OF
resolution passing the report along 10
the next council for final action.
It il not probable that there Will
be more than one report. IL was
Thought for some time that minority
xSrnrv might be presented, but TINS
wfU naydiy be done.
- re committee iast night adopted a
report. which will go to council to-
morrow night.