Evening star., 1913-11-01
|DR. DAVIDSON NOT
READY TO DECIDE
No Formal Tender of Pitts
burgh SuperlntendenCy Has
Been Made Him.
SCHOOL OFFICIALS HERE
URGE HIM NOT TO GO
Loss Would Be Calamity. Declares
President of the Board of
Education.

Dr. William NJ. Davidson. superintend-
eut of the District public schools. has
| not Yet made up his mind whether he
| viii accept the superintendcncy of the
Pittsburgh public schools. if he has that
! position rendered him. That DIR. David
son may have the Pittsburgh place if lie
| wants II IS the belief of IL large number
of his friends here who are in touch with
the situation in that city and who. in
cideniailN, have been interviewed by
members OF the Pittsburgh board as to
t'ie work Or. Davidson has done during
ms term as superintendent here
rs result Of the belief that DR.. David
son may go to Pittsburgh the entire
school system here is in !; state of ayita-
uoil. Hundreds Of teachers and minor Of
metals of the schools have written tele-
phoned and had interviews with DR.. Day-
idSon. urging him not to leave the super
lHtendtlrS of the District
II Is believed that movement will be
started among the school teachers in
the Immediate future toward prevail
ing upon Dr. Davidson to retain his
position here Practically every en-
ploye of the school system it is pre-
dlcted. VIII go on record requesting
Faces Perplexing Problem
Dr. Davidson is facing a pcrplexing
problem. say those who are acquainted
with both the local and the Pittsburgh
situations
At the present time the SUPERINTENDENT
has many plans under way which might
be entirely ruined if he were to leave
Washington. On the other hand. the OPP
portunitfes III Pittsburgh are said to be
practically limitless and unrivaIed in
rtSIel.tS i'm fhn
try.
DR.. Davidson will not consider the diff
ference in salaries when he makes his
final decision. say his friends
The Pittsburgh position pays $4,000 a
year, whereas the Washington position
carries 4 salary of only $1,000. In sur port
OF the argument at DR.. Davidson will
not consider the money end of the PROPOSE
tion it is pointed out that he came to
this city for salary of 5000 (the re-
muneration was Increased to $1,000 per
annum only last July), which was loss
of S1,O0t, as the superintendency of the
Omaha schools. which position he held,
paid 5000 a year. Besides this, Dr. Dav-
idson at the time he came here was MAX
ing more than $1,000 year additional by
lecturing. When this is taken into con-
sideration and the cost of moving here is
also added, it is shown that the superin-
tendent had cash loss of more than
5000 by accepting the Washington su-
perintendency, ii is said
Opportunity at Pittsburgh.
Many of those who have been to urge
DR.. Davidson to stay in his present posi-
tion have differed as to which would be
better for him from the entirely personal
standpoint. Some say the political situ-
alton in Pittsburgh is such that it is cer-
tain TO embarrass any man who accepts
a. n prip nj q
Others declare it is an opportunity un-
equaled in the entire country, inaSmuch
as the board of education there has the
power to levy taxes, and that a superin-
tendent who "made good there. as it is
believed that DIR. Davidson would, could
reach salary ofepossibly $4,000 a year.
DIR. Davidson is frank to admit that he
does not know whether he would accept
the position if it were offered to him. He
is we'll acquainted with the Pittsburgh
situation, having returned only yester-
day from there. going at the special re-
quest of that board.
Il have not yet had time to talk with
any one regarding the situation-not even
the president or vice president of the
board of education, and, indeed, not even
my wife said the superintendent this
afternoon.
Il have not had a formal offer of the
position, but if it We're offered me / can
not say what | should do. | am very
lieve. than any other superintendent in
the entire country. OF course, there
have been some difficulties and undoubted-
~ will be others. This is to be expected.
But | have been and am quite happy
here and the most loyal support mas been
given me. The teachers the parents and
all have shown beautiful spirit
Urge Him to Remain.
Miss Annie Beers. supervising principal
of the eighth division, was among those
who dropped in on the superintendent
today to urge him to remain. The Pitts
burgh position is tempting, she said.
but after all, We must remember that
Washington is the capital city. DR..
Davidson Is western man and | doubt
if he would have come east to accept a
position in Baltimore, Philadelphia or
Wilmington. ] know that every one
wants Or. Davidson to remain here
Selden NJ Ely. supervising prime pal of
the fifth division, declared that the teach
ers in his division would unite unani-
mously in asking DIR. Davidson to remain
if they felt it would be any use for them
TO do so. I'VE all want him to stay"
sa Mr.. Ely.
That the departure of DR.. Davidson
from the schools Of Washington at the
present time would be nothing short of
calamity was the assertion made by
Henry F. Blair, president of the board
of education this afternoon. mo other
municipality in the country would be put
in the position we are today, said Mr..
Blair. Amy other municipality could
remedy the condition.
If it were within the power Of the
board of education here to fix the salary
of the superintendent of schools, just as
is done in many other Cities including
Pittsburgh. Mr.. Blair declared, the board
would not hesitate, but could do 1t in a
very short time. Although he could not
say what position Congress would be
likely 70 take il an appropriation were
asked TO increase the superintendent
salary. Mr.. Blair said. Congress has al
ways appeared TO think that the salaries
of the District officials We're sufficient.