Evening star., 1916-01-19
COMMISSIONERS PLAN
MEETS D|SAPPR0VAL
Board Of Trade Opposes Abolition
of Boards of Education and
Charities.
Resolutions Adopted Are in Hands
of Committees for Presentation at
House Committee Hearing.

| Opposition to the District Commits
sioners' recommendations that the
board of education be abolished and the
powers and duties of that body be
| vested in the board of Commissioners
| and that the board of charities be abol-
| shed anu the position of director OF
charities be created are voiced in res
olutions adopted by the Board of Trade
at special meeting held yesterday
afternoon in the rooms of the organf-
zation in The Star building.
It was directed that these resolutions
be presented to the subcommittee OF
the District committee. which today
began a two-day hearing on the Com
| missioners' recommendations.
Committees to Present Resolutions.
The resolution disapproving of the
plan for abolishins the board of edu-
| cation is to be presented by special
committee Of the public schools COM
mittee of the Board of Trade, consist
ing Of Frederick A. Fenning, chairman
of the committee; William r. Harr,
James F. Oyster, Walter H. Klopfer
and Dr. Richard KingSman.
The resolution disappearing or the
Commissioners recommendation tha'
the board of charities be abolished Is
of the committee on charities and cor
rections of the board. consisting OF
Walter c. Clephane, John Joy Edison
and William Nick. Clayton.
The only business transacted at the
meeting yesterday afternoon was the
adoption of the reports submitted by
the two committees and the resolu-
tions which accompanied them.
Report on Schools.
A carefully prepared report on the
Fenning of the public schools commit
tee. The resolutions which that COM
mittee presented not only voice the op-
position of the Board of Trade to the
plan to abolish the board of education,
but also recommend that there be no
change, at this time, in the existing
law other than to confirm in the board
of education exclusive authority over
the expenditure of public school funds,
subject only to the control of the Com
missioners in the matter of account
ing" Such action on the part OF Con-
gress, it was stated, would remove any
doubt as to the extent of the powers
of the board, which may have been the
basis for friction between the board
and the Commissioners in the past.
William NICK. Clayton moved to
amend the resolutions by the addition
of a clause recommending that should
Congress decide to take away from
the justices of the Supreme Court OF
the District of Columbia the power to
appoint the members of the board OF
Education, the selection Of these men,
qualified residents of the District of
Columbia" Mr.. Clayton's amendment
further provided that the powers of
the board of education should be "en-
larged, extended and strengthened,
rather than curtailed."
President E. C. Brandenburg stated
that it was against the policy of the
Board of Trade to amend reports sub
mitted by its committees after careful
study and preparation. and ruled Mr..
Clayton's amendment out of order.
When vote was taken on the adop-
ton of the report and the resolutions
accompanying it. there vas only one
voice raised in oppositt0n.
Charities and Core ton
The resolutions -, .s . ~ the
committee on char ectior
express the disapp- Board
of Trade to the Com - recon-
mendation that the boaru OF charities
be abolished and the position OF di.
rector of charities created: it also dis.
approves of the Commissioners rec
| concentrations that the power of ap-
pointment Of the board OF children's
guardians be taken away from the
Judges of the Police Court and the JUS
tce of the District Supreme Court hold
ing criminal term. and vested in the
board of Commissioners, and that the
power of the trustees of the Industrial
Home School to select its employees be
taken away and vested in the Commits
siOnerS