The Washington herald., 1916-01-21
SCHOOL CHANGE PLAN
CALLED TOO RADICAL
CONTINUED PROM PAGE ONE.


providing the possibility of politics being
injected into the school system.
The proposal made by Mr.. Lloyd vas
thrown out only as a suggestion, he said
after the hearing. and does not indicate
his fnai view, except that he is opposed i
TO the proposal to hand over TO the Com
mfssioners the intimate control ana su.
pervision Of the school system PROPOSED
by the Commissioner bill. At the re.
quest of Mr.. Lloyd, the views Of .ths
Commissioners on his proposal Will oS
furnished by Commissioner Newman.
As the differences between the Commits
sioners' bill and the Lloyd proposal are
ornamental any acceptance of the
Lloyd proposal would be In the nature OF
a complete reversal.
The day was given over largely yester-
day to striking demonstration Of the
unanimous disapproval which has met the
Commissioners proposal in the District
Representing civic. educational, welfare
and sociological organizations, a score OF
resolutions protesting against the bill
were handed In to the committee.
Representative Page appeared before
the subcommitte at the invitation OF
Chairman Lloyd in the afternoon.
Plan Too Radical.
Il am not here to advocate this legisIa-
tioHY ne uEGl1Icu. uO HpI SUCH
radical legislation is wise. But am sat
isfied there should be a change in the law
as to the administration Of the schools
of the city of Washington.
Il have asked several leaders of the
legal fraternity whether or not the school
board members could be removed. The
answer invariably has been that there
10 no way to remove them. That being
true, l submit that the condition tends
g. No. aIr .E.G.
no body so constituted that IL is charged
with the expenditure OF any sum and
yet cannot be removed by established
machinery. While / know of no instance
in which any member of the present
board should have been removed, nor
have ever heard a removal advocated, !
think this condition In administra lively
bad.
Furthermore, I do not believe 1t con-
ducive to good administration that any
branch Of governmental activities should
be SO divided. Where responsibility is
lodged, there should be given authority.
Tho bill under consideration does not
meet my views, but ! have a very defI-
mite proposal. 1t is simply that an
amendment be made to the existing school
law transferring to the Commissioners
the appointment of the school board /
cannot see that IT would In the slightest
degree affect the administration of the
school board and yet 1t would form a
link between the District and the school
board and place authority where respon-
sibility is given.
In the sense that politics has been
referred to in these hearings, my mind
cannot grasp an organization that is not
susceptible to political influence under
our form of government You may make
the school system more susceptible OF
You may make II less, but the DANCE,
will abide as long as our present form
of government lasts.
As "a thing unfit for publication" tn,
petition prepared by c. C. Lancaster, In
behalf Of the Northwest Citizens Asso
ciation, which provoked a discussion OF
the opening day Of the hearing, was ex
cluded from the subcommittee's recordl
yesterday.
Representative Ragsdals, Of South Car
olina, made the motion to exclude. II,
said the references of Col. Lanca ste,
were an insult to the teachers and pu
pills of Washington schools. Representa-
tive Focht, of Pennsylvania rose an,
asked II there was any person in the audi
ence representative of the citizenship o
the District who cared to disavow tn,
Lancaster petition. Before, however, an,
one had a chance to fulfill his reoues
Mr.. Focht decided to take the matter II
hand himself. He said he wished /,
make his denunciation of the petition
very emphatic.
We" he said, speaking for the sub