The Washington times., 1916-01-09
SCHOOL
CHANGE EXPLAINED
Commissioner Newman Wins
Many Opponents to Plan in
Address to CAizens.

Commissioner Newman is believed to
. have won over many opponents to the
Sroposed plan Of abolishing the Board
| Of Education and placing the schools
directly under the control of the Com
| missioners by his address before the
Federation Of Citizens Associations
| last night.
A number of members Of citizens as
sociations and others known to have ex-
pressed themselves strongly against
the proposed change shook hands with
Mr.. Newman at the conclusion Of his
address and informed him they had
been convinced their opinions were
| wrong and that the change would. in
| their belief, be beneficial to the local
school system.
Mr.. Newman answered alb the criti-
| cisms of the proposed change and an
nounced his readiness to answer every
question that might be asked regard
| ing the plan.
Would End Dual Conduct.
Replying to the statement that the
change would take the schools out of
| the control of local hands, Mr.. Newman
| reminded his hearers that two Of the
Commissioners must be residents of
| the District, while there was no such
qualification for members of the Board
OF Education. He saId the pre0dent OF
the Board of Education is a native of
New hampshire and votes in that
state and that another member Is a
Nlrginian and votes in the OIu Domin-
ion. Contrary to taking the schools
| out OF local control, he said, the pro-
posed plan would put them in the ma nds
OF Washingtonians.
Mr. Newman said rhe present plan
was an ideal setting for confusion.
| me commissioners have no fault to
| iind with the conduct of the schools
by the Board of Education, but it mas
| great deal of fault to find with the
cohuuct OF the schools by the Board
ol Education and the Board of Com
missioncrs. 1t is this dual conduct
which we think ought to be changed.
mere Is no line of demarcation be-
! tween the authority of tn. t5,a of
Education and the Board OF Com
inlsSlcnerS ana tnv,e 10 .v,,s.,,...
always abundant opportunity for
ariction and disagreement. Fortu-
nateiy. however. the present Board
OF Education and Board of Commits
sionerS have gotten along very well.
Jhls is due to the personnel of the
TWO bodies and not to the system"
No Politics In 1t.
Mr.. Newman said the members OF
the Board of Education are appoint
ed py the District Supreme Court, a
tribunal composed Of men appointed
from various States, and not from
the District. lie indicated strongly
! that the Supreme Court would well
come the proposed change and that
the Judges did not wish to appoint
the members of the Board of Educa-
ton.
answering the charge that the sug-
Sested change would put the schools
in politics; Mr., Newman said:
nave heard 1t said that the Com
ynNnf l. Il.
so that they could use the positions OF
teachers for political appointments. I
would consider 1t a great pleasure to
entertain in my office for one day any
any such thing. Take 1t from one who
knows from bitter experience, that that
is the last thing with which any Com
missioner would Intentionally burden
himself.
Our path is sufficiently thorny. as
1t ls, with the large number of en-
ployes now serving under US, and sub
Ject TO no protection from removal
save the common sense and common
decency Of the Commissioners without
deliberately increasing the number of
positions by 1500 or 1000. That would
be the act of madman. who had no
regard whatever for his nervous sys-
tenn or for his future.
Address Warmly Applauded.
1t seems to nothing more nor
less than hysteria that would cause
any teacher, or any friend Of any
| teacher, to imagine for one instant that
the Commissioners Of the District OF
| Columbia would give even a moments
consideration to thing which would
mean nervous prostration for the Com
! missioners and continuous apprehension
| for the teachers"
Following Mr.. Newman's address,
which was warmly applauded and for
| which he was thanked by President
| Colladay Of the federation, the organ
ization adopted two important resolu-
| tions. The first recommended that the
! local street railway lines be consoli-
dated for the purpose of relieving the
| congestion at various transfer points
and the second approved the conseruc-
| ton in Washington Of n pnblic audi
torium capable Of seating 10000 per-
| sons.