Evening star., 1920-03-30

| HEARD AS WITNESS
| AT SCHOOL INQUIRY
CONTINUED from First Page.l
position Of superintendent, did 1T" asket
Senator Harrison.
"Oh, no." replied the witness. "bu
some of the bigger problems were pend
ing"
THE schools got along during tn
first year you were a member Of tn,
board pretty well under Thurston 2
asked Senator Harrison.
"Yes, as well as 1 could judge.
visited the schools a number Of times.
when did you change your opinion
in regard to Mr.. Thurston?"
Changed Mind Slowly.
The witness replied that he had
changed his mind slowly during the yea
191S-19. He said that he had not mad.
up his mind fully until comparativel!
recently. 1t was last June or July. III
said. before he came to a conclusion
that the schools of Washington needed
a different type Of man for superinten.
dent, and that II 1t came to a point oi
voting on the reelection Of Mr.. Thurs
ton he would vote against his re-elec'
ton He said he talked about the mat.
ter very little with any one. but used
his eyes and ears.
Strong Man Needed.
T came to the conclusion that a strong
help us build up school system here.
said Dr. Learned.
Ibid you form a conclusion before Of
after DIR. Van Schaick's return from
Europe?" asked Senator Harrison.
The witness said that he did not recall
exactly.
"But I made my decision entirely
without reference to Dr.. Van Schaick,
he said.
Did you observe any friction between
DIR. Van Schaick and Supt. Thurston?
asked Senator Harrison.
The witness replied that there may
have been some observed by him in re-
cent months.
WAS the school system operating bet.
ter or worse before DR.. Van Schaick re-
turned from Europe?" asked Senator
Harrison.
The witness said he thought things
were slowly getting into a mess
slonE.
They are getting along now In a
way" he added.
YES, in a way" said Senator Har-
-ison. that's very appropriate way
Of putting it"
What first made you think any
thing was wrong with the manner
N which the superintendent was ad.
ministering the schools?' asked Sen.
1T is impossible to say that any
one thing was responsible. 1t was
the result Of impressions And sundry
facts. was disturbed at the time o.
the Moens case. I was in the Depart
ment of Justice. as you know. at that
time"
That was one of the first instances
that caused a change in your mind?'
YES"
Meens' Case Not Of InAneaee.
did the Moens case influence your
Judgment regarding Mr.. Thurston
more than anything else?"
mo, do not think so.
1T influenced your mind as much ~
sny other thing in this matter?'
"yes."
''What other instances Influenced you
In making up your mind?'
Let me 60 back to what conceived
to be dilatoriness on the part of Mr..
replied the witness. "A
woman, Nine. Won Unschuld, interested
In music, asked to have some readjust-
ment made in the musical system In the
public schools. She appeared before the
board. and we heard her plea"
tention Of the board that she should be
given an opportunity to state her case.
That was in October. he said. In spite
Of the apparent desire Of the board, he
said that in January Superintendent
Thurston submitted a long technical re-
port on music in the schools and that.
30 far as he knew. Nine. Won Unschuld
had not been given an opportunity to
express her views.
Letter In Submitted.
DR.. Learned submitted a letter writ
ten by Mr. Thurston to Nine. Won Un-
schuld, In which Mr.. Thurston said that
owing to the fact that it was the policy
to appoint the members Of the commit-
tee on major music from the school fac
ulty. It was impossible to grant her re-
quest that she become afnliated with that
committee. He added. however. that he
had asked the committee to consult with
her and other persons In the community
interested In music.
In reply to = question by Senator
Harrison a. to whether the supertn-
mittee on major music to members
Of the faculty Of the schools. the wit
ness replied that he had no fault to
nnd with that, but what he did con-
tend was that Nine. Won Unschuld
should have been given an opportu-
nifty to be heard before the report on
music was made.
He said. too. that he made the point
that the superintendent should leave
that writing Of technical reports.
such as a musical report. to the tech
nical people In the faculty. and should
not squander his time on them.
"A good superintendent should
know how to get this technical work
done for him by his subordinates."
said DR.. Learned.
Senator Dillinghaa Asks.
Senator Dillingham; wanted to
know upon whom devolved the re-
sponsibility for the musical policy in
the schools, the superintendent or the
of the board.
IT suppose 1t devolves upon the
was the reply.
The witness said that Nine. Won
Unschuld was a German woman and
that she stood we'll in the community
as an expert on musical matters. He
that she should have been
given a hearing.
Senator Harrison. after reading
over the report made by Mr.. Thurs
ton. commented upon the statement
report that he and Nine. Won Un-
schuld were not far apart on these
matters.
Wrote ~LiteFary Essays.n
DR.. Learned further said the SUPER
too frequently wrote literary
essays" when asked by the board for
an opinion on soni9 matter concerning
the schools.
1T was not unusual for some of us
to say, What is the gist Of thisr after
reading such q report from the SUPER
or to ask him to give us the
facts succintly," said the witness. ri.
for one, felt that our time was being
wasted by these literary efforts Of the
superintendent 1t was rather his Gus