Evening star., 1920-01-03
CAMPAIGN OPENS
FOR BETTERMENT
OF D. c. SCHOOLS
Civic Organizations Unite in
Movement and Discuss
Future Program.

The District school betterment cam
paign has started on its way. pro-
PEELED by the Board of Trade. Rotary
Club, Chamber of Commerce. Citizens
Federation, Women's Club Federation,
Womens City Club and the Congress
of Mothers and Parent-Teachers' As
ISOLATION.
Organization was effected at a meet
ing of the officers and school commit
tees of the big four" bodies and rep
resentatives of the other three in the
board room Of the District building
last night. Charles l. Corby was
unanimously selected as permanent
chairman. The permanent secretary
and treasurer will be chosen later by
the executive committee. Mr.. Corby,
at his own request, was authorised
to give out for the present all pub
licity literature concerning the cam
paign.
Form of Organization Approved.
Proposals covering the form of or
ganization, submitted by Roland Rob-
bins, president of the Rotary Club and
chairman Of the unofficial steering
committee, which started the cam
paign week ago tonight, were ac-
cepted with minor alterations In
phraseology. They call for general
committee composed of the presidents
and school committees of all organt-
zations which join the school better
ment movement and an executive
committee composed of the presidents
and school committee chatrmen OF
these organisations.
The executive committee will fOrm-
ulate Aplans for a publicity cam
paign to arouse the citizens Of the
District to the vital school needs and
prepare data for submission to Con-
l.
pirate funds enough to place the
school system in condition to meet
adequately present and future re-
Quirements.
Executive Committee Personnel
As it now stands. the executive
committee personnel is: Roland 6.
Robbins, president, and Charles l.
Corby, chairman of the school COM
mittee of the Rotary Club; James F.
Oyster. president and Roy c. Claf1in:
the Board Of Trade Robert N. Harper.
president. and DR.. Arthur Ramsay.
acting chairman of the school COM
mittee Of the Chamber of Com
merce; w. B. Westlake. chairman
and Jesse C. Suter. chairman Of the
school committee of the Federation
Scott Rafter. president, and Mrs.
Henry Spottswood. in charge of
school work, of the District Congress
Of Mothers and Parent-Teacher Asso-
citation; Miss Mary O'Toole. president,
and Mrs. Ellen Spencer Mussey, chair
man, Of the school committee. of the
Women's City Club. and Mrs. Howard
Hodgkins. president. and Miss Eliza
beth e. Reese, chairman of the school
committee. of the District Federation
Of Women's Clubs.
Mr.. Corby expressed the opinion that
nj Ies
to meet the needs of the situation un-
less those legislators concerned in Dis
trict government hear from their con-
stituents. He suggested that the local
movement must, in q degree, become
nationwide The name, citizens school
betterment COMMITTEES. was Inadequate,
he said, and submitted as a substitute
Sastsp atsena 81 g!sai sfap peraasa name
was left, however. to the executive COM
frittee for ,laten decision; Lax oTcx. cas11
E Ernest L. Thurston. superintendent OF
schools, present ers'..anSitetion,-of the
committee: described in detail sondi.
just why immediate, clear action along
broad lines is imperative. He pleaded
for more teachers. better pay for them,
a comprehensive building program,
business manager and more clerical
help, and a retirement system for aged
teachers.
Resolution Amended and Adopted.
A resolution offered by Jesse l. Suter
Of the Citizens Federation, requested
the board of education to withdraw
plans for school reorganization and to
join the school betterment committee
in the schools forward movement Aft
er considerable discussion the reference
to reorganization plans was stricken
out, and the resolution, now a plain in
vitation, was passed by unanimous
vote