Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-19
Was Board Presidents Com.
ment on Mr.. Thurston's
Removal.
TOLD OF HIS PLAN TO
GUST SCHOOLS HEAD
Cannot Get Representative Men on
Board, Says Former
President,

the public schools at today's hearing
that DR.. Van Schaick, the present pres
ident, three years ago said to him
that he was going to put Thurston
out"
II asked why" said Capt. Oyster. 81
pointed out that Mr.. Thurston had
not been long in Office and had been
on probation. DR.. Van Schaick ad-
mitted that he had improved.
Il said Mr.. Thurston 10 local man.
here like to have him as superintend-
ent, don't you think you should con-
slider that? His answer was:
'STAe Public Can BE Damned"
"'The public can be damned
Il said to DR.. Van Schaick that re-
mark might sound all right coming
from me, but that I was rather sur
prised to hear 1t coming from him.
DR.. Van schaick replied that he had
he believed he knew what was right
and that he intended to carry out
what he thought to be right"
Capt. Oyster recommended to the
committee that II any change ID
made in the method Of appointing
appointments be made by the President
and confirmed by the Senate. He rec
commended, too, that the membership
of the board be reduced to i've. instead
Of the present nine.
Logically, Capt. Oyster said, the
board should be made by the District
Commissioners.
Make-Up Of Menbers.
people on the board Of Commission
ers," continued Capt. Oyster. I'VE
have not had them for q number OF
years. We do not have Commission-
ers who care for the people ~ well
as they might. If we had our own
Washington. then the appointment OF
the board could we'll be made by the
District Commissioners. But the
present Commissioners are not enough
interested in the people TO know.
have no personal grievsuce: IN
fond % Csmmissionar HroEniew: Dat
Col. Kutx is q Regular Army omceF,
and Of course, cannot k4Qy the 9ity-
ation XsrSrWSli, CamMfo1i0issf Oar
dinersWsx not IN 0ilcs lonG Ancu9h te
sugEsst any sPpSin.msntshi h.d I 40 do 1S. ~.
Capt. Oyster said that he had been
a member Of the board Of education
from 1906 to 1918. and that Mr. Thurs.
ton was assistant superintendent aQd
not superintendent during his service
on the board. =. =,
Friction in leoe.
while you were on the board. was
there any friction between the super
education?'' asked Senator Harrison.
The witness said that there was
none except in the first year with
Supt Chancellor.
Capt. oyster testified that the act
of 1905 providing for the appointment
by the District Supreme Court judges
had proved satisfactory while he was
on the board. He said that prior to
that the Commissioners had appointed
the school board and that there had
After the board had been appointed by
the judges. Capt. Oyster said the
board had trouble with the Commits
sioners, and that the Commissioners
had refused to cooperate with the
board.
He testified that the members of the
board got along we'll together. In
1910, he said. there was an investiga-
ton of Asst. Supt- Bruce by DR.. Da-
wilson, lasting eight or nine months.
in which Bruce was vindicated. He
said that the schools grew quiet and
the teachers were contented.
Talked with Van sehaick In 1917.
The conversation described by Capt.
Oyster between himself AM ana Dr.. Or. van y,
the reelection Of Mr.. Thurston as
superintendent. He said that DR.. Van
Schaick called at his office and dis
cussed the possibility Of a change in
the board membership.
HE asked II l would care TO go
back on the board" said Capt: Oyster.
I told him 1 would not. I asked him
what he was going to do about the
superintendent, Mr.. Thurston. He
said he was going to put him out. and
l asked why"
Later on in the conversation Capt.
Oyster said he asked DR.. Van Schaick
Il he had the votes to prevent the re-
election Of Mr.. Thurston.
HE said he had, that he had hve.
I asked him who they were and he
replied that he did not think that he
cared to give the names. l asked him
names and then I said that would
guess and he could tell me or not as
he liked. 1 said. They are Mrs.
Rhodes, yourself and the three col
ored members Of the board
Insisted ON Ousting Thurstoa.
"Then I asked him II he was goins
to continue to insist on getting rid OF
Mr.. Thurston. He said he would con-
slider 1t and the next DAY ne cai1eo on
me again and said he should &c
through with It, I said to him: You
wish me to go on the board. Now
have one request to make of you
viii YOU promise me that you won't
say anything to the board members
until the meeting hour" He said he
would make the promise and | replied,
.Then / congratulate Mr.. Thurston on
his reelection.
said that at the time 1t was suggested
he 70 back on the board 1t was sug-
Rested that Mr.. Larner might not be
reappointed.
CAPT. oyster expressed the opinion
that Assistant Supt. Bruce was q
tapable school official.. and had been
40 considered by the board. He said
that Mr. Bruce had q suave, kindly
manner which sometimes had led per-
sons who had come to see him in re-
gard to appointments to think that
he had promised them things when
really he had not.
Harry o. Hine. secretary of the
board of education. was the first
witness at tho hearing today. He
told the committee that in his opin-
ion. Supt. Thurston had entire right
to 20 through the fles of the board
Of Education to obtain Information re-
xarding contested matters coming up
at the Senate Investigation. A let.
ter written by DR.. Van Schaick to DR..
learned. which was produced BY Mr.
Thurston. which had not been given