Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-07
| EXPLAINS VOTE ON
| D. c. SCHOOL ISSUE
Representative Byrnes' OBJ
jections to Changing Method
of Selecting Board.

Representative James f. Byrnes of
South Carolina, who was the one con-
fierce on the deficiency bill who stood
out against and ultimately defeated
the amendment OF Senator Harrison
of Mississippi which provided Tor
abolishing the present method or Sc
lectfng a school board in the Natlonai
Capital, explains his views on thls
subject under extension OF TeHlarhs
in the Congressional Record.
Extract From speech.
Representative Byrnes' speech was
really made on the floor of the House
early Saturday morning and is in part
as follows:
'.,rr. Speaker: Amendment No. 4
provides school legislation for the
District of Columbia. If there Is any
thing which has caused members OF
Congress TO complain. and justly COM
plain, it Is tho haS.t or lnciuolns ~ ap
nroprat:on Bills Legislative propositions.
Had A. all times, it is especially Vicious
when. in the closing hours OF session.
at This hour Of the night, ieglS,allVe
proposition is brought into the House
upon which the House has never MAD
any hearings and on which, as mat
ter of fact the regular committees
Of the Senate have had no hearings
This amendment provides that the
present board of education shall ne
abolished 1t provides that instead
of the board of education being ap-
pointed by the judges of the supreme
Court. as is now the case. they
shall hereafter be appointed by the
President, by and with the consent
of the Senate 1t provides that no
person shall be eligible for member
ship unless they have resided IN tne
District for seven years. A man Is
eligible to be appointed a Commls-
stoner of the District when he mas
resided here three years. but snder
this amendment, in order to be ell :
gfble for appointment to the board.
he must have resided here seven
years.
Other Objections Stated.
1.-The superintendent of schools is elig-
ible for appointment If he mas resldea
here five minutes. but the members OF
the board of education must reside mere
for seven years. 1t provides for a sur
yey of the schools of the District pS
the chairman of the District committees
of House and Senate. we nave just
completed a survey at an expense 70
the government. This carries an appro-
priation of $4,000, and the only result
of it viii be a report to Congress max
ing recommendations for additional ex-
pendtureS. There is no reason on eartn
why we should go absolutely crazy on
this subject of surveys. Every Dill tnat
comes in provides for a survey. There
may be merit in some of the provisions
contained in this amendment. Some OF
its provisions, in my opinion. are ex-
ceedingly unwise. At this hour we nave
no opportunity to give it the consldera-
ton it deserves. This matter Is IN tne
Jurisdiction of the committee on the
District Of Columbia. This Congress has
been in session for months, and 1t could
have been submitted to them. The DIS.
trict committee is familiar with local
afYairs and should legislate on this sub
ject. if legislation is necessary. inis
House should not pass upon 1t m the
closing hours of session unless the
committee on the District of Columbia
does investigate 1t.
Judges Not Consulted.
.srha Judges of the Supreme Court. who
under the present law are charged with
the appointment of members of the
hoard Of education. have never had an
opportunity to make statement to any
legislative committee nor to the COM
mittee on appropriations of their views
of this matter: and here. without any
informatio when no member has had
opportunity even to read the amendment.
the Congress is asked to agree to 1t.
The conferees on the part of the Senate.
knowing that it was legislative prop
osition and that the rule has been. When-
ever there is disagreement. that the
house offering legislation TO an appro-
priation bill should recede. agreed to re-
cede 1t went back to the Senate and
because a member or two or three men,
bers interested in this proposition in
sisted on it. it comes here for vote"