Evening star., 1920-04-08
SUGGESTS SCHOOL
BOARD OF THREE ON
ALL-TiME BASIS
Continued from First Page.)

ftOntlnueu from FlrSL fdSe.p
ing that she had turned over the mat
ter of her suspension by the board TO
he high school teachers union. and
from the Central Labor Union and
Federal Employees Union, No. 2 Mr..
Ha milton said he had many calls by
telephone and other messages regard
ing the Wood case
Senator Harrison read extracts from
the letter of the Central Labor Union.
which insisted upon refund OF
Miss Woods salary and upon the
stigma being removed from her name
in connection. with the case. 1t in
sisted upon immediate action by the
board.
1T is reasonable to suppose. is it
not" said Senator Harrison, that the
school teachers union brought pres
sure on outside unions to act in this
matter?'
That is only a matter of inference
so far as my knowledge goes, re-
piled Mr. Hamilton.
But you have no doubt about 1t
in your own mind?"
Believes There Was Pressure.
81 think there was concerted action
to influence the board"
In reply to questions, Mr.. Hamilton
testified that DIR. Van Schaick return
ed to Washington just before the suit
was filed in the Wood case. Dr. Van
Schaick was not in Washington dur
ing the greater part of the agitation
over the Wood case. he said.
The first thing ! knew of DR.. Van
Schaick's return was the report ! read
of an address he delivered at meet
ing of the teachers union. His SYM
pathieS seem to have been with Miss
Wood. His efforts later to have the
teachers union select the teachers
80 t,1,
was intended to act as a means OF
communication with the officers and
the board apparently showed that he
had strong sympathies with the
union
What influence, either for good
unions have?" asked Senator Harri-
son.
Hold Union Influence Not Good.
'Gauged by the Wood case. the in
fiuence. apparently, is not for the good
of the school system" said Mr.. Hamil-
ton.
Mr.. Hamilton told the committee
he had been a member of the board
during the agitation about Assistant
ticularly of an examination of Mr.
Bruce by the school board in regard
to the so-called "slush fund" letter
We sent for Mr.. Bruce" said Mr.
Hamilton. "He admitted that the let
ter was prepared in his office and that
he had participated in some way in
it's preparation. He said it was in
tended to protect some of the teachers
referred to.
The board did not, however, com
mend the position of Mr.. Bruce, as
has been stated here. In fact. he was
told that the matter would be care
fully looked into"
Mr. Hamilton said TINT the Rr,,,,
incident and the Hunter incident both
were outcroppings of the Moens case
First Heard of Moons Case.
The first knowledge l had of the ex-
lstence or Moens and his connection
with the schools was on December 30.
1918, said Mr.. Hamilton. "A package
was left at my Office by DIR. Learned, a
member of the board, with the request
that look over the Enclosure. 1t was
the statement OF the report of the De-
partment of Justice on the activities Of
Moens in connection with the school
system"
Mr.. Hamilton said that within a day
or two he looked over the report and
asked Supt. Thurston about the Moens
case, and was informed by him that he.
too. had been given an abstract of the
departments report; that Moens had
been in the schools on authority, of
DR.. Van Schaick; that he, Thursten,
had later issued stop order to keep
Moens out Of the schools. and that .ehe
by Assistant Supt Bruce
ut is quite clear in my mind" con-
tinued the witness, that DR.. Learned
did not desire that any action should be
taken in the case of Miss Charlotte
Hunter, whose name was connected with
Moens at that time. / feel sure that I
got this information from DR.. Learned
and also from Mr.. Thurston, who gave
it to me as having come from DR..
Learned. ! understood that the delay
was desired because if action was taken
1t might be said that it was to intimi-
date the witnesses in the Moens case
l thought that was natural
Case Of Miss Hunter.
The matter was brought to the at
tention of the board some time after
wards. and Miss Charlotte Hunter was
connected up with the case. Miss Hum
ter had an excellent record in the
schools and was woman of high edu-
cation. However. there had been NUT
terings of discomfort and the members
of the board thought that Miss Hunter
should not remain in the school system.
A letter was prepared by my direction
to be sent to Miss Hunter. 1t was
submitted to other members of the
board. On March 21, 1919. an unsigned
memorandum with DR.. Learned's card
was left al my office, saying that with
regard to the letter to be sent Miss Hun
ter, the writer had discussed the mat
ter with officials at the Department of
Justice, and that they would be CRATE
full if the board would postpone send
ing the letter to Miss Hunter, that the
trial of MoenS was to take place within
a week or two. and that Moens, it was
understood. intended to al,ege intimi-
dation of witnesses.
This is confirmatory of my recol-