Evening star., 1920-04-01

on the committee DR.. Van Scha1ck
called at my Office and said he did
not want me to go into the hearing
in lighting spirit, and that he wan,
| ed me to agree with DR.. Learned ana
| Mrs. Cook on report. In return ne
promised that he would hnd way
| in the near future to ease Bruce out
fof the system l was impressed WITH
his promise and told him l was Will
| ing to vote with the others.
But after he left | got to thinking
1t over. and ! felt that II Jolnea ~
the whitewash my hands Woulo 9e
tied in the future, where Bruce was
concerned. So l determined to pase
my report on the facts ana the eN
dence as / saw them. v.n
why didn't you tell DR.. van
Schaick that YOU could not keep your
promise to him?' asked Senator Har-
| riSon. -.
IL did not think it was required oi
me-" said the board member VINO sa,u
that just before the report was hiaue
| DR.. Van Schaick had come TO MN
again and released him from the
promise. ,.,
| He said 7 had acted more ike
| counsel for the Parents League than
a board member" said the "lthess'
"and l asked him for whom Di.
Learned and Mrs. Cook he'd peeh
| counsel"
| Objected to Letter
4 L.
the entire board comforting on the re-
port of tine subcommittee while II was
being framed characterizing 1t as
very, very injudicious proceeu,ne
He also said that Mr.. Bruce was at
fault in not taking up the question
of the connection Of Miss Charlotte
Hunter. a teacher in the coloreo
schools, with Moens as soon as COM
plant was made of Moens' dealings
with pupils He said that at the
time Of Miss Hunters resignation the
board had considered giving her a
"highly commendatory letter anu
that such letter had been drawn
Iup. but that he had refused to sign
1T and had prevented the letter being
given the former teacher.
The committee adjourned until 10
lo'clock tomorrow morning, when Mr..
Peyton will continue his testimony.
DR.. Learned Concludes.
DIR. ii. B. Learned, a member of the
board of education who is opposing
the retention of Supt. Thurston. COM
pleted his testimony before the Sen
ate committee yesterday afternoon.
| DIR. Learned testified that so far as
he knew Mr.. Thurston had made no
positive recommendations in regard to
the case of Assistant Supt. Bruce OF
the colored schools.
II would hate to say that he had
shown no interest in the Bruce case.
the witness added. but there was
nothing very positive in his recon-
mendations. He told me several times
that he found Bruce unsatisfactory to
deal with; that he could not get def
mite statements from him.
l. He accepted the action of the board
in the Bruce case. though in what
spirit do not know. l couldn't get
out of him what he did think.
1 Did he want Bruce out of the sys-
| Hemp asked Senator CAMPER.
| Il can't say that" replied the wit
ness.
| Senator Harrison of Mississippi ex-
| amined DR.. Learned at length regard
| ing the case of Miss Alice Wood. DR..
! Learned said that as he recalled the
examination of Miss Wood by the
subcommittee of the board she denied
practically all of the charges which
were brought against her regarding
her alleged bolshevistic teachings
AMI leanings.
| One Charge Called Ridiculous.
| One charge, he said, had appeared
| too ridiculous to question her about
that in which she is alleged to have
said to pupils at the Western High
School. where she taught. there is
| no more reason why dog should not
go to heaven than a human being"
Senator Harrison took a more seri-
Gus view of this matter. however, and
questioned DR.. Learned closely. FL
nally the witness admitted that il
teacher did attempt such teachings in
| the public schools. she should be dis
! charged.
! DIR. Learned said that Supt. Thurs
| ton seemed to be puzzled" in regard
| to the Wood case and threw the mat
| ter into the hands Of the board. DR..
| Learned said that was favorite ex-
preston with the superintendent
| that he was puZZled-and he heard
| him use it hundred times.
I
| ed the conclusion that Miss Wood
had been very indiscreet. and should
be warned not to repeat her indiscre-
| ton. He said that she had not ap
peared to realize or to regret as she
should the disturbance which she had
| caused in the Western High School.
The board of education did not fol-
low his recommendations regarding
| Miss Wood, but ordered her suspend
| ed for a week with the loss of $45
| pay. Miss Wood took the matter up
| with the Teachers Union, to which
she belonged. which is affiliated with
the Central Labor Union here. and the
American Federation of Labor. he
said. He criticised her severely for
this.
Felt Tint She WrOnEed Board.
81 felt that Miss Wood had wronged
u.s." he said. Had Miss Wood come
back to the board there might have
been an adjustment of the case. ad-
vised the board not to rescind its &C
tion suspending her"
Does this indicate what may hap
| men in the schools because of the
teachers unions and their affiliation
with outside organizations?" asked
Senator Dillingham;.
/ u hope not replied the witness.
He said he had no objection to teach
ers getting together in organizations
land he thought that the Wood case
should be a lesson to the union.
"Why a lesson, when the union won
lout?" asked Senator Dillingham;.
| The witness said that he thought the
citizens of the District on the whole
heartily disapproved of the action Of
the unions.
DR.. Learned denied that he had gone
on the board with a mind biased
against Thurston.
| He also denied testimony given by
Mr.. Thurston that he had been in
formed he could not attend the Bruce
hearings. The witness admitted. how
ever. that he had 'fntimated" to
lThurston that the committee would
work more effectively If he were not
ipresent. ,;a
Ihera that he was Informed he could
NOT attend the hearings, said Dr.
earned. when pressed by Senator
Iarr;son. Il did not inform him;
limited" 1.a rooo,,
,,anded that the school system must
itava.a strong head, that the pay OF
~ teachers be increased and that
,additional buildings be provided.
| o1,vD npEcEDUF NrA