Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-07

question. He said he thought the At
| against Mr.. Thurston's efficiency.
! did the board or board msmberi
| fleld?"
"If they did not. they came yer,
At this point Mr.. Hamilton said thai
he did not wish It understood he wat
hostile to any m ember OF the board
! that he thought they had believed
they could do these things better thar
them I have high respect. 1 DO MOI
think that the board was we'll ad.
| justed. Their Municipalities were toe
strong to meet on common grounds
| DO you feel as friendly to Dr.. Var
Schaick as you did when you first
went on the board7"
Disappointed In Attitude.
| NO. sir. do not" said Mr.. Ham,
ilton, Il was disappointed In his at
| Europe. am not unfriendly to him
, but 1 haven't the confidence in his
| Judgment and temperament that did
He returned at time of turmoil
In the schools. think DR.. Van
schaick showed sympathy with Miss
He was very encouraging to the
unions in the system and supported
them. though they had not supported
the board In the previous year:
Il suggested to Dr.. Van schaick
that some medium Of contact between
teachers should be ests blishedi that
committee be appointed that could
| appear before the board. Dr.. Van
Schaick took up the idea. but wanted
| the representatives of the teachers
| selected by the unions. and also that
some Of the members of the board
| should be members of this committee
I opposed the selection Of tho teach
ers' representatives by any group:
wanted them selected by all the
eachers. I also opposed having o
part of the board on committee
which would have to deal with the
whole board"
attend the board meetings after the
organization meeting in July. 1919
He detailed conversations hs had with
DR.. Van Schaick before the latter
went away for the sumner and put
into the record a letter written by
which was presented at q meeting in
July. in which DR.. Van Schaick said
that he had had 4 talk with Mr.. Ham
ilton and that Mr.. Hamilton had
agreed with him that there should be
no change in the presidency during
that Mr.: Hamilton be continued a.
president and that DR.. Learned be
elected as vice president, and said
IF in the. fall you want me I will
serve you"
Mr.. Hamilton read to the commit
tee letter. written by Or. Van
Schaick. in which he said that he had
written Mrs. Rhodes. asking her to
fall in line" and that he thought
there would be no trouble with the
others
Tells why He Left Board.
II took exception to the statement
made by DR.. Van Schaick in his first
letter." said Mr.. Hamilton. for 1. put
me in the light Of having sought the
| suggestion. but 1t was f1rst made to
me by DR.. Van Schaick. / also took
exception to the way in which he
sent a letter to me through Mr..
Thurston. 1 did not like the looks
Of i;
in conference the members Of the
board, with the exception Of Mr..
Larner and DR. Learned. said they
wanted DR.. Van Schaick for president
of the board and he was elected.
With those things going on did not
feel like could be of any further
service on the board and did not at
At the suggestion OF Senator HAr-
rison. Mr.. Hamilton then went into
the history Of the Wood case. reading
letters that passed between school
officials and Miss Wood. and between
the board of education and the officers
Of the teachers union. He said that
when DR.. Learned. as chairman of the
subcommittee which heard Miss Wood.
submitted a memorandum to the
board. but made no recommendations,
Mrs Ina made mo,ion, ,aS d!,
he objected to that but believed in 4
brief suspension asia warning 10 other
teachers On anpther occasion Mrs.
Rhodes TOOK q position in favor Of the
expulsion Of Miss Wood. But when the
against the board. said the witness.
Mrs. Rhodes said the board ought to
rescind it's action and restore Mise
Wood the salary she had lost:
what reason did Mrs Rhodes give
for her change of position% asked
"she did not give any," said the
witness.
FavOrs Teachers' OrEanlxinE.
Mr. Hamilton expressed himself al
In favor of teachers organizing among
themselves, but was very much OPP
posed to their affiliation with outside
organizations. He told how he and
Mr.. Larner and MRS. Terry nao gone
to see Chief Justice Mccoy in regard
to the advisability of the entire board
resigning. and had been urged against
such a course. He said he did not be.
lieve Justice Hits, who heard the
case Of Miss Wood. ever knew Of the
proposal of the board to resign.
What was the point of the courts
decision in the caseT' asked one Of
the committee. .,.-. 49,
II have never been able to under
stand Just what the point was" an
swered Mr. Hamilton. Il did not see
how a writ Of mandamus could lie
against the board. II the board has
not the right to discipline teachers
under the conditions that arose in the
Wood case. there ought rot to be any
board"
FIGURES