The Washington herald., 1920-04-21
Van Schaick and Thurston
To Be Allowed Final
Statements Today.
JAZZ MUSIC DISCUSSED
Miss Cecil Norton Defends
1t Along with School
House Dances.

Hearings before the Senatorial
school investigation committee were
concluded yesterday after the COM
mittee had extended it's adjournment
time nearly two hours in order to
accommodate witnesses who desired
to be heard.
DR.. John Van Schaick. jr., presi-
dent OF the school board; Superin-
tendent Ernest L. Thufston, and
other officials Of the school system
will be given an opportunity this
morning to make a final statement,
after which the committee will begin
as basis upon which to make Its
recommendations to the Senate.
The last witness to be heard was
William Calvin Chase, editor of the
Washington Bee. who created some
amusement when, In an effort to dis
count a charge that Assistant Super
intendent of Schools Bruce was
afraid of him, declared the school
official had drunk a whole bottle of
wine in his Office only recently.
CeIerea Pastor Testines.
Chase was preceded on the wit
ness chair by DR.. James L. Pinn,
eolored, pastor of the First Baptist
Church. DR.. Pinn declared that
Justly or unjustfy there was a lack
of confidence on the part of the col
ored people and a lack of respect on
the part of the teachers for Assist
ant Superintendent Bruce" and
urged his removal on those grounds.
A representative Of the Colored
Parent-Teachers' Association pre-
sented a memorial to the commit
q a. -iax1 txxr y, L. II.
association against Bruce when the
latter was Investigated by a sub
committee of the school board
Miss Cecil Norton. secretary of
the community centers, warmly de-
Tended the community center work,
including the practice of holding
dances in the public schools She
replied, vigorously to attacks made
upon the character OF dances held
under the auspices of the commun-
ity center at the Dunbar High
School by Principal Wilkinson, OF
that school.
Defehds Jazz Music.
While admitting that there is
better music than Jazz music" Miss
Norton refused to place her disap-
proval upon it, saying that people
in all classes thought it was all
right.
Miss Norton said she had been
asked by former Commissioner
Gardner to open up other schools to
dancing, in order to offset the evil
effects of the public dance halls.
Some amusement was created
when Senator Dillingham;. Chairman n
of the committee. told the witness
rhat q law N hiu cd
the use of school buildings for any
other than educational purposes. and
Miss Norton produced telegram
from Burlington. VT, to the effect
that dancing was included in the
community center work in the
schools OF that city.
"Baited" Says senator.
In the laugh that followed Sem
ator Dillingham; declared that the
witness was balted Tor u.s." and
admitted there was possibility
that the law had been repealed re-
Gently since he had not closely fol-
lowed the State Legislature. Miss
Norton said the community work
was comparatively new and that
laws had been repealed in a num-
Der of States to make way for it.
Mrs. Giles Scott Rafter, MEM
ber of the District Congress of
Mothers and Parent Teachers Asso-
citation. strongly recommended that
the District school system should
be under one responsible head and
arrangements made so that Con-
gress could not be used as the
scapegoat when appropriations were
not available. Mrs. Rafter strongly
supported the community center
work and declared that she was a
pioneer in that field.