Evening star., 1920-03-22
Member of Board Claims In
vestigation Has Been
Called a "TriaI."
DR.. ABRAM SIMON TELLS
ABOUT HIS APPOINTMENT
States He Was Recommended by
Messrs. Macfarland and Edison;
Consulted DR.. Van Schaick.

tenn of the District Of Columbia was
made at the committee hearing today
by Mrs. Margarita Spaulding Gerry. a
men. ber of the board of education,
who said the board members were
being made to vindicate their COM
mon honesty.
She said the proceedings as car
ried on to date had made the phrase
current about the city that the hear
ing was mot an investigation but a
trial.
Senator Pat Harrison of Missi ssippi.
who has been putting most of the
questions to witnesses, disclaimed any
intention of making a personal attack
on them, saying that the only object
of the questions asked was to bring
out the facts.
Senator Walsh said the same char.
acter of questions would be asked
other persons to be heard by the com
mittee. and asked Mrs. Gerry to "sus-
pend judgment" until Superintendent
of Schools Thurston hal been examined
Mrs. Gerry's Request.
Mrs. Gerry, who concluded her testi
mony shortly after noon. asked that
the board inquire into the motives OF
PERSONS who had been most interested
in the attempt to discredit the board
Of education.
who are those persons?" asked
Senator Harrison.
Those who have supplied this com
mittee with most of the data on
which some of the questions have
been based" replied Mrs Gerry.
DIR. j. Hayden Johnson, q colored
member of the school board, will be
the first person heard when the COM
mittee resumes its sessions tomorrow
morning.
witnesses heard today were Mrs.
Gerry and DR.. Abram Simon. the lat
ter having been a member Of the
board only since last November. Cues
toned. about his appointment to the
board, DR.. Simon testified that he had
been recommended for the position
by Henry b. F. Macfarland and John
Joy Edison. and that he had consulted
board. ABOUT the matter prior to be-
ing appointed. " 70 IF
Asked n Clfques Rcxistea. i !.
board after after, her her, testimony a "a naf II bssi, seq
concluded When she was hrst re-
called to the stand she was questioned
at length by Senator Harrison, who
wanted to know IL there is clique
Of school teachers acting In -opeta-
tion with a clique on the board of
education. ,-
The board member said she had no
knowledge of any such cliques
The senator asked particularly il
Mrs. Gerry and other members Of the
board had not advised members of
this alleged clique Of teachers that
'"Thurston was to go" some time prior
to the decision of the board not to
re-elect him. This Mrs. Gerry also
denied.
The committee agreed to ask mem-
bers Of the board of education to sub
NIT in writing whatever recommends
tions they may have for betterment of
the schools. These recommendations
will be incorporated in the record and
will be considered by the committee
in framing its report.
Mrs. Gerry Continues.
Mrs. NJ. s. Gerry, a member of the
board, was on the stand when the
committee resumed it's hearing today.
Referring to a question asked her
Saturday by Senator Walsh of Massa-
chusetts, as to whether Supt. Thurs
favorites or had merely used poor
judgment in recommending Miss
Stanley as principal in the night
school for foreigners. instead of Miss
Alton. Mrs. Gerry said she wished to
make further statement.
Il have no desire to make criticism -
said Mrs. Gerry. What I stated Sat
urday was true to a certain extent,
but / have recollected a conversation
which / had with the superintendent
in which / urged that Miss Alton was
better qualified for the appointment
than Miss Stanley. Mr.. Thurston said
But Miss Stanley carries weight with
a very large element in the city /
have been forced to believe that the
recommendation of Miss Stanley was
made by Mr.. Thurston rather because
of desire to please the group to
which he referred than because of
the needs of the schools
How long has Miss Alton been a
teacher in the schools" asked Senator
Harrison.
Mrs Gerry said she thought Miss
Alton had become a teacher some time
between 1895 and 1900: that she had
known Miss Alton when she, herself,
was a teacher in the Eastern High
School.
Did you have conversation with
Miss Alton before the informal con-
ference of board members at DIR.
Van Schaick's house, when it was de-
termined to notify Mr.. Thurston he
said that the board was going to let
Mr. Thurston out?" asked Senator
Harrison.
II have no recollection of any such
conversation"
Have you conferred with her re-
Il talked about school matters with
Miss Alton. and it is likely that dis.
cussed the superintendent"
Influenced by Miss Alton.
The witness testified that Miss
Alton in 1917 was one of the teachers
who Influenced me most in favor OF
the retention of Mr.. Thurston."
Senator Harrison wanted to know
how.
II cannot remember exactly" replied
Mrs. Gerry. 81 heard hundreds of state
ments regarding Mr.. Thurston. She was
one Of the very fine teachers whose at
titude helped to form my decision at tina,
time in regard to Mr.. Thurston. Her
opinion was that, all things considered
IT would be better to re-elect Mr.. Thurs
ton superintendent. 1 think that the
average opinion Of the teachers who
spoke to me was that while Mr.. Thurs.
ton may not have been the stronees,
man for the position, there had been sc
many changes that it was inadvisable
to make a change in the superintend-
cnt."
Mrs. Gerry modified somewhat he,
statemes1t that Miss Alton had been one
of those who had most Influenced her in
| regard to Mr.. Thurston in 1917. She
added that Miss Alton had apparently
| not been SO strong for the supertntend,
ent, because of his qualifications, as she
had been opposed to making a change.
| Senator Harrison called attention tr
the fact that Mr.. Thurston had beer
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