The Washington herald., 1920-04-23
PROBE
ENDS IN CLASH
Capt. Oyster Reiterates
Public Be Damned"
Testimony.
VAN SCHAICK ON STAND
Committee Expected to
Suggest Changes in
Board:
VAN SCHAICK ON STAND

torial school investigating commit
tee yesterday sharp issues were
drawn between DR.. John Van Scha-
ick, jr.. president Of the Board of
Education, and Capt. James r. Oys-
ter, a former president. on the ques-
ton of personal conversations in
volving the free use Of ''cuss"
words.
DR.. Van Schaick, in bis final state
ment to the committee, denied rec
objection of the use of the phrase
Public be damned" attributed to
him by Capt. Oyster In previous tes-
timony, and declared the captains
memory was defective"
Capt. Oyster appeared in the COM
mittee room, and reiterated the
charge, and told of another incident
wherein he said the former pastor
had said he would see them (the
Parents League) in hell before he
would accede to their desires"
He also declared Van Schaick had
accosted him on the street and sug-
gested that Oyster accompany him
to the Capitol to see some Sena-
tors"
Didn't Want Position.
"I asked him, What forT said
Oyster, land he replied to get con-
firmed as rent commissioner. / said
/ would not walk across the street
for the job, and he said that incl
dentally you might help me become
a Commissioner.
Referring to DR.. Van Schaick.
Oyster said:
81 admit he is a fine fellow in his
class, but he is not fit to be Com
missioner of the District Of Co
lumbia; neither Is he fit to be a
member of the Board of Education,
as is indicated by what has been
brought out here"
DR.. Van Schaick. in his closing
statement to the committee, de-
clared that the fundamental ques-
tions for decision are: Has the
Board of Education been honest and
efficient in the discharge of its
duty? and is the law under which
II operates, a wise law?
mo appeal by a subordinate OF
the board to the Senate can stand
for a moment" he said. 1T would
make the end of boards. the end
of all discipline in the school sys-
tenn. and the end of efficient gov
ernment under Congress in the Dis
trict of Columbia
Efficiency Only Question.
The best type OF people would
never accept appointment upon the
board. The worst type OF people in
the schools would resist the au-
thority of official superiors. And
those superiors would be weakened
in doing the hard, disagreeable but
necessary duty of Kidding the school
system of the incompetent.
IN passing upon the good faith
and efficiency OF the present board
and in proposing legislation to
make a better school system in the
District of Columbia. no question
as to the future status of Mr..
Thurston and Mr.. Bruce can enter
These are matters for the executive
and not the legislative arm OF the
government"
Work on the recommendations
will not begin for several days The
committee will await the printing
of the testimony and the return of
two absent members, Senator Sher-
man. chairman, and Senator Walsh
Of Massachusetts,. Undoubtedly the
committee will recommend a change
in the method of appointing the
HlcIHDeTS OIL lne SCHOOL DOaTu anu
consider also the advisability OF re-
ducing the number of members
Replying to indirect charges that
the fight against Thurston and the
failure OF certain board members
to be reappointed was due to their
opposition to vesting power for the
appointment of school-board mem
bers in the District Commissioners
instead of the Supreme Court, Van
Schaick said:
Denies Use of Pull.
Neither any justice nor commits
sioner, nor ex-justice, nor ex-com-
missioner have ever requested or
suggested directly or indirectly any
change in the superintendency of
schools in Washington nor in any
way attempted to control my action
in the discharge of my public duty"
Superintendent Thurston replied
to the charge made by Assistant
Superintendent Bruce that he had
not been given sufficient freedom of
action in the control of colored
schools.
J. C. Won Todd, a member of the
Parents League, insisted that the
committee go to the bottom of the
Moens case.
Senator Harrison replied that "ff
the committee has not gone to the
hOft0m fhera Ia mn h0ffnu1"