Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-01-09
SCHOOL BOARD HEAD
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papers were put after being bought
from him.
Representative Buchanan then ask
ed: suppose you sold some or these
compositions to school children and
they used them exactly as prepared
and the question of their expulsion
came up before the board of educa-
ton. would you vote to expel the
child?"
MIR. Edwards said he might not vote
at all
asked him if he did not see that his
position as president Of the school
board and as owner of the concern
selling these compositions to eighth
grade school children was inconsist-
ent and that he ought to get out of
one or the other.
Likened to Book OF OrntiOnx.
Mr.. Edwards said that in selling
the papers to any one who wanted
them they were doing the same as a
man who sold a book of orations.
Another item in the Edwards cir
cular which particularly interested
the committee was the following:
Danger of duplication
when one first thinks of ordering
a copy of the paper prepared for gem
eral use, he thinks seriously of the
chances of some other person also
getting a copy of the same paper in
the same town. This of course is
possible. but not very probable. If
we sold dozen copies Of the paper
in year we would consider it very
good sale. and Yet that would make
but one copy for every four states in
the Union. so that the chances of two
persons in the same town getting each
a copy of the same thing is, to say the
least. very remote"
Chairman Davis directed attention
to the fact that D. A. Edwards in the
circular stated that he was Il member
of the board of education of the Dis
trict.
In the circular Mr.. Edwards adver-
tised as having n large practice before
the Supreme Court of the United
States.
Questioned by Representative John
son. he admitted that though the let
tiers Ill. NJ" appear after his name
as secretary of the Columbia Informa-
ton Bureau, he had never tried but
one case, in which he was an assistant
attorney, where the amount involved
was $50. and that they had lost that
case.
Another line in the circular which
interested the appropriations commit
tee was this:
Teachers are held responsible for
the quality of the papers read and
speeches delivered by pupils
Md. Edwards Defends Self.
In comprehensive statement de-
scribing the work of the Columbia
College and information bureau, Mr.
Edwards today defended himself
against the criticism made against
him by members of the House appro-
priations committee.
Il am sure We are conducting an
honorable business and doing it in
a perfectly honorable way. and that
many thousands of pupils. including
school SCI e, children ,. are being benefited
Since the establishment of the bu-
reau in 1915. Mr.. Edwards said. ad-
dresses have been written on about
1900 different subjects. He pointed
out that never has the bureau sold a
paper to Washington school pupil.
THE people who purchase these ad-
dresses. said Mr.. Edwards, make use
OF them in variety of ways. Some
times they may be delivered verbatim;
sometimes the thoughts are used and
inherent language employed We do
not know what use is to be made of
these addresses nor do We inquire. We
are simply the authors and publishers
No one would question our right to
print these addresses in book form
and sell to all who wanted to buy
them or hold us responsible for the
use the purchasers made of them. The
same is true where they are sold one
at a time 1t would be ridiculous to
say an author should be held respon-
sible for the use made of his COM
positions. a.
I'VE treat all communications u
confidential. as purchasers often do
not desire to have it known that they
have had any help in preparing their
addresses.
Special criticism has been made of
the fact that we advertise papers for
eighthgra students. In our cata-
logue we have eight subjects only
listed under this head. These papers
are intended as models to guide the
pupils in their compositions They
are used almost exclusively in the
small cities and rural communities
where the library facilities are poor.
if there are any at all. In all the
years we have been in business. as
far as we know, we have never sold
one paper to a Washington pupil"