Evening star., 1922-12-02
|P|CK COMMITTEES
FOR SCHOOL PARLEY
Board of Trade and Chamber
of Commerce to Take Part
Tuesday Night.

l 4
of Commerce. meeting yesterday aft
ernoon, completed arrangements for
representing their respective organi-
f; cations at the joint citizens confer
ence. called by the board of educa-
tion for Tuesday night at the Frank
! lin School.
\ committee of five members was
appointed by the chamber to be pres
ent at the conference. while the board
: de lie gated one member of the COM
mittee to represent the organization.
Sees No ExngEerntiOn.
Belief that the taxpayers are will
ing to pay their share of the neces-
sary expenses for improving the pub
lie educational conditions in the Dis
trict was expressed by Henry II.
Classic. chairman of the school COM
mittee of the Chamber of Commerce.
at the committees meeting. Mr..
Classic deplored the use of old school
buildings recommended for abandon
ment years ago, the low wages paid
the teachers and other evils exist
ing in the school system which, he
declared. should be corrected.
There is no disposition on the part
of the people to eNagSerate conditions
existing in our SCHOOLS. said Mr..
Classic. 'All classes are too large for
a single teacher to handle. Teachers
are not getting good results because
of the disciplinary strain put Upon
them by handling TOO many children.
Neither are the teachers paid a sal
srt equal to those in commercial
Cities"
"Perfectly Ridiculous school"
Mr.. Classic directed severe criticism
at the Force, Abbott and Berrett
schools. which he described as dam
gerous fire traps. THE Abbott School
is a miserable old building" he de-
was a small boy. The Berrett is a
Perfectly ridiculous school. 1 remem-
Der when it was built. There was a
graveyard nearby. and 1 recall seeing
the grave-diggers piling skeletons
one upon the other.
\. Z. Seymour. secretary of the
chamber. transmitted to the commit
tee a suggestion of Arthur c. Moses
that the Force School. which is To-
Gated on a highly valuable site. he
purchased in the same neighborhood
at a lower price. a financial gain
large enough to pay for the new
school building. it was pointed. out
probably would result from such a
transaction.
Chairman Classic Indicated that he
favored such plan. but made it clear
that congressional legislation would
be necessary to carry it out.
Must Run to COnsrens.
There should be some power by
which the authorities could purchase
and sell school sites without legisla-
tion," said Mr.. Classic. But no one
will trust the authorities. Every time
they want to sell piece of ground
To IN
like getting new constitution when
the authorities want to sell piece
of ground in this city,
The delay of Congress in enacting
school legislation. it was pointed out
by John H. Small, for twenty years a
member. of the House from North
Carolina. is due in large measure
to the average congressman's ignor-
ance of public school matters. He
pledged his support for higher teach
ors' salaries. better buildings and gen.
eral improvements.
Wcuid Examine Music Teachers.
The committees attention was call
ed by Nine. Marie Won Unschuld to
the system in vogue in the high
pursuing a music course. The music
students get the same credit toward
graduation. she said. when they
take lessons from private, incompe-
tent teachers. as they do by taking
the course given in the schools. She
urged that the private teachers Civ
ing music lessons for credit to stu
dents in the high schools be COM
relled to undergo an examination by
school authorities.
meeting to the proposed reorganiZa-
tion of the school system Mr.. Classic
and several members emphasized that
constant change in the school sys-
tenn "is the worst possible thing for
the schools"
Glaxsie Heads Committee.
Mr.. Classic was appointed chair
man of committee of five to repre-
sent the chamber at the conference
between the board of education and
civic organizations at the Franklin
School Tuesday. at which plans will
be made for a concerted campaign
for the passage of pending school
legislation by Congress. Other MEM
bers of the committee are Mr.. Small,
Miss Caroline b. Stephens, Henry b.
Davis and Mr.. Moses.
With DR.. William S. Washburn pre-
siding the school committee of the
Washington Board of Trade discussed
plans for the educational night meet
ing of the board. which will be held
Tuesday night at the Willard Hotel:
and the conference with the board of
education.
VIII Thrash Questions Out.
The meeting of the board will be
devoted exclusively to school matters
after $50 o'clock. it was decided.
From to $40 routine business of the
board will be conducted and other
committees heard from. DR.. WASH
burn. who is chairman of the school
committee. and Edward F. Celladay,
recently elected president of the
board. are in charge of the program
With a large delegation from Con-
gress present at the meeting, the
board expects much benefit to ac-
crue to the schools of the District
from the close contact thus estab-
lished between senators and repre-
sentatives and citizens of the Ma
tional Capital. The whole school
question will be thrashed out, it is
understood, and members of Congress
will be able to hear directly from
the citizenry.
D. A. Edwards, former president Of
the school board, was authorized to
represent the board at the conference
called by the board of education at
the Franklin School. He will report
back to the Board of Trade the re-
suit Of this meeting.