The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-20
TO DECIDE:
SCHOOL
LAW
Corporation Counsel Studies
School Board Dispute
With Commissioners.
BY GEORGE FRANKLIN.

Whether . course in beauty
culture comes within strict inter-
probation of vocational training
and as such may properly be intro
duced as an educational feature
Of the o street vocational school,
il the knotty question with which
Francis H. Stephens, District Cor
poration Counsel, Is wrestling.
He promised today that within
the course Of the next week he
would be prepared to submit q
statement Of the results Of his
bout to the Commissioners and
school board, who jointly asked
for an opinion.
Involved is the settlement Of q
bill Of $331.25 incurred by the
school board through the purchase
Of supplies and equipment re-
duired in introducing the course.
Payment Of the bill was stopped
when the District Auditor refused
to pass school board vouchers
covering the item.
VVMA 1SSbdUAASA kEOCC0GHAbS
1.-THE whole thing, SO far as the
beauty course is concerned, Ii to de-
termine whether 1t comes strictly
within the educational purpose for
which Congress appropriates funds
for school use," said District Cor
I poration Counsel stephens today.
Furthermore, however, the opin.
| ion Is important as establishing a
precedent. So, after all, 1t Is not en-
tirely a question of deciding the
relative value of the proposed beauty
course as vocational instruction. :.
The school board declares it has
the right to spend school funds as
| 1t thinks Is in the best interests of
the schools without question or sane
ton by the Commissioners, so long
as 1T keeps such expenditures within
proper limits. This. seems to be
questioned by the Commissioners in
the case of innovations such as the
introduction of a beauty course in
the vocational school.
$50 1t seems there are two ele-
ments of uncertainty to be consid
cred, and it will be the middle Of
next week before can hope to have
an opinion ready covering the sit
uation."
OOuESe 10 EOpuAdEs
In school circles the introduction
| of a course Of beauty culture train
ing in the vocational school is gen
orally Endorsed. Scores Of young
girls are now taking UP such courses
| as apprentices in beauty shops as a
future means of livelihood, and the
contention is that since such shops
are seemingly successful business
sd fniN NvNk
OF preparation on the part of oper-
ators. a course covering the instruc-
ton is just as logical as il one in
| millinery.
Another consideration advanced in
favor Of the vocational, school
beauty course is that, the young
girls taking it up will follow the
course under the best surroundings.
Not only will they be assured of
expert instructors who have nothing
to gain by holding back a com
petent apprentice, but with practice
will go theory, or theories, based
on scientific consideration.
Thus it is pointed out the student
will be taught not only how to
beautify completion by steamings,
absorbent lotions, but why the de-
sired results follow, and to dis
tinguish between what she may
honestly expect to accomplish for
patron just beginning to show the
effects Of fleeing years, or evidence
| of too fast a pace" and what is
utterly outside the sphere OF her
art.
Includes Hygiene.
Feminine beauty, specialists gen.
orally concede. is largely the result
of proper hygiene. In the proposed
beauty course, it is UNDERSTOOD, the
study of hygiene will not be over.
looked as an importent adjunct to
lregaining lost beauty or heighten-
ling that already existing.
This leads advocates of the in
novation to declare that the school
board is doubly justified in intro
ducing the course which, they in.
sist,. is little more than an educa-
tonal recognition Of boudoir prac-
tees and a standardiztng of them
along scientific lines.
| Who pays the bills, they declare,
ia really Of little consequence. The
legal controversy over them they
| consider as pickering that no Com
| rnissioners or Auditor susceptible to
the finer sentiment impelling q
woman to seek decentralization
w,o,,ld nornnit indulgence In, much