Evening star., 1924-01-06

board should have been informed of
the changes in the salary bill?"
4 had no information as to what
was being done or contemplated. so
therefore had nothing to report" the
superintendent answered.
Have you ever read the rules in
the board of education's handbook re-
garding the duties of the superin-
tendent?'' inquired Capt. Peyser.
DIR. Ballou: Yes, sir"
Capt. Peyser: DO you remember
No. 81
DR. BaIlou: Il can't say that 1 do"
Capt. Peyser: Suppose you read it.
1t defines the duties of the superin-
tendent.''
Lloyd is Questioned.
Mr.. Greenwood then quizzed Presi-
dent Lloyd regarding the letter he
received from Maj. Donovan. The
board president said the District
auditor told him substa ntially the
same thing as the letter contained.
but that ne had asked Maj. Donovan
to put ii in writing for matter of
record.
President Lloyd took the floor with
the declaration that Capt Ieyser, in
mis- various newspaper interviews,
had accused the board of perfidy.
1T is an exceedingly serious charge"
said Mr.. Lloyd.
1T is a serious. charge" agreed Mr..
Greenwood. But if the members of
the board did have. knowledge previous
to the meeting of the board Wednes-
day that the Commissioners had re-
duced the rates OF pay of the teachers,
then | don't think Capt. PeySerS state
ments are too strong"
Capt. Peyser again took the floor and
questioned each member of the board
as TO his or her knowledge of the exist
eTce of the substitute pay bill.
Graham Resents Quiz.
Mrs. Raymond Il. Morgan denied any
knowledge OF the substitute bill, and
Edwin c. Graham arose.
Il don't feel that two individuals
have any right or propriety to cross
question me or any members of the
board, he began. 1T is none of your
business what i do in my private way.
l would not have been traitor if
had talked to the Commissioned j
maintain my right as citizen to talk
to any member of Congress or the
Commissioners without interference
with my associates on the board. 1t
is common practice for DR.. Baliou
to confer every day with persons re-
garding school matters. 1t is usual
thing for the superintendent to be
called to the District building"
Il do not agree with Mr.. Graham
that it is beyond the propriety of the
board to call this conference inter
JeCIeQ MI. (Tecl W OOu we nave
very peculiar sort of a bill. The is
sue is very clear cut. The papers re-
ported that the substitute bill had
been sent to the budget bureau with
the approval of some of the school
officials. If this is true, the board
has the right to question It's members
and the superintendent"
Houston Questioned.
William l.. Houston was next in
line for cross-examination. Il had no
information concerning the substi-
tute bill until / saw +he announce
ment in the papers, he said. 81 am
opposed to any member Of the board
representing this body. it is is true
that it was done. then the language
used by Capt. Peyser is not too strong.
If anybody went into private confer
ence with Maj. Donovan and agreed
to the substitute bill 1t was very
unfair to the board"
After other members of the board
had been interrogated, Capt. Peyser
began his impassioned "rebuttal"
speech, in which he called for a
magma charta' or a declaration of
independence" for the District public
schools.
1.-The duty of the superintendent is
he declared. THE board
did not appoint him to be lobbyist.
The time has come for us to stop
lobbying and pickering. We sat here
at the last meeting when it was
known to one of our officials that
something was going on and he
didn't tell us. My contention is that
the superintendent of public schools