Evening star., 1924-02-09
SENATORS SCORE
SCHOOL BOARD ROW
Capper and Harrison Warn OF
Peril to Legislation in
Controversies.

Animosity between the two fac
tions on the board of education, which
resulted in the stormy session Thurs
day afternoon, drew from members
of Congress today a warning that
unless peace and harmony are re-
slored the school betterment legisla-
ton now before Congress would be
imperiled.
Senator'S Capper of Kansas and Pat
Harrison of Mississippi, recognized as
see in the continued wrangling dis
aster to any legislation designed to
Improve the school situation.
The dissentions in the school board
Senator Capper. said.. are a menace
to the legislative program for the
school system. Senator Capper was
chairman of the committee which
made a comprehensive investigation
of the school system and recommend
ed numerous improvements lin re-
Senator Harrison, who started an
investigation of the schools several
years ago, when DR.. John Van
Schaick was president of the school
board and the board was torn by dis
sention, expressed the opinion that
the members of the present board
should lay aside their quarrels and
personal animosities in the interests
of harmony. Such quarrels. he said
inevitably would work to the disad-
vantage of the public schools, and
that they certainly gave members OF
Congress a bad impression of the
board.
Warning by Capper.
""The effect of this pickering and
should speak for the District on what
is wanted for the public schools here
is only to make 1t more difficult to
obtain favorable action by Congress
on the proposed program for the bet
terment of the schools" said Senator
the people of Washington who are
patrons of the schools and those who
represent them should present a
united front. At best it is difficult to
get 1no,t to see nansas shs sed and
otherwise for the schools. These
personal antagonisms voiced at the
meetings Of the board of education
can only have bad effect on Con-
greSs."
Senator Capper was asked if he be-
lieved an investigation of the board
and it's controversies would be made
by the Senate District committee. He
replied in the negative. He added,
however. that, in his opinion. it would
be far better for the people of the
DiotIASt ~ SAS>e >AS SN"oSN
members.
Urges Independence.
Eventually, believe that this will
come" said Senator Capper, though
it seems out of the question just now.
l think, too, that It would be better to
have the members of the board ap-
pointed by the President and con-
firmed by the Senate, as recommend
ed in the report of the joint congress
sional committee in the last Congress.
In saying this l do not mean to cast
any reflection on the Supreme Court
of the District, the present appoint
ing power. But the court has asked
to be relieved Of this duty.
"I would be strongly opposed to
having the appointments of the board
members made by the District Com
missioners, as is suggested in some
quarters. Our committee in it's report
strongly urged that the board of edu-
cation should be independent of the
body that controls the finances of the
District. All of the experts who ap-
peared before the committee agreed
that the board of education should be
an independent body"
A bill to provide for the appoint
ment of the board Of edu0htion by the
President and confirmed by the Sen
ate, it is expected, will be introduced
and pressed for action at the present
session OF Congress. The congress