Evening star., 1926-01-27
Will Inspect Schools.

New Jersey, a member of the subcom.
r:ittee consented to make tour OF
Various schools in the city between
now and February 4 in order that
she may make q personal report on
conditions as she iinds them.
Postponement of the hearings anu
the plan for personal investigation
bv Mrs. Norton followed a statement
nv Chairman Reid that the Subcom-
n,ittee members are agreed that the
ma iority of the residents IN tne lis
triCt want to elect members or the
Board of Education, but he polnted
out they would not be JuStlned IN
recommending it to Congress until
the local people back up their request
with an imposing list of abuses
which they believe they have SUI
fered at the hands of the present
board and which they believe would
be obviated in large measure II the
members of the board were elected.
Charges Discourtesy.
Zest was given the latter part OF
the hearing last night "hen Mis
lanes w. Byler, former president OIL
the Langdon School Parent-Teacner
Association, told of visit OF a dele
cation of more than score OF
women to a meeting OF the ooaro
last year, when she declared. We
were treated most discourteously.
Mrs. Byler charged that Presloent
L. c. Graham on this occasion. shooh
his finger at her manaclngly ana
ordered her ito be quiet. she sald
that DR.. Frank w. Ballou, superin-
tendent. and the board members helo
the parents responsible for exdung
the neighborhood by claiming the
frame Langdon School to be a hre
trap and gave them the choice OF
closing the school or putting up with
conditions as they We're. Mrs. Byler
said they would give her no nope Tor
a betterment of conditions and the
school is in the same condition today.
She said the parents advised the ooaru
they preferred to have the school
closed, "but the board later backed
down on this request" Representative
William c. Hammer appeared I'M
pressed by this testimony and SAID
"this looks like something that neeos
attention"
Better If Elected.
J. G.. Yaden, president OF the D1s-
trict of Columbia Public School Asso-
ciation. was the first witness to take
the stand. He said he had no quarrel
with the present members of the board
but that If the same nine members
were elected instead of appointed they
would make better board members.
Referring to a list of between SO
and 20 organizations which had been
read into the record as indorSing the
Gasque bill, Mr.. Yaden said that no
one of these bodies had ever been able
to exert any influence with the DIS
trict Supreme Court judges in their
selection of members of the Board OF
Education.
Method Is Mystery.
1T is one of the greatest mysteries
in this city" said Mr.. Yaden, how
the judges decide upon the men and
women they appoint to he board, and
the rank and file of residents here are
always in he dark about this impor-
tant matter. If we go to see the judges
TO make recommendation we are
received, but, as far as / know. no one
ever indorsed by us has been ap-
pointed
Taking slap at the letter read from
the District Commissioners, which
voiced opposition to the GaSque bill
and calling attention to the fact the
city. heads We're trying to get power to
elect the board members for them
selves, Mr.. Yaden said: This position
of the District Commissioners, in the
face of the practically unanimous
judgment of Washington people, is
one of the things we have to COM
bat" Later Mr.. Yaden, upon cross
examination by Representative Flor
ian Lampert of Wisconsin,, declared
that as far as selection of the board
members by the District Commission
ers is concerned I'VE consider this the
next thing to death"
Wants Views of AL
Chairman Reid asked those who
there were in the city which had not
gone on record concerning the Gasque
bill. He ordered the clerk to write the
Washington Board of Trade to get
their views.
Experiences with the members of
the Board of Education over a period
of Is years were recited to the sub
committee members by Mrs. Giles
Scott Rafter, president of the District
of Columbia Parent-Teacher Associa-
ton. She said she had never been able
to get satisfaction even over the most
trivial matters.
Mrs. Rafter, as we'll as other wit
nesSes, reiterated the charge made by
Capt. Peyser that the board ''is gov
erned by monarchy" and that 1t
consistently leaves all matters to the
judgment of DIR. Ballou. She said that
the board members even admit they
have nothing to say and DIR. Ballou
is in command.
Never Read Report.
Noicing the opinion that the mem
bers Of the board do not take the
time TO verse themselves on school
matters, Mrs. Rafter said that one
member only u short time ago ad-
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