Evening star., 1926-03-13
ASHFORD TO GIVE
GASQUE BILL VIEWS
Former D. C. Architect Prln-
cipaI Witness at Sixth Hear
ing at Capitol.

Snowden Ashford, former architect
of the District. is scheduled to be
the principal witness tonight at the
sixth hearing on the Gasque elective
school board bill. Unable to testify
at the hearing held by the House
subcommittee. headed by Chairman
Frank X. Reid of Illinois in the
House Office Building last night, due
to the lateness of the hour. Mr.. Ash
ford was notified to he on hand III
the caucus room at 1870 o'clock this
evening. He gave the subcommittee
members the impression he intended
TO deal at length with the record of
the Board of Education, as he views
it. and requested that he be given a
copy of the testimony made before
the body by DR.. Frank W. Ballou.
superintendent Of schools.
Representative Allard Fl. Gasque,
author Of the measure, at the con-
cluSion of last night : hearing said
he did not think the taking of further
testimony was necessary and moved
for vote. Chairman Reid and
Representative Mary Norton of New
Jersey and William G. Hammer of
North Carolina all agreed to vote on
the bill Immediately. but Mr. Gasaue
wait until the full committee was
present. Representative Florian
Lampert Of Wisconsin, Frank l..
| bowman of West Virginia and Ralpl
Gilbert Of Kentucky were absent.
Would Avoid Delay.
While Mrs. Norton and Mr.. Hamnne,
objected to holding the hearing ,o
night. Chairman Reid stated he did
not want TO Stirring the hearings ont
any further. as he wanted to have the
Gasque bill in before June" He fur.
ther declared that he wanted TO give
all who cared TO appear before the
subcommittee an opportunity.
Testimony given at the hearing last
night largely was a reiteration of
charges which have been made before
at civic gatherings in Washington
Much of the data were not directed al
; the merits or demerits of the Gasque
! bill. but rather at the school admins
, trauon or manner of making appro
priations and selecting school sites
On several occasions it was necessary
, for Chairman Reid TO warn the wit
nesses to con1ine their remarks to III,
Gasque bill.
In brief statement. Harry ~ Stull
president of the Stanton Park Citizens
Association and a member of the Citi.
zens' Advisory Council, declared that
he is convinced "an overwhelming
amount" of the people of the District
are in favor of the Gasoue bill. This
provoked handclapping, as did a fur
ther statement by Mr.. Stull that I'VE
are not asking the elective board as 4
privilege, but demanding ii as a right.
Maj. Gen. Amos A. Fries, in sun
porting the GaSque bill at last night s
| hearing. scored the present short day
in the school. saying that the pupils
should be kept longer in the class.
room and not have so much home
work to put in. He said the schools
We're being used as little as the Lin.
coin Memorial. He declared that the
school officials are passing the buck
to the parents"
DemotiOn Case Cited.
William II. II. Hart. colored LAWYER.
representing the Parent Teacher As.
sOCiation and the alumni of the Arm
strong Technical High School. brought
up the demotion of Capt. Arthur G..
Newman as principal of Armstrong
Technical High School. Mr.. Hart
cited sections of the board rules and
charged that Capt. Newman's demo
He said the colored residents are
hopeful the board will see it as a
grievous error and restore Can't. New.
man to his former post. Mr.. Hart
caused the several score present TO
applaud when. in winding up a de-
scription of Capt. Newman, he de-
clared the latter possessed "a fine.
massive. three-Story forehead"
Mrs. w. j. SWantOn. chairman of
the education committee of the Co.
lumbia Heights Citizens Association.
told the committee of the land prob
lem in her section. She distributed
leaflets showing how densely built.up
Columbia Heights is and contended
that a far-seeing Board of Education
would purchase sites and not have to
go to the additional expense of con.
demnation proceedings. She also
argued that the board should permit
more use of schools and stadiums by
the community, and said it was "a.
shame that the Central High Stadium
had to be locked while boys and girls
in the neighborhood are playing
under automobiles.
j. G. Vaughn Todd, representing
one Of the colored parent-teacher as
sociations, recited what he described
as "humiliating treatment we have
received at the hands of the present
Board of Education" Continuing his
criticism regarding the board men,
bers. he particularly charged the col
ored board members as only good ''to
fill up chairs and SMILE"
Kenneth Buker, representing a
southeast parent-teacher association.
told of the defects in the appointive
board as they are viewed by some
southeast residents.