Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-19


In the local educational system. incor
porating a demand for the elimination
of Superintendent of Schools +. w
Ballou and an assertion that 80 per
cent of Washington residents desire
TO take the appointive power Tor
school board members out OF the
hands of the justices of the District
of Columbia Supreme Court were IN
termingled in a potpourri Of sugges-
lions, denunciations, appeals ana
recommendations presented TO the
subcommittee on education of the
House District committee, with Rep
resentative Reid of Illinois, presiding
as chairman. last night.
J. G. Yaden, chairman Of the cltl-
gems advisory council and president
Of the Federation Of Citizens Associa-
lions told the committee that the ma
jority of the people of Washington
feel that the board of education is not
sufficiently responsive to the wishes
of the people.
1--WE feel that the school board is
largely under the domination of the
superintendent of schools" he added,
you mean that DR.. Ballou runs the
Board of Education instead of them
running him." asked Representative
Hammer Of North Carolina,
Changes Favored.
That's what l mean" replied Mr..
Yaden.
He also declared that 90 per cent
OF Washington S residents would favor
8 change in the method Of appointing
Board of Education members.
Julius /. Peyser, president of the
District Public School Association and
A former member of the Board of Edu-
ctr OIL n
on an elected Board of Education, as
provided in the bill sponsored by Rep
resentative Gasque of South Carolina,
who was present at the meeting. He
said that what was wanted was
board responsible TO the people.
II had not been on the board more
than two or three weeks" he said,
when | found that local business in
terests were more interested in goods
and materials sold than in the meth
DDS of educating the children. l think
that the Board of Trade has domi-
mated and controlled the school board.
He alleged that 81 per cent of the
reports of the board members were
written by DR.. Ballou or some one
in the office of the superintendent of
schools and that the hoard members
signed them, often without knowing
in detail the substance of the reports.
elimination of DIR. Ballou as super
intendent of schools" he held. would
be the greatest thing for the public
school system, DR.. Ballou controls;
his reports G. me in and all the board
does is bow is head in homage and
approve thel1-just like puppets in
e. puppet show" he said.
Members Called Seals.
He characterized some board mem
bers as seals and mere rubber
stamps"
He repeated the charges that Ed
win C. Graham, now resigning as
president of the board, was in a firm
which was selling electrical equip
ment to the schools and that former
Commissioner Rudolph's firm" had
supplied $40 900 worth of hardware to
the District.
He Endorsed several members of the
board of education, including Charles
1T. Carusi, DIR. Bennett and Mrs. Nc
Neill, but declared that the elimina-
ton of DR.. Ballou, H. B. Learned, DR..
J. Hayden Johnson and Mrs. Howard
H. Hodgkins would be "a glory to
God" for District people.
Under examination by Representa-
tive Gilbert of Kentucky, Mr.. Peyser
stated that he had not said the local
Judges had been free from influence
in making selections for the Board of
Education, but that he did claim they
were free from corruption. He de-
clared that he thought one of the
judges lectured at the school with
which Mr.. Carusi is connected.
Woman Not Renamed.
He stated that Mrs Laura Morgan,
former member of the board of edu-
cation had failed of re-appoint-
rnent because she would not work in
harmony with powers that be"
The inference that the appointing
powers wish to have no members ap-
pointed to the Board of Education I'M
less assured that such appointment
would result in harmony with the
ideas of DIR. Ballou was drawn by
Mr.. Gilbert from several witnesses
whom he had invited to testify.
Henry c. Clark of Takoma Park,
member of a delegation from the Con-
gress of Parent-Teacher Associations,
the first such witness, stated that,
with Mrs. Harriet F. Saunders, he
visited Chief Justice Mccoy to urge
appointment of a parent of child in
local schools on the school board in
1925.
1--WE presented the list Of our in
dorsements. urging that one of the
three to be appointed be parent
with a child or children actually in
the local schools he said. THE
names were discussed and the chief
Justice asked if any Of these candi'
dates were unfriendly to the superin'
tendent of schools. We were IN
formed it was useless to indorse any
one unfriendly 10 the superintendent
Of schools.
''The superintendent then was DR..
Ballou. And we were informed that
It was the belief that having a child
in the schools had the opposite effect
TO that which we thought, in that II
would cause that parent to give more
time and consideration to the school
in which the child was being educated
than TO the other schools and
generally exert a narrowing in
nuence."
Mrs. Saunders verified what Mr.
Clark had said.
Harmony Issue Cited.
Mrs. L. r. Kalmbach, who also
called on Chief Justice Mccoy to urge
appointment Of parent on the school,
board, stated that he replied that he
would not consider one who would
not work in perfect accord with the
superintendent of schools. Mr.. Pey
ser's term was up at that time and
Mrs Kalmbach said she was informed
that because Mr.. Peyser had not
worked with DR.. Ballou his reappoint
nent would not be considered.
Mrs. William L. Bannerman told the
iii