Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-21
SCHOOLS BUSINESS
MANAGER FAVORED
Appropriations Committee
Appeared Greatly Interested
in Facilitating Needs.

ness High School, the school for Grip
pied children, part-time classes, and
child labor-all topics of the moot
questions pertaining to the District OF
Columbia public school system, which
Washington's citiZenry has been at
tempting to answer in its citizen aSSo-
citation and trade body meetingS-were
discussed at length by the subcommittee
on appropriations of the House District
committee January 7, when it met with
representative school authorities in what
the school men subsequently termed "a
most friendly session" to determine just
how large an appropriation for school
purposes would be recommended Tor
1890, it was revealed today when the
hearings of that one-day meeting were
made public.
Perhaps most of the time occupied in
the executive hearing by these out
standing problems was accorded the
proposition of the school systems bust
ness manager. Representative Sim
mons, chairman of the subcommittee,
brought up the subject when, during
the consideration of salary items, he
remarked that the Board of Education
had done nothing with regard to the
proposal made by Senator Phipps, Rep
resentative Holiday and himself last
the rank of assistant superintendent OF
schools, be appointed. Representative
Simmons declared that when the sug-
gestion was made he was under the
impression that the school authorities
favored it, but that he since learned
they opposed such an appointment.
Dr.. Charles F. CaruSi, president OF
The school board, who attended the
hearings with DR.. Frank w. Ballou,
superintendent of schools, and other
members of the board and official staff,
undertook to make the boards stand
on the proposed business manager clear.
DR.. CaruSi told the subcommittee that
following the conference with the MEM
bers of Congress who suggested the new
business manager the school authorities
studied the proposal very carefully and
concluded that while there was I'M
doubtedly a great need to have the
business activities of the public schools
eo-ordinated, the difficulty was not at
the Franklin School Building as much
as 1t was in the ee-ordinating Of the
school needs with the different depart
ments under the Board of Commits
eioners."
Lack Coordination.
Declaring that most of the school
business delays results from lack of
coordination of the several District
government departments, including the
repair shop, the purchasing office, the
municipal architect and the fire mar
Stal, DR.. Carusi said:
st seemed to us that what was needed
was to have somebody, preferably IN
the Municipal Building, who could deal
with our business manager, as we call
H., fn fhncp
Gus activities at the Municipal Build
ing, so that we would have one man to
deal with
Carusi added that because the de-
partments which execute the school
systems work are under the jurisdic-
ton of the Commissioners, the school
board is unable to demand an account
ang for the delays. Mr.. Simmons re-
minded him, however, that appoint
ment of a "co-ordinator" as District
official would not give the school board
more jurisdiction and Carusi responded
that while that was true such an ap-
pointment would give the schools one
man instead of six with whom to deal
Tribute to Ballou.
Referring again to the proposal of
tie Congressman last Spring, Mr.. SIM
mons declared it would allow the super
intendent of schools to devote his en-
tire time to educational activities by
relieving him entirely of business adj
ministration. DR.. Carus1 responded
here, however, with a tribute to DR..
Ballou when he said:
THE superintendent of schools-or
this particular superintendent of
acknowledgements has the time and
energy that is needed to attend to the
whole problem"
Later Mr. Simmons sought to con-
dense the School Board presidents
ideas to a conclusion when he asked
DR.. Carusi if he was satisfied with the
present arrangement whereby the board
deals directly with the different groups
within the city government. Carusis
answer was negative. Mr.. Simmons
brought out then that DR.. Carusi IA
vored IAN official clearing house" under
the Commissioners which, he was con-
WINGED, would correct the delays now
attendant upon the execution of school
business.
Appointment Might Help.
Commissioner Dougherty, who also
was present at the hearings, declared
that while the "co-ordinator" CaruSi
the machinery, since in any event he
would rely upon the school officials for
the necessary data on which to exc
cute his work, such an appointment
might help some. He said it would be
difficult to visualize how the arrange
ment would operate and added he
could not see how the proposed "co-
ordlnator" could perform any duty not
now already carried on in the District
Building.
After lengthy discussion, which re-
peated much of the ground already
covered, Representative Holiday Of
Illinois asked Carusi if the school
board would be willing to hire COM
petent business manager as member
of the school system organization If
the committee furnished the funds for
his salary. The new appointee, it was
indicated, would have the rank of
first assistant superintendent. Dr.
Carusi said the board would be willing
TO try that proposition. Asked directly
by Mr.. Holady If he thought such a
procedure would cure the existing ills
in the system, DR.. Carusi said he was
not SIRE, but that he believed it would
help, He added that after a year or
two, If no relief is found better data
will be submitted for new remedy.
No Friction at Session.
The discussion of the business mana
ger. as were the entire hearings, was
marked with occasional interruptions in
which first the school officials and then
the Commissioners, declared there was
absolutely no friction between the
Board of Commissioners and the Board
OF Education.
Part-time classes were brought into
an open discussion when Representa-
tive Casey of Pennsylvania was ques-
tiOning Robert l.. Haycock, assistant
superintendent in charge of elementary
schools, concerning teacher needs ant
enrollmentS. Mr.. Casey expressed him
self as entirely out of sympathy witt
any conditions which neceSSitated thu