Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-16
CARUS| RELIEVED
OF DETAIL WORK
School Board Head No
Longer Will Have to Sign
acquisitions.

Characterizing the signing of school
system supply acquisitions by the presi-
dent of the Board of Education as IAN
idle and misleading gesture" DR..
Charles F. Carusi, president, of the
board. successfully appealed to his col
leagues at their meeting yesterday to
relieve him of that duty Actuated by
the belief that the school board presi-
dents signature upon acquisitions was a
habit that had just grown up without
legal requirements, the board decided
that the signature of its secretary would
be sufficient
At the same meeting, held in the
Franklin Administration Building, the
board agreed to accept no radio receiv-
ing sets from parent-teacher organiza-
tionS or other agencies which may offer
them to public schools, until s. definite
program of the educational use to which
such receivers can be put in the school,
and machinery for the control of the
programs to be received over the sets
can be set up.
The board also indicated that it might
reconsider its action of two weeks ago
in retiring Dr. E. j. Kimball, superviS-
ing principal of the third division. Since
the board decided at its last meeting
that DR.. Kimball, who has reached the
retirement age during the current
school year, must retire in June in ac-
cordance with the rules governing re-
tirements, nearly 80 protests from civic
bodies and prominent residents OF the
community which the third division en-
braces, have been received.
Expenditures Approved.
In the same session, the board ap-
proved the recommended personnel
changes of DR.. Frank w. Ballou, SUI
perintendent, and approved the expendi-
ture of $21.85319 for school repairs
from April 49, through May IL.
In asking that he be relieved of the
necessity of signing the scores of requi-
sitions which are sent to the District
Building almost daily, DR.. Carusi point
ed out that the need for equipment is
decided upon by the school officers and
that that need can be legitimately and
efficiently checked only by those officers.
He commended further that the type and
general quality of equipment, whether
it be a desk and chair, china or even
a piano, already has been decided upon
by the school systems specification
committee and that the acquisitions are
made in accordance with the Federal
Specification Boards findings which are
printed in book form and made avail
able to all Government departments.
matically, DR.. Carusi declared the sign
ing of the acquisitions by the president
of the board or by board members lis
an idle and misleading gesture" The
board agreed and Harry o. Hine, secre-
tary was instructed to sign the requisl-
tions in the future. The payrolls, how
ever, will continue to carry with them
to the District Building, the signature
of the president of the board or
member.
Radio Question Discussed.
The question of radio was brought
before the board when a parent-teacher
association asked whether 1t could
donate a radio set to its school. DR..
Ballou asked who, in the event receiv-
ing sets we're installed in the schools,
would undertake to control the pro-
grams which would be heard over them;
when they could be used, and, briefly
ito what use can radio be put in the
schools?"
He declared that radio education is
already a pressing matter before educa-
tors throughout the country and that
already steps are being taken to unite
school people and radio broadcasters
upon a common ground, where radio
can be used to advantage in teaching.
Dr. Carusi agreed that radio might
be an excellent thing, but asked-seri-
ously, for all his smile: Whats the
good of having radio until we have
some use for it?" DR.. Ballou asked the
board to withhold its acceptance of any
proffered sets until adequate machinery
for their control in the schools can be
set up. The board agreed with the
superintendent'S petition.
A petition from the Columbia Heights
Business Mems Association for the re-
terltion of DR.. KimbaH for another year,
provoked the suggestion that the board
might reconsider its former action con-
corning the supervising principals re-
tirement. Henry L. Gilligan, member,
queried whether the boards last action
was permanently binding and DR..
Carusi advised that the board may take
any other action on DR., Kimballs status
provided it acts before June 80.
Want DIR. Kimball Retained.
Any member, the president said,
may institute proceedings eliminating
in a motion that the board rescind
its former action and authorize the
retention of DR.. Kimball for another
year. Several board members declared
they had been besieged by both indivi-
duals and organizations on behalf Of
Kimball's retention. No new proposal
RrS0RTC