Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-26
FARLEY DISCUSSES
NEW SCHOOL POST.
Officials Planning to Act
Slowly on Business Man.
ager, BaIIou Declares.

Plans for the establishment of the
new position of business manager, which
is provided for the public school sys-
tenn by the 1880 appropriation bill as
1t was passed in the House yesterday,
were considered by DR.. Frank w. Bal
lou, superintendent of schools, and
members of his staff in lengthy con-
ference held at the Franklin Admins
tration Building concurrent with the
passage of the measure.
The bill provides salary OF $4,000
for the joint appointment of a man
with the rank of first assistant, super
intendent Of schools by the Superin-
tendent of schools, the Board of Edu-
cation and the District Commits
sioners. The new officers duties would
be the complete management of the
business affairs of the school system,
seeking at all times to coordinate. as
far as possible, the various tasks which
are to be performed by the several
municipal agencies for the schools.
Talks With Kramer.
In his conference yesterday Dr. Bal
lou talked with Stephen E. Kramer,
first assistant superintendent of schools,
and Mai. R. O. Wilmarth, assistant SUI
perintendent in charge of business af-
fairs, concerning the administrative
details involved in establishing the new
Office. Maj. Wilmarth, it was believed,
would remain in his position in the
business department of the school sys-
tenn. although he would be subordi-
nate of the new first assistant superin-
tendent in charge of business affairs.
No definite program for the installation
of the new officer, however was at
tempted at this conference, which was
for the purpose of discussing informally
the problems which the change will
produce.
DR.. Ballou declared the school Of
f1cials were pleased with the new office
and were planning to act slowly and
with the greatest care in their share of
its tncumbent's appointment. AS pro-
vlded for in the BILL. the new officer is
to be appointed jointly by the Commits
Sioners and the school authorities. DR..
Ballou indicated after his conference
that the opinions and suggestions con-
corning nominations of candidates
would be discussed at length with the
municipal heads in an effort to reveal
man WIDELY acceptable to both the
school and the District administrators
The man who is to fill the new position,
the bill suggests, should have qualifi-
cations in technical fields and the school
officials are anticipating large num-
Der of applicants.
DR.. Charles F. Carusi, president of
the School Board, said yesterday that
he was in perfect accord with the
new position las an experiment" to
overcome the delays in the execution of
school business. DR.. Carusi has felt,
and has expressed himself publicly and
before the subcommittee of the House
appropriations committee, however,
that since the working Offices to be CO.
ordinated are District offices, the proper
methods of co-ordinating them would
have been to appoint Clearing house
officer" in the municipal government
who would be accountable to the Com
missioners. When the new business
manager now carried in the bill first
was proposed in the subcommittee hear
ings, DR.. Carusi said he believed the
scheme should be tried "a year or two"
and If then it does not accomplish the
elimination Of much of the present
troubles, some new scheme might be
undertaken. He reiterated that stand
last night.