Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-19
BaIIou Yields to Simmons
Demands for Change in
Supervision.
WILMARTH is SCORED
FOR USURPlNG DUTIES
Ballou Insists Drastic" Step Hur-
ries Supervision He Had Sought
to Accomplish More Generally.

The Board Of Education's rules are
being amended this afternoon to specify
clearly that Jere j. Crane, first assist
ant superintendent in charge of build
ing, grounds and equipment, will have
full, complete and personal charge of
supply purchases for the public schools.
DR.. Frank W. Ballou, superintendent
view of the demands of Representative
Robert G. Simmons of Nebraska and
the whole subcommittee Of the House
appropriations committee, of which
Simmons is chairman, he would recon-
mend the school board rule changes this
afternoon. Mr.. Simmons committee
condemned the school administration
during the recent hearings on the 1881
school budget for not assigning Mr..
Crane the full responsibility for the
school supply purchases when he first
was appointed to the position provided
for by the subcommittee last year. At
the same time Mr.. Simmons leveled an
attack upon Mai r. O. Wilmarth, as
Sistant superintendent in charge of bust
ness affairs, who, Simmons commended,
still retained control OF supply pur-
cnases, even after the new first assistant
SupeIlnCeuuenCy was Created.
Crane to Designate Duties.
DR.. Ballou's recommendations this
afternoon also included the revision of
the school board rules to specify def
nitely that Maj. Wilmarth shall have
only the responsibilities in the matter
of purchases, which MFR Crane, as his
superior officer in the school system, &C
cords him.
DR.. Ballou insisted during the hear
ings that Mr.. Crane actually was in
charge of school supply purchases from
the moment of his induction into Of
flee, even though his signature did not
actually appear on reQuisitions for
warded By the school officials to the
District Governments purchasing Office
Both he, Mr.. Crane, and Maj. Wilmarth
testified before the committee that Mr..
Crane had general supervision" over
the purchases. Mr.. Simmons, however,
was unwilling to be convinced that this
was true and insisted that Mai Will
marth be released" from responsible
ity in connection with the purchases.
Kramer DepIOres Drastic" Step.
The superintendent's reccmmonda-
ton to the board this afternoon merely
makes a formal statement of what had
been the understanding IN school adj
ministration circles, Stephen e. Kramer,
first assistant superintendent, asserted
today. At the same time, Mr.. Kramer
said, the recommendation which the SUI
perintendent has been forced to make,
effects drastic" change in Office OPP
erations which the school people had
hoped to effect gradually for the best
interests of the school system as a
whole. He said that to announce sud-
denly and in formal language last year
that Mr.. Crane would have sole and
complete charge of purchases would
have injured school system morale and
would have placed an undue burden on
that new officer.
As 1t was, Kramer explained, Crane
was first given duties to perform in
connection with school building super
vision, which, because of the INSULT
cient staff of officials, never had been
performed by any one, and general
supervision" of the purchases of sup
plies. 1t was the plan, he added
gradually to place Mr.. Crane in full
charge of the preparation of requisi-
tons after he had become familiar with
the school system and its operation.