Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-31
HEARINGS BEGUN
BY SENATORS ON
D. c. FINANCE BILL
Commissioners and Auditor
Donovan First Witnesses
Before Executive Meeting.
SCHOOL OFFICIALS
TO APPEAR LATER
kindergarten Teacher Provision,
Expenditures for Supplies
Will Be Discussed.

With the Commissioners and Auditor
Donovan as the first witnesses, the Dis
trtct subcommittee of the Senate ap-
preparations committee began hearings
in executive session this morning on
the local appropriation bill for next
year. The hearings are presided over
by Senator Bingham of Connecticut
chairman of the subcommittee.
School officials, headed by Superin-
tendent Ballou and Charles Carusi
president of the Board of Education
were waiting to be heard later in the
day. Others on hand for the hearings
today were Supt. of Police Henry G
Pratt, Asst. Engineer Commissioner
Dawson and Traffic Director Harland
The subcommittee will resume hear
ing tomorrow. There has been no in
dication as to how many days viii be
required to complete work on the Dill,
which passed the House last week
carrying total of $45,333,117.
To Present Views.
The school officials went to the hear
ings to present their views on certain
legislative provisions inserted in the bill
by the House, chief of which is one to
make kindergarten teachers legally
eligible to teach in the first through the
fourth grade of elementary schools.
This provision was incorporated IN the
bill in view of the reorganization OF the
whole kindergarten system here.
Another matter of prime Importance
under consideration was a provision to
allow expenditures for supplies and
equipment only If the acquisitions carry
the signatures of the District Commits
sioners. The school officials probably
v~.$ll - ~ 80 1okf
With DR.. Ballou are Stephen e.
Kramer, first assistant superintendent
in charge of high schools; Garnet @.
wilkinson, first assistant superintendent
in charge of colored schools; Robert L.
Haycock, assistant superintendent in
charge Of elementary schools, and Maj.
r. o. Wilmarth, assistant Superintend-
ent in charge of business affairs. Jere
j. Crane, first assistant superintendent
in charge OF business affairs, who has
been Ill several days, still is confined to
his bed and is unable to participate In
the discussion.
No indication as to the stand the
officials viii take on the 1881 bill were
forthcoming at the Franklin Admins
tration Building today.
EuggestiOn Agreed To.
During the hearings before the sub
committee OF the House committee on
appropriations Dr. Ballou and his as
sociates acquisced in Representative
Simmons suggestion that each kinder
garten teacher be given two classes q
day, the total enrolment of which will
not exceed SIS pupils, and that half an
hour be cut from the usual kindergarten
session. Through this reorganization,
78 teachers now assigned to kinder
garten classes would be released for
elementary grades and seven class
rooms likewise would be made available
for the higher classes.
If any opposition to legislative pro-
visions inserted by the House is made
by the school people 1t probably will
center about the method of making pur-
chases of school supplies, although none
of the official staff has expressed either
informally or otherwise any serious OBJ
lection to the new system.
In the past acquisitions for supplies
have gone to the District purchasing
ofncer, carrying the signatures of Maj.
Wilmarth as assistant superintendent in
charge of business affairs, and Harry
o. Hine, secretary of the Board of Edu-
cation. Under the House proposal, the
acquisitions now must be signed by Mr..
Crane instead of Mai. Wilmarth and
must be checked by the Commissioners
themselves in order TO eliminate posi-
bllity Of q repetition Of what Mr.. Sim
mons has called a wild expenditure Of
public funds