Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-04
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
TO CONVENE TODAY
TO PLAN PROGRAM
Group Will Make Survey of
System by Impromptu
Inspections.
SUPT. BALL0U CENSURED
AT HEARING YESTERDAY
House Body Considering Measure
Providing for Elective
Board.

The special subcommittee of the ed
ucation subcommittee of the House Dis
trict committee, which is to- make a
personal investigation of the schools
in the District, following complaints
of mismanagement of the school sys-
tenn lodged at hearing last night on
the bill for popular election of the
school board, arranged to confer late
this afternoon to map out its program
Of inspection.
This subcommittee, consisting of Rep
resentatives Beers Of Pennsylvania, Hall
of Indiana and Mrs. Norton of New
Jersey, will not make its program
public, but will drop in unexpectedly
at various schools to view the physical
conditions and get a background of
personal observation before hearings
are resumed on the elective school board
measure.
This was decided upon when the
hearings yesterday simmered down to
censure of DR.. Frank W. Ballou as
superintendent of schools, to criticism
of various features of the school system
and to the declaration that 1.-The only
wa to insure the school boards re-
sponSiveness to the desires of the par
ents and taxpayers is to elect its
members"
First Definite Statement.
What Chairman Reid of the subcom-
mittee conducting the hearing charac-
terized as 1.-The first definite Statement
presented to the subcommittee was
made by Henry c. Clark, vice presi-
dent of the District Congress Of Parent
Teachers Associations, who represented
a group Of these organizations recently
in seeking the privilege" of naming one
member of the school board. He told
the subcommittee that Chief Justice
Walter I. Mccoy, under whom the ap-
polntmentS then came, said: II will not
consider for the school board any one
who is not favorable to Supt Ballou,"
and that DR.. Ballou had issued state
ment to the effect that he would not
nave man on the school board who
would not support him. He further
told the subcommittee that the school
ofncialS are bitterly opposed to any in
telligent investigation of the educa-
t1onal system in Washington.
numerous instances of alleged mis-
management by the present board were
cited by DR.. George G. Havenner. presi-
dent of the Federation of Citizens As
sociationS and of the Citizens Advisory
Council, who is an efficiency expert
with the United States Bureau of En-
cheney. He declared that an investi-
gatlon made by him personally dis
closed that the members of the school
board never visited the schools and
That the visits made by Supt. Ballou
were nfrequent, casual in nature and
brief.
Scores Grounds Condition.
Inc special investigating subcom-
mlttee was urged by DR.. Hayenner to
pay particular attention to the school
grounds, which he said were in a dis
graceIul condition, muddy, strewn with
broken glass and other refuse. He
STRESSED 1nSanitary and unsafe condi-
lions in many plants, illustrating that
ne mad found windows leading to fire
escapes nailed down and Shocking
quantities OF filth and refuse in class
rooms.
oscar II. Brinkman, former clerk to
the Senate District committee, and now
a practicing attorney engaged by pro-
ponentS OF the elective measure, testi-
ned mat the five-year school building
program formulated in 1924 by the
school board was a piece of strateov
hastily rushed through to prevent an in.
Vestigation by the United States Bureau
OF efficiency which had been asked by
congress to prepare a program. He
cited figures as showing that the board
setting themselves up as experts. had
seriously erred to the extent of at
least 40 per cent in their estimates of
requirements. He argued that a board
SO tar wrong ought to be replaced bv
board chosen by the taxpayers on
account of their qualifications.
Mr.. Brinkman also charged the pres
ent board with spending fortunes" for
decorative accessories rather than on
much-needed educational facilities. The
elementary school facilities. he said.
are too small to accommodate the pupils
with result that many are being denied
schooling despite the compulsory educa-
ton law.
Labor Leader Testifies.
''It takes political pull to get a child
into many District schools" he asserted.
George A. Warren, representing the
Central Labor Union and the Mid-City
Citizens Association, called attention
that the present system of having the
courts appoint the school board IS de-
fective because the courts are already
SO congested that they cannot attend to
the trial of important cases which are
their prime duty, and SO cannot give
adequate time to the selection of prop
erly qualified members for the school
board.