Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-14
ELECTIVE SCHOOL
BOARD SCORED At
HOUSE HEARINGS
Litttepage, VoiCing Trade
Body Views, Says Efficient
Members Would Go.
CITES OUTSTANDING
BENEFITS ACHIEVED
Standpoint of Child Considered.
Forces Behind Measure
Are Questioned.


Opposition Of the Washington Board
OF Trade to the So-called elective
School Board bill" was voiced at hear
ing today before the Reid Subcommit-
tee on Education of the House District
Committee by Thomas P. Littlepage,
chairman of the Public School Com
mittee of the Board of Trade.
The first effect of the bill under con-
sideration," he said, lis to legislate out
of Office the present School Board.
Whether this Is a primary object of
the proponents of the bill or not is
immaterial, but this result we consider
at the outset.
Our School Board consists Of nine
members" Mr.. Littlepage explained,
land is now appointed by the justices
of the Supreme Court of the District
Of Columbia, the term of office being
for three years, three new appointments
being made each year, so that the board
is never completely new, which results
in stability in the policies of the board,
as two-thirds of the membership are
at all times senior members.
Well and FavorabIy Known.
''The board as at present composed
consists OF men and women who are
well and favorably known and who at
great expense in time, energy and con-
venience have built up a progressive, but
not a radical policy for the betterment
of the schools. Our investigation among
parents and teachers shows that the
schools are being handled in a broad
guage and businesslike way which has
been much aided by the present har-
monious relations existing between the
present board, the District Commission
ers and the Bureau of Budget. On the
record, therefore, we do not see why any
question Of the personnel Of this board
should actuate us in recommending 1t
to be abolished"
Its outstanding accomplishments, {"
Mr.. Littlepage emphasized, have been
the establishment of junior high
schools, with more projected, which
have promoted efficiency in education
and allowed the younger children of
high school age to attend school with
out travelling great distances as well
as bridging for the individual student
the break which formerly existed be-
tween the grammar schools and the
senior high schools. This has resulted
in better coordination of high school
work throughout the school system.
Building Program Support.
Further" he said, "the board has
recommended and secured general civic
and Congressional support for the f1ve-
year building program to enable us to
catch up in our school housing which
will ultimately involve the expenditure
of $20,000,000 and will bring our school
system up to date in this respect.
I'm order to strengthen the per-
sonnet of the schools and particularly
the teaching force this board has Sc
cured from Congress a long-needed
salary law which will more adequately
provide for our teachers
Further, this board has sponsored
and obtained favorable Congressional
action on the admirable school census
and also the compulsory education law,
which laws go hand in hand to force
the children of our city to take what
1t provides in the way of education.
With these facts in front Of u.s."
he stressed, land having been unable to
find that prior to the introduction of
this bill there was any civic demand
for such bill. we are at loss to ex-
plain what civic forces are back of it,
and on what, solid reasons, If any, its
proponents propose to rest it.
Frankly, the Board Of Trade in ap-
preaching this subject" he said, has
considered it solely from the standpoint
of the child. We are not particularly
interested in whether this present board
out of office, but your committee is
very much interested in the above
record Of this present board, which it
deliberately believes to have served the
best interests of the children of the
District of Columbia and for this very
controlling reason it opposes this bill
or any enactment which will upset the
present successful handling Of the
schools.
Controversies at Times.
Necessarily at times upon the sub
ject of education there are fierce con-
troversieS. Should these controversies
be carried into an election held under
this bill, as undoubtedly they would
be, our feeling is that Congress might
become so nauseated with the resulting
rumpus as to withhold the more gem
eral suffrage to which our board of
trade is committed. In fact, we feel
that that result would inevitably fol-
low the passage of this bill. For this
reason we do not believe that this bill
in any sense will serve as an entering
wedge to ultimate suffrage. We do
not believe it is wise to ask the present
board to serve as undertaken for itself,
having, as We read the bill, complete
control over the first election; nor do
we believe it wise for future boards to
continue to run the elections at which
possible successors may be elected. In
fact, the impression is unacceptable that
the whole subject of the education of
our children will be placed under this
or any similar bill at the mercy of a
species of ward politics which cannot
produce better results than we now
enjoy under the present system of ap-
pointments. We believe that the aver
age person who would undertake to
campaign for Office under the terms
of this or any similar bill would, nine
times out of ten, be faddist or q rad
ical of one sort or another in matters
of education, and coming back to our
primary point of departure in our con-
sideration of this bill, namely, the well
fare of our children, we believe that it
would not contribute one iota to that
vyalfaraO