Evening star., 1937-01-31

Jacobs report. To them the difi-
Guilty 1s twofold. In the flrst place
they lack the required time and
secondly. they confess . lack OF
familiarity with the subject.
A prominent leader, who by the
way is an expert in such matters,
confessed that he had obtained a
better understanding Of the report
through the editorial discussion in
The Star than he had been able to
get from the report itself. The
purpose Of The Star in publishing
these editorials and the series OF
articles now appearing daily under
the heading. The New Fiscal
Issue" is to give practical aid to
all to arrive at An understanding
Of the report and to aid in obtain
ing fiscal equity for the District.
The first Of the present series OF
articles was published on January
IS and they have appeared daily
since. Committees and individual
citizens, it Is believed by many. will
find the articles Of material as
sistanee IN reaching an under-
standing of the theories and re-
sulting findings of the report. While
these discussions are from the angle
Of the Washingtonian they are .
fair analytical treatment Of the
subject and answer completely the
contentious Of the report.
Unloading the Red Rider
Breeder u Civic Discord.
As A BREEDER Of civic discord
the red rider" IS entitled to
nrst place. It u looked upon as .
very troublesome legacy Of the
member who lately hailed from
Texas. The words of Mark Antony,
'"The evil that men do lives after
them," seem to apply in the case
Of this political decease.
The Federation of Citizens As
sociations appears to have been .
real sufferer from the blight Of the
red rider, 50 far as civic bodies 90.
But some of the constituent asseci-
atoms have been threatened with
disruption ana their influence i'm
paired through discord bred by the
rider. Some delegates in the fed
Grafton desire to purge that body
OF the continued unwholesome
notoFiety due to the overzealous
and relentless activity Of . special
committee. To these people this is
an immediate and pressing prob
lem for the federation to solve.
Just how the federation may un-
load its connection with the sup
porters Of the red rider and regain
its proper standing and influence
with the school system is indeed .
problem.
It Is always helpful to get to the
background In the study Of any
problem and 1t Is therefore of inter-
est to recall some Of the high spots
In this controversial matter.
The rider on the 1885 District
appropriation act prohibited the
teaching or advocating Of COM
munism in our schools by any one
in the employ Of the school system.
This prohibition was interpreted
(in an opinion Of the corporation
counseD to be against advocating
or indoetrinating, but not to re.
strict factual instruction On the
subject. Later, the comptroller
general Of the United States issued
an order requiring the hling BY
each employe Of the schools, before
each pay day, . signed statement
that he had not taught or advo-
Gated communism.
In the civic ranks some have been
asking, "Just how did the fedora
ton get into this controversy"
And that Is . fair question. The
matter did not reach the federation
through action Of any member Or
ganisation. It was not originated
through the action Of the fedora
tion at any meeting Of the assembly
Of delegates. At . meeting Of the
Executive Committee the subject
was brought up by . member who
asked the creation o3 . special sub