Evening star., 1938-01-06
Decides Organic Act of 1906
Is Not Voided by 1893
Rider.
PRESIDENT INSTRUCTED
TO ADVISE D. c. HEADS
Quinn Urges Opposition to Com.
missioners' Plan to Unity
Recreational System.

trict public schools, control of which
Is vested in the Board of Education
by the organic act of 1906, must not
be included in the rider to the 1888
appropriation bill providing that all
buildings belonging to the District
shall be under the jurisdiction and
control of the Commissioners" the
board announced yesterday at its first
meeting of the year in the Franklin
School. Notice to this effect will be
served on the Commissioners, it was
decided.
At the same time Henry I. Quinn,
lawyer member of the board and its
ton Committee, urged vigorous op-
position to the proposal of the Com
missioners for unification of the rec
reation system. The plan invades the
domain of the schools, placed by
Congress under the board, and vol
untary cooperation has not been
given a fair trial." he said.
Principal Is Responsible.
The question of the rider arose when
Supt. Frank w. Ballou notified the
board of the appointment by the
Commissioners of Assistant Supt. j.
j. Crane to committee, under chair
manship of Assistant Engineer Com
missioner H. S. Bishop, jr, to con-
slider and report to the Commission
ers on the procedure or procedures to
be followed with reference to the ap-
pointment of custodial employees" un-
der that legislative provision. Mr..
Crane did not know whether he could
be member of the committee with
out board action.
Apparently the Commissioners are
assuming that the rider authorizes
them to be concerned with the per-
sonnel in the buildings" declared DR..
Ballou, and pointed out that by the
rule of the board the principal of
the school, not the custodian, is re-
sponsible for the entire property.
obviously consideration of the
Commissioners order is important not
only with respect to what it actually
proposes but also with respect to what
~ may AIlPiy, lac SdAu
After warm discussion the members
voted to have Mrs. Henry Grattan
Doyle, board president, draft state
ment advising District officials that,
while the board saw no objection to
Mr.. Cranes participation on the COM
mittee, it will emphatically continue
to appoint and exercise jurisdiction
over all its employees according to the
organic act.
Attached to Health Item.
According to DR.. Ballou, the rider
in question was attached to an ap-
preparation item relating to the Health
Center.
1T was not discussed with school
officials, and We were quite unaware
that it had any relationship to the
District public schools" he insisted.
Lawyer members of the board ex-
pressed the opinion that provisions
in general legislative rider do not
act to repeal organic law.
In presenting lengthy report on
the recreation situation MIR. Quinn
urged opposition to the proposed uni
fication bill on the additional grounds
that recreation of children of school
age Is properly an extension of the
physical education program in the
schools, that the proposal will add
another agency to the recreation set
up unless it plans to supercede the
present ones; that the independent
ifv, Nf olo
as the School Board, should not be
curtailed to vest certain authority in
. board constituted as the one pro-
posed.
Membership of the proposed Recre-
alton Board, he pointed out, include
Frederic A. Delano, chairman of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission; c. Marshall Finnan, su-
perintendent of the National Capital
Parks; Commissioner Allen, DR.. Bal
lou and citizen to be appointed by
the Commissioners. This would be
the makeup Of the committee now.
The bill, however. simply will call for
the occupants of those positions to
make up the committee.
Holds Act Violated.
Mr.. Quinn pointed out that control
Of the committee could be held by
two Federal officers and a Commits
sioner or citizen appointed by the
Commissioners, which in its effect on
school properties would be a violation
Of the organic act.
Mr.. Quinn also emphasized the point
that the proposed committee is mar
row in failing to take into considera-
ton the interests Of the colored citi-
sens by giving them representation on
the committee.
THE factual basis to justify passage
Of such q bill has not been presented
BY its advocates" he said. 1T is my
belief that If We take the stand
herein indicated We will have the
overwhelming support Of the people
In the District"
To Administer Funds.
The superintendent also informed
the, board that the solicitor for the
interior Department has decided the
board is legally qualified to admin
> lister funds for vocational education
under the George-Dean Act of 1896,
and that $11,750 is now in its ac-
count at the Treasury for the first
half of the year 1878.
DR.. Ballou said applications for
vocational directors are being re-
ceived and their qualifications checked
with the once of Education. Present
vocational courses in the schools anc
the qualifications of the teachers are
also being scrutinized by the Office,
he said, since the APPROVAL of the
teachers is prerequisite to the use
Of George Dean funds in salary pay
ment.