Evening star., 1939-03-02
Anderson
Continued From First Page.)
to mix up in the affairs of the
school board.
Meeting Tomorrow.

to mix up in the affairs of the
school board.
Meeting Tomorrow.
The Board of Education's Com
mittee on Community Use of Build
lngs will meet tomorrow at 3 pm. in
the Franklin School to consider new
evidence placed before it in connec-
ton with the boards refusal of the
use of the auditorium.
The committee session will be fol-
lowed by special session of the
board should the former group move
for reconsideration.
Action by the board in reopening
the case was taken yesterday in a
tense session in which Charles H.
Houston, former member of the
board and now legal counsel for the
National Association for the Ad-
vancement of Colored People. ap-
pealed for a reconsideration of the
boards action.
Mr.. Houston, speaking in crowded
board room, said he believed the
basis OF the boards action was the
dual school system in Washington
rather than its official objection that
the concert would be a profit max
ing enterprise and thus forbidden by
law.
Wealth Of Precedent Cited.
He cited a wealth of precedent
indicating that similar events have
been given in public schools with
out regard to the commercial angle,
Among these were concerts by the
New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
the pianist, Rachmaninoff; previous
concerts by Miss Anderson in Arm
strong, and a Tilden-Vines tennis
match.
Mr.. Houston asked what the
boards position would be if a COL
ored artist were being presented by
white organization, or if a colored
organization were presenting a white
artist. He expressed the opinion
that the boards earlier action would
rise to haunt" it later. He also
asked what the boards attitude
would be if Miss Anderson gave a
free concert.
Mr.. Houston was applauded by
the spectators, mostly colored. both
before and after his address. He
was joined in his plea by Sidney R.
katz, representative of the Dis
trict c. 1. O.
The boards action in referring the
evidence Of precedent to committee
followed 10-minute recess in which
the members went into executive
session to discuss procedure. Mrs
Henry Grattan Doyle said the recess
was most unusual and asked Mr.
Houston whether there was any
objection. The former board men,
Der offered none so long as all ac-
tion and discussion on action was
in public.
Col. Hamilton Dissents.
The vote to send the evidence to
committee was voted 6-l over the
dissent of Col. West A. Hamilton
a colored member, who urged
against prolonging matters. Mrs
Robert R. Mcclure, another colored
board member, was unable to be
present because of illness, but pre-
sented statement asking recon-
sideration of the boards earlier
action.
Robert A. Maurer, vice president
of the board, said the precedents
cited by Mr.. Houston had never
come before the committee on COM
munity use of buildings, of which
he is member, for a policy to be
determined He said the previous
occasion cited had been determined
administratively, and lit looks as
though the officers may have made
a mistake
John H. Wilson, the third colored
member of the board, rose to q
point of personal privilege and
answered attacks that he had left
the previous board meeting before
the vote on the question came up
He said he left because of a previous
appointment and had authorized no
one to speak for him on the matter
Mr.. Houston said 81 Endorsements
of the request for reconsideration
had come from organizations.
Thirty-one were also presented to