Evening star., 1939-06-20
Two Requests
Are Under Study
In Smith Case
Transcripts Are Being
Made of VoIuminous
Testimony

transcripts of the voluminous
testimony presented at public hear
ings on DR.. Carrie Weaver Smiths
removal as superintendent of the
National Training School for Girls
we're being prepared today for con-
sderation by the Commissioners in
reaching a decision Oh the case.
Along with the mass of statements
written into the record of the four
week inquiry, the Commissioners
will consider two specific requests,
both submitted yesterday AS the
hearings finally were brought to
close.
The one request came from DR..
Smith, who asked in her final
summary of arguments, that her
abrupt dismissal as superintendent
OF the training school in October,
1887, be changed from discharge
with prejudice to resignation with
out prejudice"
The other was submitted by As
sistant Corporation Counsel Oliver
Gasch, who urged the Commits
sioners to reaffirm their decision
discharging DR.. Smith for the good
OF the service"
v Charges Failure in Duties.
Charging that DR.. Smith failed
In her duties as administrator of
the institution because she didn't
recognize the fact that her theories
of management were not working,
Mr. Gasch asserted that during her
20 months of service many riots
occurred at the institution, disci-
pllne collapsed, the venereal disease
and morals situations were rot han
oled properly, girls were permitted
to leave the institution to work in
private homes or 60 on long visits
while actively infected with venereal
disease, and that there was much
Svaste and extravaganza.
In her final arguments. Dr. Smith
attacked the testimony of witnesses
placed on the stand by Mr.. Gasch
land vigorously criticized the corpora
ton counsels office for failing to call
Elwood Street, former public well
fare director, and other persons,
whom she named, as witnesses.
Refers to Attack.
Referring to this attack in his final
rebuttal, the assistant corporation
counsel declared
II have attempted to give Dr.
Smith credit for the virtues she
possesses. I believe I can say that
I haven't thrown any mud during
this hearing But DR. Smith hasn't
seen fit to follow the same course
She has attacked the statements of
witnesses backed up by sworn testi-
mony An indictment by Dr. Smith
doesn't mean very much. however"
,. After stating that the former
superintendent possessed an attrac-
tive personality, was a courageous
and hard worker and good pro-
moter, Mr.. Gasch then proceeded to
deny her arguments that her diff
cultleS at the school were brought
about by building program under
way at that time and failure of her
staff to cooperate.
Program Was Still in Progress.
The building program was still in
progress when Dr. James LeWald
became acting superintendent after
DR.. Smiths dismissal, and he was
able to surmount this difficulty, Mr..
~Gasch said. AS for the charge of
non-co-operation, he added, you
couldn't expect your employees to
follow plan which they knew
wasn't working"
DR.. Smith charged that a police
report of disturbances at the train
ing school was the main factor in
. bringing about the request for her
resignation. She said she was con-
vinced that that inexpert, libelous
report was the only formal state
ment that reached the Commission
ers and it, together with certain
other vague reports and rumors, was
taken as the grounds for my abrupt
separation from service"
Criticizing the testimony of Mrs.
Spencer Gordon, DR.. Smith said:
Il submit that the weaknesses and
unreliability of this star witness
. constitute convincing evidence of
the failure to sustain the charges
brought forth at this belated hear
ing"
AS for the testimony of the staff
of the school in regard to dis
cipline, she said, their animus
toward me was so evident, their
congratulations so sweeping, their
contradictions so patent and their
bias so obvious, that it is remark
able that the prosecuting attorney
should have allowed the repetition
OF 2O-ood such stereotyped witnesses
to go into the record and consume
the time of the Commissioners"
If the board had known enough
about the institution to administer
it intelligently, it would have recog-
rized homosexuallty as one of the
problems, not only at the training
school. but at any institution where
the sexes are segregated. she de-
clared She said it would require
a study of the records before she
Y came to the institution Ito sub
stantiate the charge that there
was an increase in these evils
The emphasis on this charge was
a clumsy effort to drag red her
ring over the trail of the appended
egOeS OF tne DOdTu BECAUSE lIley were
scored in the press for their tolera-
ton of 'barbaric conditions at the
school," she declared.
She said that despite the fact
officials in the District Building is
sued a statement on october 80,
1887, that Mrs. Roosevelt did not
, specifically sponsor DR.. Smith, but
that her interest was in the welfare
of the institution Mrs. Roosevelt,
God bless her continued her in
terest, not in me personally make
no such presumptuous claim-but in
social justice. And this hearing re-
suited, which the Board of Public
Welfare and the Commissioners tried
to block by secret session earlier
this year"