Evening star., 1948-11-06
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Fate at Stake.in
Bond VoteToday
May Have to Close
IfReferendum in
King George Fails
BY Alex r. Preston
By Alex R. Preston
Stor Stoff Correspondent


King George County is voting OF
the question of whether $150,00|
shall be raised to bring facilities a
the Negro school near here to pal
with those at the high school fol
white children. In an attempt Il
comply with a Federal court ordel
Immediately, classes in physics
chemistry, geometry, biology anc
second-year algebra already have
been removed from the curriculum
Of the school for whites.
This action was taken, it wa.
learned today, only after member.
Of the School Board and the Boarc
Of Supervisors and Commonwealth
Attorney Horace T. Morrison hac
been served sunmonses to appear
at a conference with Circuit Court
Judge Leon M. Bazile.
Pupils Mother Indignant.
Mrs. Wilbur Payne of Dahlgren
whose 14-year-old son is one of the
students being deprived of second
year algebra. was indignant about
the action.
"At mass meeting Monday
night" she said. Judge Bazile told
us that if the referendum did not
pass, we could expect a Federal
court order to admit the colored
children to our school. If this hap
pened, he said, he would close up
the school until the colored school
IS made equal"
Judge Bazile, who presides over
a State court. must administer Vir-
ginia laws which require segrega-
ton of Negro and white races in
public gathering places.
Negroes here do not feel that
dropping classes in the white school
has helped their problem.
Has Not Helped Us Any"
Joseph E. Toliver, colored, of
Shiloh, is secretary of the King
George County Training School (for
Negroes) Parent-Teacher Associa-
ton. Asked about the School
Boards action, he said:
Il don't see where that helped us
any. I don't see why they can't
keep everything they can get and
give us the same thing"
School Supt. T. Benton Gayle
admitted that he did not agree with
Judge Bazile and the School Boards S
action at the conference. He said
he had not been served a summons
because he accepted a telephoned
Invitation" to be there.
Commonwealth's Attorney Horace
T. Morrison, however, said he was
among those served the judges
summons by Sheriff j. S. Dishman,
and he also opposed dropping the
courses from the white school cur
riculum. r
Puts Tag on Proceedings.
Mr.. Gayle described proceedings
at the conference as like a court
ordering a doctor to prescribe cer-
tain medicine for a patient"
He has admitted that facilities in
the Negro school are not equal to
those at King George High School
and has publicly based an appeal
for support of the proposed bond
issue on this fact. Although he
could not see what could be accom-
plished by lowering standards at
the white school in order to attain
equality" he has publicized this in
an attempt to, persuade the voters
to approve the referendum.
fT1oic ie rryoU tho GrhnaI pnor
dropped the algebra class" he ex-
planned: "Colored children never
did have first-year algebra until
now. We have started that course
and are now ready to teach second
year algebra there as well. But
how can any one take second-year
algebra when he hasn't had it the
first year? So, with the flrst-year
course now offered there, the board
feels it can keep at least that course
In the (white) high school.
Just how much do you think
those colored children will use alge-
bra" he inquired, to drive home
his point THE school administra-
tons philosophy has been to try
to give those children the subjects
that are likely to do them the most
good. Just as the schools name
implies, we are trying to train
them for work they are most likely
to perform.
Offered Solid Course.
"We offered them a solid course
In mathematics as well as a COM
plete course in agriculture and prac-
tical training in agriculture to fit
them for what they all will follow
in life"
William L. Smith, jr., principal
of the white high school, estimated
there may be as many as 10 stu
dents who might not be able to be
graduated because they will lose
credits from the courses dropped.
Mrs. Frank Churchill, who, like
Mrs. Payne, also lives on the Dahl
gren Proving Grounds Navy Base,
described the situation as very un-
fortunate" Her daughter Mary,
junior in the school, was affected
by the algebra class revision.
Mrs. Payne said, I'm afraid this
will mean defeat of the bond issue.
I don't think there is any doubt
but that lot of them (Negroes)
just want to abolish segregation In
the schools"
Mr.. Toliver does not hold this
view. Asked about segregation, he
said:
Personally, I am not in favor of
all of us going to the same school.
I believe in separate, but equal,
rights"
NAACP Suit Pending.
This county cast 72o ballots in
Tuesdays presidential election Gov.
Dewey carried it, and many be-
lieved that this number would not
be equalled in today's turnout. 1t
is estimated that nearly 900 resi-
dents are qualified voters.
The NAACP has pending a suit
in Federal Court to require equal
facilities in the Negro school, which
takes all grades from the 1st
through the 18th. 1t also has asked
the court to hold school officials in
contempt for failing to make i'm
i1,