Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-03-09
EtNiNG STAR.
LOCAL INTELLTGENCE.

Public schools pre- eu'sd a mencrial 20 Con-
gress at its late session praying tie transfer
Of city lots for education Al purposes, and tina q
portion Of the proceeds Of the sales of lots hers
tofore sold may be invested for that purso.e.
10 this memorial they state that thew have
been intrusted with the care OF the pphlic
schools, and that they End the funds ennro
priated for that purpose wholly inadsonats
10 erect suitable schoolhouses and to SUNNY
them With competent teachers They reyisw
the attention paid educa,iOn in Washington.
and say that within hye years after the reno
val o: TIE General Government here in 1900,
the FIRST free school was established. This
school, with one othc-, continued to furnish
" The poorer children of the city with elemen.
tary instruction till 1Si4, when the new school
system was adopted This provides, by a e.
, lies OF graded schools, for the education of
children from the primary school, as is done
in the northern cities
The trustees, IN the appointment Of teachers,
have looked simply 20 the question of their
Illness. lac children are taught all the ele-
men;s OK thorough English education, free
from all sectsrisniSm or party bias
In 1912 the expenditure by the corporation
f0r school purposes was Sl,755. There were
at that time but two schools, two teacher, and
about two aundred pupils The expenditures
for the year 1884 amounted to $I7,633;
there are now twenty-four schools. thirty
pupils; Hundreds of children are waiting for
admission, but canno. be received for want of
scho i accommodation.
large sum is now needed for the erection
of school houses on the most approved plans
supplying them with suita BILE furniture, books,
maps and apparatus. Those a present used
by the corporation, are, with few exceptions,
wholly unsuited TO the Purposes for which hey
are occupied. They are generally too small.
deficient in means Of ventilation, ami of light;
In some instances they are difficult of access
and in others vitho.t grounds, except the pub.
ii, streets, for the recreation of the purils
The corporation possesses, in fee, only i've
school houses, while il hires seventeen, at an
annual rent of more than $500. Seventy
i've thousand dollars are now want ed to build
and furnish a sufficient number OF primary
and grammar schools for the aecommod alton
Of the children who ara now pupils in the pub
lie schools, Tor who are waiting for vacancies
10 occur 20 as 10 be admiite therein) and to
erect and endow a high school, without whi:h
the public school system is Incomplete
For this large expenditure, the present and
prospective means of the corporation are
wholly inadequate, and the city is necessarily
compelled TO have recourse for aid TO the gen.
eral government, the local legislature Of the
district.
\ The Board now give copious extracts from
<Ae last annual report Of the Secretary Of the
anterior and other high authorities, recon-
nendiDg that ce tain city lots belonging to
the Genersl GoyernmeT t. be turned over to
the city authorities to be devoted exclusively
to educational purposes. They state that
grants OF land for the endowment Of schools
and colleges have been frequently made by
Congress, and Do measures have been more
uniformly chen shed than the education of
the masses among both States and Terri:o.
iies, and they cite cases of some Of The West
or auuhf Oh hau Ao1 ILL
ship at the value of $4,000; SONS have been
allowed two townships, which, at the lowest
calculation, are worth So 200
Besides this large educational fund each Of
the western States possess the means Of il
creasing this capital to whatever extent il
Esy De heresfter thought necessary No such
resources are TO be found in this District. The
taxation needed 10 meet the numerous ex-
spenseS incidental TO the metropolis Cf the na.
ton, is very great, and the citizens have
taxed themselves to the highest limit allowed
py lawn order to bear thsir proportion of the
expenses Of the municipal government Al
though The Government I az made made liberal
apprOp iations for the district, il will be re-
Z Hsmbere1 IL pays no tnxes, which, If il b I'd
done The aggregate would have amounted to
more than 81 SEQ 600
- In order TO more clearly show the resources
Of the Corporation, hey present table of the
receipts and expenditures, IN which il is see n
that the interest OF the city debt and the ex-
penditures coDnec, ed with the streets, alleys,
Al, ats)rb large proportion of the means
Of the Corporation.
They give an account CT the manner in
which tho general government acquired the
territory on which tie city stands, AID toe W.
csIs.snding that the government should ia ke
tie sole COrtrCl of the streets, which under.
Standing was acted on under Jefferson. But
. since As new construction has been given
to the law, and the city he Tad to Pay a large
share They conclude the. memorial by saw
ing Should /. be deemeu Incompatible with
he public interest TO make a grant eff publ.
ltad, in conformity with the Recommendation
which have been referred 10 above, they beg
leave respectfully to suggest that out Of the
amount received into the public treasury of
the United Ssates, from the aggreg ate proceeds
Of The sales heretofore made Of city lots by
the general gOysrnment, one-fopTth part there
Of snail lie regarded as trust fund set apa ri
snd loaned to the United States treasury, of
which The interest only, at III rate Of six Der
cent. p5r anruD, shall be paid 10 The corporate
authorities Of tbs city, 70 be expended BY
them sc!ely for The purpose Of of support 2
public schools within the city Of Was hin ston.
- II the representations which have row been
made be considered correct, and the claims of
The public schools in Washington as herein
set forth, be admitted to be Just and Teasona.
bic, the trustees invoke for them early and
favorable consideration
The report vas ordered to be printed ard
laid on the table
STCxE FOR TEE MONUMENT We had the
pleasure Of seeing the beautiful marble block
which the FIeemss5n's Of Arkansas are abou,
TO present TO the W Washington Monument Asso-
ciaIien. The design il one Of Capt Brouga's
best-combinirg the classic with the more
modern style. At the top Of the block is the
mystic inc.Osing IN eye. Then comes the
Inscription The Grand Lodge Of the ancient
Ereemasons Of the State OF Arkansas Ad
glOrisR fratr;s OF PATHS Pairia " The follows
the desigr-tho insignia OF the retired states.
man, the robe and slippers az the Ieft in the