Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-08-25
LOCAL NEWS.


PUBLIC ScHooLs;-Editor Star: Some three
years ago obtained work in one of the pubIic
departments OF this city. shortly thereafter +
brought my wife and three children to Wash
ington, and since that time have sent two OF
nv children to your public, or rather free
schools, whilst, owing to little homestead
have in Massachusetts, and the draft here,
claim residence or rather citizenship In said
Slate. Ny income here is $500 per annum and
free schooling for my children; whilst my for
mer place Of residence only yielded me s425
income, out of which had the schooling to
Up to the present time I labored under the
snppositon that Congress had endowed your
Puonc schools by liberal grants OF land or
o.neIW WISE, and that the corporation Of your
eIty Mas nusn OF means. 1t recently has come
10 my knowledge that neither is the cage, and
am asionlsned. yes, very greatly astonished,
snao,rea the nnh,in ,ovsrnment has not largely
greater majority of the children of its em-
ployees receive gratis, daily, the best of in
struction. This / consider decidedly uniust.
and wonder that your taxpayers submit to it
so quietly. 1t appears to me that this free
school system is carried too far IN q CITY like
Washington, having the limited resources
believe public monies can be applied to no
better purposes than those Of education and
Improvements, nevertheless fail to see the
justice of your or any other corporation treas
ury paying for the tuition OF the children OF
parents fully able to pay themselves for the
schooling OF their ofspring-and particularly
Let us lock at some facts in the case. find
your enlightened and liberal. minded City
Fathers set apart fully one. fifth Of the whole
annual income of the Corporation for school
purposes. They wisely appropriate 1t, but the
real burden Of paying this large sum falls upon
your tax payers and business men. 1 would
simply now ask how many of the non resident,
office holding and not draftable heads Of fami-
lies in this city, or, as it was once designated
to me. "federai crumb. plate" are tax payers
Let your tax clerk answer. Now, I further
X, n
schools, resident tax payers or non resident
Government employees! You will find, am
spectiye number. Ergo, your tax payers pay
for the schooling Of the children Of your non
residents. Now this should not be, and / and
other of your nonresident patrons of your
years the public schools Of this city have,
through the exertions Of your honorable Board
OF fTenstess and the competency Of the teach
ers pployed, improved to such an extent that
your yYse schools can compare, SO far as they
60, favorably with any private or public
schools of the country. 1, for one, would pre-
and were even compelled to pay equally as
much as l would have to do at private schools.
Your esteemed Mayor, who, / understand.
SO modestly objects to having his name super
sede that OF uPublic" over the new SCHOOL,
house in the Third District, appears ever ready
to promote the interests OF education in the city
only utters regrets that means are wanting to
still further increase the efficiency Of the public
school system here. The corporate authorities
seem disposed ana anxious to CO.. operate in this
commendable cause, and now suggest that,
inasmuch as Congress seems to have forgotten
you, among its many other liberal gifts to-
wards promoting education in other sections OF
the country, parents who send children to your
free schools, and particularly such as are,
strictly speaking, non.residents, should pay
something towards relieving the Corporation
from additional expense. In order to main
tain free education for the poor, / propose to
grade this remuneration for benefits. received
about as follows: Each head of family,
whose income is less than $500 per annum-
according to the returns of the U. S: Assessor
is to enjoy the privileges of the public schools
for his or her children free of all expense. All
heads of families whose income is over 5000
and under $1,000, ! propose should pay, re-
may send to the Public Schools, the expense of
schooling one child, and that, say at the low
price Of S25 per term Of ten months. For every
$500 additional income, propose the tuition OF
one child is to be paid for, so that for instance
1, who expect to send three children to school,
according to my income will have to pay S25
per year as the fee for tuition of one child and
Street has % an ncsme Of per appUm aG%d s1d
sends also, three children, he has to pay for all
three only S75 per year. My neighbor over the
way with an income Of 81, 400 per annum, only
sends one child to the Public Schools and pays
for this privilege in addition to whatever tax
Is collected of him for school purposes, only
S25. Widow Smith may send six children free
you might ultimately build and sustain high
school, whereto even your wealthiest citizens
might feel proud to send their children. Ihave
written this article, Mr.. Editor, with the sole
view to draw out the opinions of more expert
enced co-laborers in education, and with the
hope that ultimately benefit may result to the
cause generally, in city where SO much sim
thorities, as find to be the case in Washing
ton, whereof hope some future day to become
q permanent resident. S.F.