New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-05-18

colorod public schools about one-haf of the
eolored school population. Yet, meager as
are these accommodations, it is stated that the
number of applications for admission is reduced
by the fact that "a large number OF the schools
are kept in buildings and rooms which are not
acceptable to many of the parents"
The report of the Superintendent of Public
Schools for 1869 and 1870 states that while
some of the schools were crowded, in others
scarcely more than half the seats were filed
He adds that "these facts show that it is not
the capacity that 10 lacking SO much as the
quality and fitness of the accommodations" The
school buildings owned by the city of Wash.
ington are valued, with the lois, at $4l3, 9l8, oil
which 100000 are held by the trustees of the
colored public school. Fifty-three schools oc
cupy premises for which an annual rental is
paid Of nearly $4,000. The general character
and unsuitabieness of many of these rented
premises, in the city of Washington, are shown
by the official reports, which state that they
were formerly ''engine-houses, sheds, churches,
| agricultural seed-rooms, storehouses, private
dwellings, workshops, Masonic lodge-rooms,
lecture-rooms. public resorts, mission schools,
old stables, markethouses, mess houses for the
poor" In Georgetown there are but three
school buildings, according to the report of
Hon. A. Hyde, president of the Board of Guard
ians /; one, an old church, costing for purchase
/
at cost of 81, 900 and one, brick house at
cost of SIC, OOO-an expenditure of $4,000
| for school Accommodations for 1882 pupils.
In the county of Washington there are lS
school-houses, costing since 1855 the sum of
$36, 1928 which shelter eleven schools for $50
white children, and twelve schools for 500 col.
ored Children total of l,064, leaving !, 1872
white school children, and 65S colored school
children in the county-a total of 100 not pro-
vided for
The school system of the District 10 Of COM
| paratively recent origin, and while the figures
above given show that there is lamentable
deficiency, not only in school accommodations
but in the character of those accomm odations,
the history of the common schools of the Dis
tsict shows a continuous advance in the face of
obstacles not to be met with in any other
locaAy.
A considerable number of States, and most if
not all of the Territories, have received direct
aid from the General Government in the form
of large grants of land for school purposes
The District of Columbia has never received
such aid, notwithstanding the fact that q very
considerable portion of the population, consist
ing of persons temporarily residing here in the
service Of the United States Governments, pay
no taxes here and it is officially estimated that
one-third OF the pupils in the public schools, y
| are children Of parents belonging to this class.
PUBLIC LANDS FOR DISTRICT SCHOOLS
There have been donated by Congress for
educational purposes to the Territories of
Washington, Dakota, Arizona. Wyoming, New
Mexico, Idaho, Montana, and Utah, in the ag-
gregate "a ,692, 799 acres Of public lands, worth
not less than $50, 0OO, 900. These Territories
paid to the Government during the fiscal year
| ending June 80, 1870, in the aggregate, the sum
| of S422, 484 of internal revenue, while the Dis
NO nfl al al.
paid $5l2, 500.
The State of Minnesota, which has received
donation OF 3, LIT, 07O acres of land for educa-
tional purposes, paid during the last fiscal year,
$467 ,7U9 OF internal revenue tax.
The receipts OF internal revenue for the same
year in each of the States of Minnesota, Della.
ware, South Carolina, Taxas, Arkansas, Yer
mont, Kansas, Oregon, Nebraska, Mississippi,
Nevada, and Florida, were less than from the
District of Columbia
Congress has donated to the several States
and Territories an aggregate of 78, $40, 1902
acres of land for educational purposes. Hitherto
the District OF Columbia, which is called upon
to furnish educational facilities for the children
OF citizens from all parts of the Union tempo
rarily residing here, and paying no taxes here,
has not shared to the extent of q single acre OF
land in the wise bounty of the liberal Govern
ment Of which it ia the seat.
1t unexpectedly recommended that measures
be taken to obtain from the National Congress
liberal recognition of the peculiar claims of
the District to aid, either by direct appropria-
tons Of money, or the donation of lands, to be
applied to the development and maintenance
OF a school system, which shall be worthy Of
the nations capital, and both a model and an
example for the nation.
insufficient as are the school accommoda-
tions of the District, the city of Washington
hQa py dqdl al Co.
poses, az is shown by comparison with ex.
penditures, for the same purposes Of other
| cities of the United States of similar rank 1t
is, however, question which you will deter
mine, whether the mode of expenditure has
| been the best that could have been adopted.
The larger number of schools Ia the District
| possess only temporary and unsuitable accomo.
dations in rented tenements for which large
annual rental is paid. The amount now paid
annually in rents for the present unsatisfact tory
accommodations would 60 far towards paying
the interest upon the cost Of permanent and
| commodiOus school houses.
PENAL AND REFoRMAroRY IssTITUTIoNs-A BOARD
OF CHARITIES AND CORRECTION
|. Further and more comprehensive legislation
| Is necessary with reference to the petty offend.
ers against the laws, and their mode of punish.
ment.
A more thorough and efficient system Of
public charities is also demanded. Gases are
almost daily occurring In which the families
OF offenders are, by reason of the confinement
OF the latter, entirely deprived of their usual
means, however scanty, of support Thus, the
innocent are made to suffer for the guilty, and
even to snffer more than the guilty 1t is sug.
gested that the present system OF punishment
by confinement be so modified as to furnish
so far as practicable, employment to the in ;
mates of the jals. infrmares, and work houses
OF the district, and that the labor of the per-
sons so employed shall be fairly remunerated
at stated per diem compensation.
The cases Of pauperism will undoubtedly en-
brace many incapable of remunerative labor :;
but those sentenced for petty oHenses or crimes
VIII be, almost without exception, fit subjects
Tor the wholesome discipline proposed. Some
Oh them Will doubtless represent different trades
IN winch they are more or less expert and for
the remainder, work Of a simpler kind can
surely be provided. Those of this unfortunate
class who have families looking to them for
support should be credited with such percentage
oil the wages Of their labor as the Legislature
may deem advisable, to be given directly to
their families for their support, by the proper
authorities, the balance of their wages to be
applied to the support of the institution in
which they may be confined, thus lessening the
expense OF maintaining criminals of this class,
ana relieving taxpayers, in some measure, of
their burdens.
The amount expended in the city of Wash
ington during the fiscal year ending June 30
1870. for the relief of the out door poor was
S4l,l7S.6S. Private contributions during the
/ same Deriod eypandad for <ba o,t a.