Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-07-11
THE PCBLIC SCHOOLS
RPNOrf Of the Trustees.

District) has Just been published. The report
first calls attention TO school houses and &C
commodstions. and says:
This is a subject that constantly thrusts
itself upon attention. This District can boast
number OF school buildings, SO convenient
in location and so well adapted to their pur-
pose in nearly all conceivable particulars,
as 10 win the admiring commeDdstions of
iudtciOus visitors familiar with the most
renowned buildings of Il Ike nature. Some OF
the oldest and most refined of European ma
lions do not disdain 10 copy them Ample
acknowledgment of the superiority OF these
buildings was made during the Centennial
year. But there are not near enough OF tnem
nor, indeed, OF any others. Nor are such as
| exist properly distributed. The school build
! ines owned by the District are generally con-
| venient and pleasant; but, consequent upon
their inadequaey, recourse mas been COM
PEELED 10 hired places, inferior in merit and
with most unfavorable adjuncts and sur
rourdings. Some of them are of i'm perfect
construction, and Others are dilaPidated
from age. From disregard of the laws of
ventilation, some are dangerous to all who
breathe their air, and for lack OF light. tas
essential 10 the physical welfare of human
beings as TO that of vegetable life,) health is
endangered. The free play OF the elements is
rot the most formidable foe that turks
around these nurseries of learning. There
are Public School rooms in the Easements of
church edifices so damp that the walls wear
a mold plainly visible, and unpleasantly
percepiible to the sense of smell. Pure AR
and clear light are more rigtdly excluded
than are rains and foGl vapOrs.
II hardly comes within the scope of this re-
port TO treat of the infant science OF school
pathology, but this seems to be fitting time
10 say few words on that score. School
houses are not intended for the propaga ION
of diseases. BY way of argument, let refec-
ence be made 10 Ills that painfully interest
parents and guardians Of school children.
The little ones are found 10 have eye diseases,
especially shortsightedness. This may. in
part, he traced to defect ~ lighting. Win
dOws are either too remote or are badly
placed, the light, in some instances, being
deficient; at other times, too glazing, and
sometimes the lights cross each other with
distressing effect. Children, especially girls,
suffer from heSsdGche They find IL impossi-
bic to study. Besides too close school rooms,
another cause TO which headache is aScribed
Is the fact that gas. particularly carbonic OK
ide. Penetrates the red-hot cast iron stoves in
use. bleeding at The nose is another result of
sitting long in contaminated air. Diseases OF
The respiratory OrgGsts are somewhat attribut-
able TO the same origin, and in pSIt to chill
ing ulrents of air or to sudden changes of
temperature These temporary places are
mostly deficient IN modern accommodation Is.
Indispensable cOnYeniencas are lacking.
oUt-hOCses being on the plan in vogue before
the days of proper sewage; and they are not
only freely accessible to rain and stOrfl. bat
also extensively liable TO public gaze and in
trusiOn. Thus health, decency and COM
fort are seriously interfered with. Again,
rented building and rooms, by reason
of unsubstantial construction or age, are
ever so getting out of order as to re
quire yearly outlays to make them habit
dismissed for days together, and studies in
terrupted, until necessary repairs can be
made. Sometimes alterations OF buildings
are required TO adapt them to school uses.
These are costly in more senses than one.
In some districts very high rents are de-
manded because no other adaptable places
can be had; and, even then, locations are in
convenient to the majority of pupils. Mos.
of the rented buildings are held under con-
tracts for one year certain, the owners re-
tanning the right OF resumption of control.
Oflor "a COnlA a
Why the absolute ownership OF school pro-
perry should be in the District government
Then the best and most economical modes
of heating and ventilating could be en-
ployed; each room could be lighted from two
exterior sides without conflicting opposite
lights TO blind the children; there could be
staircaSes OF easy ascent In different parts of
the buildings, with ample means of egress,
so that in case of sudden alarm all the school
rooms might simultaneously be emptied,
and the pupils be taken into the open air
without con. usiOn or danger; and, in short,
all accommodations for hats and cloaks,
&C, &c, that characterize our models would
tend 10 make the school house alluring to
the young, instead OF being repUlsive, as is
now often the case.
The annual rents of school houses many
OF which, in the language of the committee
on property, are "tiy-'tghted, rty-renuated,
damp, and urheCuhy JOOnIs,'') amount to
81, 70. The estimate for repairs for the
year is placed at $1,000, with II, POO more for
the care OF water closets. A great part OF
the whole expense is chargeabie TO rented
buildings, and could be saved If the District
owned The buildings that ii should have;
that is, the sum of the rents now paid would
be sufficient 30 meet the interest of a loan
hereinafter p-opOsed) and to create a sink
ing fund. Mr.. Superintendent Wilson eJti-
mates the sum of S22j, COO as ample to furnish
rented buildings and rooms used by the
schools for white children. COnceding the
correctness of his estimate, the fac, must not
be lost sight of that each succeeding year
.l..af
wants of schools COR colOred children be over
looked. The Atatemen. OF Mr.. Superintend-
ent Cook presents an appcaI mat strengthens
he case.
That the District would be materially ben
Gifted BY change of its conditions from ten. !
ant to that of landlord is propose ion that |
hardly needs demonstration. 1t canpo be !
Xpected that any time will be more IA yora- |
Die than the present for the purchase of |
ground and the erection of school buildings, |
20 What III al. Is The remedy? From what source |
SasP leans Ero oe t Getanen 70 erect school build
me amop.It now rao.,,zei from taXation is
- sufhcier. TO meet current expenses, |
nd properly holders cannot endure a higher |
rate OF taxation: But one practicable solu- |
uon suggests itself. Let Congress authorize |
3 loan at a fair rate of interest, and the diff |
fculty would be overcome. The measure |
would, no doubt, be as popular as judiciOus. |
NATIONAL IMPORTANCE OF THE PUBLIC |
SCHOOLS OF THIS DISTRICT.
No other region OF our country of the same
population exercises so great an influence on
morals and manners. This is owing |
10 the fact that, in an eminent degree, our
population is a fiuc,uatiDg, temporary ag-
srt CATION. This becomes readily manifest
on looking al the proportion OF residents and
casual soiOuTnerS. The children of officials
and employees of the government largely
avail themselves OF the advantages of our
public schools, and SO do the wards of the
nation" the children of cOlored people,
drawn hitheT in great numbers. Many fam
ilI-5 who Ome tOTemain but for few months
in winter send their children TO these schools.
In the scattering that takes place after each
change OF administratiOn-or, even each
session OF CongreSs-the influence OF our
public schools is radiated througho the
Union. All sections OF our common country
may, therefore, be said TO be immed lately
interested in maintaining these excellent
institutions of learning Strangers come ami
learn and go home to teach. This is reser-
voir that sends out q Thousand rills in all
directions. The District of Columbia schools
are not mere local training institutions.
This idea il not always uppermost in the
minds Of committees in Congress when legis-
lating for this District; but the people hereof
are sometimes treated as eleemOsyuary
aliens, or rs nOn-vOtiDg Inhabitants of an
island of the sea. II rightly considered, the
permanent residents and taxpayers will be
acknowledged as patrons and benefactOrs
They paw willingly all school taxes and well
come all pupils for whom there Is room. In
view of the facts of the case, why should not
Congress contribute from the National