Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-02-13
Necessity for school Buildings.

Necessity IOT SCHOOL BUILDINGS
The urgent necessity for additional and better
school buildings has been represented by the
school authorities year after year, and so far
with little avail. At the present time out OF
total OF 36S school-rooms occupied, 100 are
rented, and we have the authority moi only of
the school officers but also of the health officer
OF the District for stating that a majority of
them are ill-adapted, and large number are
totally unfit to be occupied by school-children.
Thus 1t will be seen that more than one-third of
our school children during the present year. or
about 1900 children, are compelled to attend
school In these rented buildings or go unedu-
Gated.
Looked at from financial point of view we
lind the following state of facts to eXist:-The
Commissioners have asked for s35, 900 to pay for
the rent OF these wretched buildings for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1881 and $40. 900 for
repairs-a considerable portion of which Is to
be expended in fitting up. and putting and
keeping in order these rented buildings Not
withstanding this state of things we understand
that no item has been included in the school
estimates for the fiscal year ending June 3O1ss1,
for new school MISUNDERSTANDING that mat
tiers Will rapidly go on from bad to worse. We
think this is mistaken policy, and that a good
appropriation should he made annually, out of
the District funds for school buildings; and we
ttIe Sldu SEE ludt at least one OF Jne leGlSla-
tors for the District of Columbia holds and has
expressed the same views. In recent debate
in the House of Representatives on the bill for
the construction of bridge across the Potomac
river, the Hon. Mr.. Cobb. OF Indiana said Il call
the attention of gentlemen to the fact that to-
day the District OF Columbia and the people of
the United States are paying SS5 900 year rent
for public school buildings, and, at the same
time, the superintendent o. public instruction
tells me that these school buildings are many of
them, totally unfit for children of the District to
be taught in. Now, If we have to pay $4,000 a
year rent for buildings for school purposes in
this District. / ask how much money ought to be
appropriated for the building of school-houses
here? Would 1t not be well for this House to
consider whether we ought not to build school,
houses, and whether the necessity for building
school-houses for the education of the children
OF this District is not ten-fold greater than the
necessity for the construction of a bridge across
the Potomac river when there are already facili-
ties for crossing that river? 1t is better that
for few years they should pay pretty high
tolls than that the children of this Dis
trtct should go uaeducated. 1 say to
you that with the estimates Of the taxa
BILE property in this District, and the amount
OF revenue to be raised from the people during
the present year, they will not be enabled to
have their educational interests cared for as
they should be. without borrowing money, or
without the government of the United States
coming forward and through the Representa-
tives of the people here appropriatlng the
money Of the people OF the United States for the
purpose of keeping up the public schools OF the
District" Mr.. Cobb appreciates the Importance
and requirements of public schools He comes
from a state that has a school fund derived
from lands donated to it by the United States
government, amounting to 100000 Indiana
has taken good care of her school fund, and has
built up one of the most complete and extensive
school systems in the United States.
Washington is able to present so many in
ducements and attractions that it has come to
be the most popular point In the country for
the meeting place OF national associations and
organizations. The exceptions have been the
national political conventions, which so far
have met elsewhere than at the national capf-
tai. From various causes the experiences of
past conventions have not been satisfactory In
the case OF scarcely any city where they have
Deen held, and there Is now disposition mani
tested to listen favorably to the claims OF Wash
1ngton as the meeting place. Among the ad-
yantages presented by this CITY, are abundant
hotel and boarding house accommodations; a
genial climate, suited to visitors from all parts
OF the country; variety OF objects of interest
and attraction to make visit here agreeable.
a relief from the pressure Of a local lobby. in
favor OF local presidential candidate: and a
hearty disposition upon the part of our citizens
10 make the experiment of holding national
party convention here so satisfactory and sue
cessful, that Washington shall come to be the
recognized place OF holding such conventions In
future.