The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-07-11
THE EVENING CRITIC.
ESTABLISHED AUGUST, 1905.
The Commissioners and the Public
Schools.


TO The Editor of The Euening Critic:
On Saturday called attention to the
conduct of the District Commissioners in
withholding estimates for school buildings,
and especially to the fact that Congress had
year after year rebukcd them for tho omis-
sion, either by calling for an amended csti-
mate, or by making appropriations for the
purpose without estimates from them. 1t
is astonishing that the Commissioners
should have drawn the attention of the
President to this branch of their admins
tration for in addition to these several
legislative expressions of disapprobation,
the last Congress passed such an act of want
of confidence in the Commissioners as would
have led men of nicer sense of honor to re-
sign at once. But let this pass.
again ask attention to the claim of the
Commissioners that more has been done
during their three years of administration
ito increase and improve" school accom-
modations than was ever done before in the
same length of time
As to increase " of school-hOuses, enough
has been said. AS to improvements" 1t is
more risky to speak, because they are not
pointed out. There is no bill of items fur
-nishcd. The people are left to discover these
improvements themselves as best they can.
There are few of them, however, which
have attracted some public attention. l re-
fer to the location of watcr-closets and
privies in Easements Of school-houscs, the
substitution of bench-furniture for chair
furniture for pupils and Mr.. Commissioner
Dents school-house plans.
The location of water.closcts in base
ments under school buildings appears to
have been disapproved by the school board.
Sanitary expcrts had sounded notes of
warning. 1t was known that sewcr-gas
was deadly; that its presence could not
always be detected by the odor; that it
might escape into the buildings through
defective plumbing or neglectftil ianitors,
and that fatal results had happened in one
case mt least Notwithstanding all this the
Commissioners persisted in forcing the
closets into the easements of the large new
buildings, and there thew are to-day ex-
posing the thousands of children who will
occupy these buildings to n very grave peril
d. The defense put forth for this Improve.
mcnt" understand to be economy. 1t wa.
cheaper to use the easements than to build
structures outside. Well an economy which
endangers life or health is not one / should
care to boast of.
Then as to school furniture. The present
authorities have improved" by substitutin,
benches for chairs. This is simple cruelt,
to children. 1t is bad enough to confin,
=. them five hours day for five days in ,
week on comfortable chairs, but to tOrtur,
them upon hard benches has a flavor of bar
barism about it which reminds one of tn,
rod and the ferule of other days. How Ion.
4, do you suppose theatre could surviv,
which offered its patrons benches for seats
Even the churches are constrained to relev
against the discomfort of benches by thicl
cushions and short sermons. The genera
Judgment of civilized communities tn,
world over has discarded benches. No mai
thinks of ordering them for his home or hi
Office Should Wash. Williams receive sucl
an order he would at once send for DR.. God
ding
And yet our present authorities seem t.
think that benches are plenty good enough
for school children. Their idea seems to b
that children ought to get hardened in som