Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-18
Number Of children of,
81, l52 l4,9O6 46,55S
1859 1000 1850
Is. 432i 1857 1899
asoI 1874! 1874
14,7S 7,575 1855
31Sl l67t 4s5
PRESSING NEED OF MORE SCHOOL BUILDINGS

PRESSING NEED OF MORE SCHOOL BUILDINGS
The most impressive lesson conveyed by the
above statement IS, the pressing need of more
school buildings By the act or Congress OF June
9th, 1864, II is provided as follows:
avery person In the District of Columbia having
Under his or her control a child between the ages
or SIX and fourteen years, shall annually send such
child 10 some public school In the part said Dis
tnct IN which he or she shall reside at least twelve
weeks, six OF which shall be consecutive and for
every neglect OF said duty the offender shall forfeit
TO the use OF that part of the District i'm which he or
she shall reside, not exceeiIns twenty dollars: Pro
r.ded, Ihat II the party was not able, for any
cause, 10 send such child To school, or the enid
has ate nded any other school for like period or
Was not MT 10 attend school by of bodily or
forced The trustees may make such arranUe-
mentS, for the purposes Of aScertaipfnc whether
Ing the public schools, they shall deem best for
the purpose OF enforcing their attendance and the
penalty prescribed"
Thus IL viii be seen that Congress has estab-
lshed IN this District law for the compulsory at
tendance at the public schools; and by examine
the foregoing table II win be seen that there are
xt52 teSS than E.GtT as many seats as there are
Children o school o0ef
II Is true that there are numerous private schools
well patroniZed, but IL IS also true that there are
many thousand children In the District running
ABOUT the streets, growing up in ignorance and
criminals 10 prey upon the decent portion OF the
community, viii n under the present system OF
laws In force here is taxed TO arrest, convict and
then support them in idieneSs In jail and aims
house or 20 send them TO the workhoCse or reform
hool That these children ought to be in schOO,
admits Of no argument-that the mass OF them
eInRot be, with our present want OF school IaefI-
Ties, Is equally apparent
EXCEPTIONAL STATE OF AFFAIRs
The reasons for this condition OF affairs are nu-
merous and exceptional
In the first place, this being the seat OF the ma
tionIl government is different from III other cities
In that IL has neither commerce manufactures nor
trade, Ike other cities OF its size elsewhere and
Consequently does not possess those sources OF
enue that other cities have.
Second Its population embraces but few wealthy
persons, and 10 has not the inherited or accuull-
lated wealth OF other cities Of its age and size to
pay taxes
Third very large proportion OF its population
are persons In the employ OF the government
practically non-residents, the bulk OF whom own
no property here, and consequently pay no taxes.
fourtn More than one-haIf OF all the property
IN the District is owned by the general govern
tlcht, on winch IL does not, and never has, paid
any tax Fer these reasons Il Will readily be seen
that The District has not had the means necessary
needs
But there are sun other. and equally i'm
portant reasons At the present time this
District Is staggering under debt of over
tTenty-three million OF dollars-a debt according
to the statistics of the Census Bureau, OF about
one hundred and fcrty-twO dollars per capita in
Guiding every man, woman and child, white and
eolored Ia the District-a debt double that OF the
fourth OF all the property owned by the citizens OF
the District; debt created BIZ the officers OF the
AID confirmed by the snat and 1 IN wh sha
citizens had practically no voice and which Con-
creSs by It's laws coglpels the citizens to pay the
interest upon annually, and provide sinking
1und that SHAH pay The principal at the end OF
nifty years. thereby taking one million ana a third
out OF the District revenues annually for that pur-
posr! Under these circumstances IL will readily
o. seen that the citizens OF the District could not
and cannot Of themselves, provide the necessary
school facilities. We DO not forget the fact that
az present the general government paws one-half
OF the expenses OF the District but that has only
been for the past three years and eompes the Dis
trtct 10 pay onehatf OF several items which do not
belong TO II Besides, one-hah CT all the lots In