Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-23
THE WHITE AND cola
SCHOOLS.
THE
COLORED
The Law Relating TO the App0rtiOn-
ment OF Money Between them-Re.
ports ON Both Sides Of the Question.

l ment Oh Money Between theIn-Re-
| ports On Both Sides Of the Question.
| The special committee of the board OF school
trustees to which referred the inquiries OF the
| District Commissioners touching the apportion-
| ment OF the school funds between the white and
| coiOred schools Will at the next meeting of the
| school board submit two reports.
| The Majority Report.
The majority report, after setting forth the va
rlous acts Of Congress relating to the subject,
refers to the consolidation of the two boards in
| 1874, by the District Commissioners which action
left the status OF the board equivocal; and to
| the humiliation Of the old board by act OF Con-
gress of June H. 1873, the powers of the old board
| who are directed to appoint trustees to exercise
such powers and duties only relate to the care
hardly be pretended by the most jealous parti-
s s5n'" nd the report says, that under
Schools the board ca rs ana Is
the collection OF revenues for their establishment
and support, and with the duty of suing the Dis
| collected from the city of Washington or the city
OF Georgetown" The report states that no mem
| the colored or of the white schools and with the
abolition OF the separate board and the establish
ment OF the unitary administration of school
affairs in the District, all traces of separate
| revenues for colored schools were wiped
cut. Congress erected new financial
system covering provisions for the support of all
the schools, without regard to color. Referring to
the system or specific appropriations adopted by
Congress in 1873, and since followed, the report
says that every officer. teacher fantOr, building,
DC, Is appropriated for in the itemized estimates.
ln system so carefully guarded" the report says
thert Is no room for the loose claim in behalf OF
the colored schools. Where is the money to come
from? To Illustrate: Congress apprOprIateS 100000
| 70 erect the Jefferson building; thereupon about
| SHo,0O0 are claimed for the colored schools; is
this to be deducted from the $50 O0O or is it to be
| added to the debt of the District? II the former,
the jefferson building carnot be erected: If the
latter, every officer who a1ds abets the increase
goes to the pententIary under the provisions OF
the 18th section OF the act of June II, 1872. The
report holds that the system OF separate revenues
now has no existence iii law. From about
1875 the right OF tine colored schools to a
| separate and proportional revenue appears
to have been generally disregarded.
| the observance of it becoming more and more diff
| fcult with the rapid development OF the higher
grades OF white schools and the necessity Of an
/ increased expenditure for the maintenance of
| those grades. This difficulty was enhanced by the
| dscontinuance in the District method Of book
keeping OF separate accounts of revenues received
| from WASHINGTON, Georgetown and the county,
and, before 1878, 1t would not have been practical,
BILE, the report says, to charge the share claimed
Tor cOlored schools against the cities alone. Refer
ence Is made TO advantages enjoyed by the coored
schools over the white schools In having buildings
| erected especially for their use.
The report holds that the enforcement of the
| proportional rule now Is 1mpracticable The rule
would compel the abandonment of the present
| unitary system Of administration and would be
ruin0s TO the white schools, and II those who in
slst on the clam the report says, "mean that 1t is
the duty OF Congress to appropriate yearly the
1 gross sum necessary to the actual wants of the
public schools, said sum to be apportoned between
| the white and colored schools on the basis of the
number OF children OF school age OF the different
colorS resDectlvely,we answer that such an appor-
| tlOnment would nominaHy give to the cOlOred
| schools large sum of money which they would not
need and which would lapse to the Treasury while
and probably utterly destroy the white high school
grade"
As the bulk of the colored pupils are in the
primary grades the expense incident to their In
struction is necessarily much less than for the
same number OF white pupils, so many Of whom
are in the grammar grades. In conclusion the re-
port expresses "the fervent hope that no move
ment will be made to revive rule which, though
necessary IN It's inception, is now repealed in law
ana obsolete in practice, and which would b. at
present useless to the colored and disastrous to
the white schools"
The Minority Report.
Mr.. Henry johnson has prepared q minority re-
port, which argues that the change that has
taken place is a change OF system and not OF law,
and that there has not been word or q line OF
legislation, changing the relative rights OF either
class OF schools. Ii the remedy by suit has been
lost by the destruction OF the old board SYSTEM it
IS because It's necessity no longer exists in the
nina OF the Federal power. Mr.. Johnson asks il
II Is possible that a law is to be regarded
diflfcutieS are met with IN keeping the necessary
accounts OF expenditures Extensive quotations
are made from proceedings OF the school board to
show that that body recognized the right OF pro-
portional revenues. With number of facts taken
from the last six annual reports of the trustees
4
SHOWN tn the total cost per capita for the white
children have averaged - 81 greater than for the
coored' from VIM II u Is Geduced either that the
cOlofed SCHOOLS have been managed with better
economy than the white. or that they nave been
dealt With more p1rsmOniOusly than the white,
ana nave been deprived OF needful' incidental
convenient appliances and comforts; or shat the
white schools have been extravagantly managed
and have wasted money in unnecessary incidental
expenses.
Tables as TO expenditures for improvements.
embracing Sites buildings. and furniture are also
hot
buildings have been constructed for the white
SCHOOLS, at cost OF over S562 29. while only three
costing s92,5S1, have been built for the colored
scnoois The report concludes by urging that the
provisions OF the law relating to the apportiOn-
ment as 1t exists be enforced that IL good reasons
exist Tor increasing the ratio to be expended upon
one class ana decreasing that to be expended upon
the ether. such reasons should be plainly stated
and legislation secured so that the ratio for each
shall be definitely determined. and that the
American people owe to the colored people a debt
they can pay in no other way than in seeing that
thelr educational facilities such as will enable
them 10 cultivate their faculties to the highest de-
gree, and all authorities having the administra-
ton OF their schools in charge should be indefati-
gable In their efforts to arnplify their means OF
Improvement to the highest possible attainment.
THE FUNERAL OF MRS. MCLEAN-The funeral OF
Mrs Maggie 4. Mclean, wife of Mr.. Richard A.
Mclean. foreman OF THE EVENING STAR compOs-
ing room, whose death last Wednesday was no.
ticed In The STAR, took place yesterday afternoon
from her late residence, corner OF 9th street and
Massachusetts avenue. The services were con-
uucteu Dy Kew Parker ii. Sweet The pall-bearerS
were heSsrs- W. W. Maloney A. Ritter, c. Ra bbitt
b. King, j. ID. Harris and f. Ourand. The remains
were inferred at Glenwo0d cemetery The attend
ance was very large. The floral tributes were re-
markaDle both for number and elegance
FIRE AT ARLINGToN.-About four O'clock this
morning the residence of Mrs. Johnston. relict of
the late John r. Johnston, at Arlington, Va
was totally destroyed by fire. 1t is supposed to
nave been set on fire, when first discovered the
flames were on the outside OF the building lust
entering an upper window. The neighbours VINO
rendered energetic service, saved nearly ali the
furniture on the lower floors. With one exception
the out-buildings were saved by great exertiOn.
There was no insurance.
DEATH OF A WELI-KNOwN ARUHITECT.-Mr Henry
Robinson Searle, who for many years pursued his
profession as an architect in this city, having
made the plans for some OF the handso;nest Struc-
lures IN the city, died yesterday morning In New
York city, where he had been engaged Tor some
time IN professional work. He was 46 years OF
age. Having suffered in health In this city,
MI Searle some years ago went to Rochester,
where he improved, and subsequently he settled
In New York city He was much respected by his
professional brethren and beloved by his friends
lie was a member OF the American Institute OF
Architects and the Union League clup OF New
YORK and the Philosophical Society OF this city