Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-18
the fly were free gtr to the government IRON.
OTHER SERIOUS pryy,cu,r,rs.

the Cfty were free gtrt to the government from
the citizens.
OTHER SERIOUS prFFIcULfrEa
Norris this all, for IL will be seen by examining
the foregoing table that considerably over one
third OF the school children are colored children
or whose parents, IL is safe to say. fully one-ha
were brought here by the war, and left helpless
and destitute on our hands. For a long
time they were fed by raJons issued by
the Freedman's bureau. OF course, such
heavily upon the charities OF the District OF
the remaining one-haIf the mass are compare
Ike, and necessily add but little to the revenues
OF the District Indeed, whoever considers their
previous condition can but wonder that they are
fully one-third OF all the white children in our
schools are the children Of non-residentS persons
in the service OF the general government, the
here. And yet all these, both white and colored
are not only entitled but by the law OF Congress,
schooisexcepting only sucn may prefer 10 attend
private schools, and which number has grown
In numbers and efficiency. 1t is not an unusual
thing for such OF these reside outside OF the
District, along the lines OF the railroads in Mary
lant and Virginia, to bring their children to our
schools daily. Not a few Members and Senators
also send their children to the public schools and
which we are glad to have them do; first, because
we hope it will induce them to take an interest in
the public schools OF the District and second,
because it Is an evidence that they consider our
In addition to all this as previously shown, our
present public schools have mainly been built up
G1 TIE past d twenty According the
population OF 81 ,122, had, of white and coiOred
children between the ages of and II years, 06s
OF whom but IL, s69 We're entitled to attend the
public schools. With the school age reduced to
the period between and II years, the District now
has 46,55S to provide for. During the past ten
years the increase OF the number of children
entitled to attend the public schools has been
much greater than in former years, so that even
with the addition OF two twelve-rOom buildings each
year, adding about 100 seats annually, we still
cannot keep up with the increase OF pupils, which
Is about I, 600 per annum at the present time
Then when it Is borne In mind that up to 1ee2 the
District owned comparatively no school buildings
none such as we now have-it will at once be seen
that the tax upon the citizens OF the District has
statements as to the needs OF the District I'm this
respect see the school reports follows: 1865. D.
g1s $3.50 iaiI i 49, 1873 Soa ssS Ss s 2 sso
2o4; 1857, p. 6-ls; 1878, p s3-7; 1853 p. q
1880, p. 6-19J
Another serious difficulty in the way of
increasing the school facilities Is the necessity,
real or fancied, of devOting all the revenues
OF the District, aside from that necessary for
the interest and sinking fund, and the
actual running the District government, To the re-
placing of the wood pavements, laid by the late
board of works In his report for 1881, Lieutenant
Greene, who has charge of the work, recommends
TO the District Commissioners that every cent OF
the District revenues which can be spared from
the actual necessities OF running the District gov
ernment shall bc devoted to the work OF replacing
the wood pavementS; and adds, that at tie rate
that this has bCendOne for the past four years, it
Will take three years more to complete the work.
Acting, as is presumed on this 1dea. the District
commissioners have assumed that only certain
per centage OF the District revenues can be devoted
annually to school purposes, and hence have, as a
general rule, hesit,ted to include in their esti-
mates sent to Congress. estimates for new school
buildings.
The following tabular statements win show
what has been done in that direction for the past
three years: