The Washington critic., 1890-02-15
CARING FOR CHILDREN.
LEGISLATION FOR COMPULSORY
EDUCATION ASKED.
superintendent Powell, However, says
There Is Not Room in the Pubtic
Schools for All the Pupils who
Desire to Attend.

superintendent Powell, However, says
Schools for All the Pupils who
Desire to Attend.
The parlors of the Riggs House were
crowded this morning with citizens and
ladies of the city anxious for the welfare
of the truant and neglected children of
the District. The meeting was called
for the purpose of devising some means
Of helping these unfortunates, who,
through poverty or other causes, are
unable to attend school.
After DR.. j. M. Gregory had been
made chairman, John holcombe, chief
clerk of the Bureau of Education,
member of the committee
appointed at the last public meeting to
draft compulsory education bill, read
the committees report.
The report recommended that the
present appropriation of $4,000 an
nually for Industrial education be in.
creased to 100000, so as to enable
the School Board to establish
kindergartens throughout the
city. 1t also recommended that
twenty teachers be engaged TO teach
appropriation large enough to pay
their salaries be asked for.
Besides these recommendations the
report asks that the children be pro
vided with free text books. and that
the present statutes be amended so as
admit of the appointment of two 'tru-
ant" officers and define their duties.
Mr.. w. B. Powell, superintendent OF
the schools of the District, made q
startling statement when he arose
TO speak on the report. He said that
there was no need for ''truant" officers
at the present time, as the schools
of the District were not large enough
to accommodate the number of chill
dren who wished to be instructed.
This was especially true, he said, in the
colored schools. He thought if there
was more room provided ten per cent.
more children would attend school.
AT present there is an attendance of
about $4,000 at the schools out Of the
citv's 81 900 children.
In Mr. Powell's opinion kinder
gardens were needed before the truant
officers were. The Board of Edu-
cation had tried to introduce them
last year, but found that the
law prevented children under years
of age attending school, and the
project was dropped. Now, with the
insertion of two or three words Into this
law, Mr.. Powell was sure that chill
dren under six years could at.
tend these kindergartens. He said
too little money was expended
in the education of children in this
country in spite Of its boasted free in
stitutions. The average cost yearly of
insiructing children in this country was
about 1928 for each child This was
not enough to properly educate child,
and Congress should know it.
| The Rev. DR.. Ramsdell said that too
little money had been asked for in the
appropriation. The sum OF $40, 900, he
imagined, would not go far, and lie was
| in favor of asking for larger appro
| priation.
The Rev. DR.. Shippen electrified his
hearers by saying that Washington
should lead the country in education.
When the people knew Just what was
needed, he said, money would be poured
in { o improve the public schools.
Mrs. Teller, wife of Senator Teller,
said that she was happy to say that the
/ CUututiOuui oJ otCui III ioIC CC III IjCuNCi
was considered to be the third best in
the United States.
Mr.. S. NJ. Russell, who was present
| as representative of the Knights of
Labor of the District, was in favor of
the report, but thought they should
learn just what they needed first and
| then ask Congress for it,
| Mr.. Powell then said that it would be
impossible to use more than SIC, 900
the first year, as they wished to learn
just how to conduct the schools.
There was more discussion and their
report was adopted. The chairman
was empowered to appoint committee
to present bills containing all the sug-
gestions in the report to Congress.
Some of the prominent people present
We're Mrs. Adolph Hall, Mrs. William
Stroud, Mrs. Dean, Miss Lennon.
Mrs. Holcomb, Supervising Principal
Janney, Mrs. f. J. Brown. Miss Davis
and Mrs E. Totten and Colonel Flint
Plotting to Kidnap ex-senator Tabor.