Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-12

| system Dy tablishing public marine schools,
| where boys could learn to become sailors and
| at the same time receive course of common
school education. This plan was brought be-
fore the board by DIR. Wilmer, who offered a
! resolution providing that committee of three,
Of which the president Of the board shall be
chairman, be appointed to cali the attention OF
| the District Commissioners to the advantage
to be derived by the public school system here
by extending to this city the benefits conferred
| upon divers cities and ports of the United
States under an act of Congress approved June
20, 1874. This act established public marine
schools. The resolution further provided that
| the committee should urge the Commissioners
to petition Congress to accord to this city all
| the rights enjoyed by the other cities named
/ In the act and to appropriate sufficient
amount Of money to establish such a school
DR.. Wilmer said in explanation that he had
| offered the resolution with the view of bring
| ing the matter before the board. He had talk ed
with Capt. Phythian, the superintendent of the
naval observatory, who was in charge of the
| first school established under this bill. Upon
the invitation of President Ross Capt. Phythian
was present aud would give any information
desired.
CAPT. PHYrHIAN's STATEMENT.
Capt Phythian was invited by the board to
make statement and he then proceeded to
give an account of these schools. He said that
the idea had originated with the New York
chamber of commerce and they had secured
the cooperation of the school authorities of
that city. The cities of New York, Philadel-
phia, Boston. Norfolk and San Francisco had
been named in the bill. Schools had been es-
tablished in the first two places named and
also in San Francisco, but the one in the latter
place had been abandoned. Under the pro-
visions of the bill the government furnished
the vessel and detailed naval officers to be in
command Boys were taken for two years
from the ages of fourteen to eighteen and were
given a common school education and taught
seamansLip. A certain portion of each year
was spent IN cruising. The expenses OF the
school were paid out Of the school funds,
but each boy was required to pay S35,
which formed fund for the purchase
OF clothes He said that about 20 per cent of
the boys received places on merchantmen and
the advantage of the system was that it gave
practical training in connection with the school
education. In reply to question he said that
he did not know of any vessel now owned by
the government that would be suitable for a
home as well as for cruising, and he thought
that 1t would be necessary to purchase a small
vessel for cruising. In his opinion such a
school would be found to be of advantage here
as it would be good place to send boys who
were neglected and liable to become idle and
dlssipated for lack of employment. A number
of questions were asked by the members Of the
board who seemed to be much interested in this
=
the board and he then retired.
TO SEE THE COMMISSIONERS.
The resolution offered by DIR. Wilmer was
adopted and committee consisting of Presi-
dent Ross, DIR. Wilmer and Rev. Mr.. Grimke
was appointed to take the matter under con-
sideration. Before this committee presents
the subject to the Commissioners they will en-
deavor to ascertain the cost Of such a school
and other facts.
SCHOOL SITE PROBLEM.
The attention of the board was called to the
fact that the District appropriation bill as it
passed the House contained clause making
an appropriation for the purchase of sites and
the erection of eight-room school buildings
one each in the first, third and seventh diyi-
sons. 1t was provided that SIS, 600 only
should be expended in each division. Mr..
Thayer stated that this amount was insufficient
to purchase suitable site in the first division.
as the building itself would cost at least
SIS. 900. and that would only leave $4,000 to
buy lot which ought to contain 10 900 square
feet. If the appropriation had been made in
bulk as usual, then this amount might be suf-
ficient but he was confident that the first con-
troller would not allow any balance remainin z
from one division to be expended in another.
Messrs Thayer, Grimke and Whelpley were
appointed a committee to call the attention of
the Commissioners and the appropriation COM
mittee to this matter.
THEY WANT THE SCHOOLS REMOVED.
A petition signed by T. F. Schneider, A. T.
Britton and other property owners in the
vicinity Of the Miner school, on 18th street
near Q, was referred to the board by the Dis
trict Commissioners. The petitioners ask that
the schools in that building be not continued
there after the close of the present school wear
in view of the many improvements being made
In that locality and the objection of many who
have or intend to have houses in the vicinity of
the school. The petition was referred to the
trustees of the seventh division for report
EoUALIzING SCHOOL DIVISIONS.
Mr.. Whelpley, from the special committee
appointed at the last meeting of the board to
consider the subject of the equalization of the
duties of the supervising principals of the sew
eral divisions, reported as follows:
1.-THE number of schools i'll each division at
the present time is as follows: First division
IS: I'd, 103 Sd, SO; 4th, So; 5th, 80; 9TH 50: 7th
80 and Sth, lO4. After careful consideration of
the matter your committee recommend that
the following transfers of schools be made
Weightman. nine schools and Grant, fourteen
schools, from the first to the fifth division.
Webster, twelve schools and Phelps nine
schools, from the second to the first. McCor-
nish. five schools and Lenox. eight schools
from the third to the fourth.
The result of the foregoing changes would
be the following number of schools in the sew
eral divisions, respectively: First division, SO
schools; second division, So; third, IS; fourth,
&c; fifth. 81; sixth, So; seventh and eighth, UNI
changed.
The foregoing changes are proposed by your
committee with the view Of securing the great
est compactness of the schools of the several
divisions consistent with approximately equal
duties Of the supervising principals"
FOR TEMPORARY RELIEF.
Mr.. Whelpley stated that the committee had
made their report with the view of giving re-
lief for the remainder OF the present school
year. In their opinion there ought to be more
radical changes made, so that other divisions
could be formed. This a matter however
which they concluded had better be deferred
until the next school year. The report was ac-
cepted and the committee was continued with
instructions to make a report Of the permanent
changes which they deemed to be desirable.
CHANCES AMONG TEACHERS.
The following changes were reported favor
ably by the committee on teachers and ap-
proved by the board: Second division-Accept.
resignation of Miss j. E. Thompson, to take eff
feet February i3; appoint Miss A. X. keyser
permanent teacher fifth grade). vice Miss
thompson resigned, to take effect February ID:
appoint Miss NJ. X. Lyddane temporary teacher
at Si0O per annum, to take effect February ID:
grant leave of absence without pay to Miss
Meta Phillips for an indefinite time from March
/; appoint Miss j. II. Spies temporary teacher
at $500 per annum, vice Miss Phillips: appoint
Miss Eta B. Johnson, Miss Bessie Seare and
Miss Sallie Mott substitute teachers.
Third division-Appoint Miss L. II. Brockell
teacher in place of Miss Downing, transferred
Seventh division-Appoint MedOra Allen as