Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-22

forty or more different buildings, and worth
probably 100000. No well ordered business
establishment would permit so large and
valuable property, whose use necessarily
involves dispersion, to remain without the
employment of some suitable property clerk
or custodian of sufficient business qualifica-
lions and experience to keep books, system
dtlze the distribution and be able to follow
and secure the return of the assets in cues
ton. Necessarily, under existing condi-
tfons this work has to be committed to the
supervising principals and the teachers be-
longing to different divisions, operating in
many different parts of the District without
connection with each other with no central
or responsible official to whom they are sew
orally accountable and. perhaps. what is
most unsatisfactory of all who can give
the time and effort required to the duties
thus imposed upon them, only by withdraw
ing the same from their own appropriate
duties and employment as teachers in the
schools, and proportionately impairing their
efficiency.
we recommend that a custodian or prop
erty clerk be provided for, at a salary of
not less than LOO per annum, together
with one laborer at $500 per annum with
liberty to purchase and maintain out of the
fund horse and wagon for distribution
and collection of text books and similar
school supplies
such an official, so equipped. could, in
addition to keeping safely and in good order
the property of the schools above described
nave assigned to him the duty of seeing
after necessary repairs to school buildings
and other matters of purely business or
routine character which now engross a
large part of the time of supervising princi-
pals, and thus enable the last named off,
clals TO devote their time exclusively to
supervision in the schools where it is most
useful and greatly needed.
JanitOrs and Repair Work
'The act of March 8, 1881. entitled AN
act making appropriations and providing
for the expenses of the government of the
District of Columbia for the fiscal year
endlng June 80, 1882, and for other pur-
poses, z Statutes at Large, page 49, para
graph 3, provides that the janitors of the
puplc school buildings, in addition to their
other DUTIES, shall do all minor repairs to
pulidlngs, furniture. glazing, fixing seats
ana desks, and shall be selected with refer
ehce 10 thelr qualifications to perform this
work 1his provision of law has been re-
strlcted by the board of trustees to the ex-
tent or selecting janitors with references to
their qualifications for work of the kind
described. but 1t has been practically nulli-
Heu py the absence of TOOLS materials or
appliances for doing the work in question
repairs OF the kind specified in the act as
a matter OF fact. are made under the direc-
tloh OF the inspector of buildings and by
persons employed and paid through that
ofncer. This not only entails an unneces-
sary expense, but consumes much of the
time of the officials in seeking frequently
anu asaln, attention to such repairs as are
needed, and which can be attended to only
as the convenience of or other demands
upon the ONCE of the inspector will render
possible 1t is reported to the board that
II sometimes requires months to have a.
Droken pane of glass replaced, and that a.
broken door knob will go unremedied for a
twelve-month. The school officers have no
power to supply glass. putty hinges paint
paint brushes or any other materials or
tooiS IN the premises, and their selection
OF 1anitors with the qualifications required
Dy law Is practically an idle formality.
we recommend that out of the school
repair fund suitable allotment be made
Tor an outht of tools and ma terials neces-
sary and suitable to enable the janitors to
40 TINS class OF repairs required by law
THE foregoing Recommendations are 70
spectfully submitted"