The San Francisco call., 1896-05-05
School and Health Officials at
a Deadlock Over Re.
pairs.
MARMT-sTREET LEASED LOTS.
A Matter of Sanitation-Why the
Supervisor From the First Did
Not Come to the Rescue.

intendent G. B. Stone yesterday. "Since
the decision of the court that the DEPART
ment has no right to the buildings that
were erected by those who leased the
property the board is not inclined to rent
the property for any long period. The
property has become so valuable and so
many fine structures are being put up on
Market street, that many of the members
of the board are of the opinion that better
structures ought to be erected in place of
the old ones that are standing there now.
But no one is anxious to put up first-class
buildings on short lease, so we will have
to wait until the meeting of the Legisia-
ture. Then an effort will be made to have
an act passed to allow the board to lease
the property Tor terms, say from twenty
hve TO hfty years.
''lt we can obtain permission to lease
the property for twenty-five years, those
who lease the land will have to erect
structures that will be an ornament to the
street, for that section is now within fire
limits, and any building built will have to
be OF either brick or stone. There is only
one building that has reverted to the de-
partment. That is the one with the red
front, that belongeu to H. NJ. Black and
he decided 1t to the board. All the others,
as said before, are on land that is leased
. from month to month, and that will no
dou6t be done until after the meeting of
the Legislature.
There is not at this time that har-
mony between the member OF the Board
OF Education and the members of the
Eoard OF Health that ought TO exist be-
tween different bodies of the municipality,
and all this comes from the fact that the
Health Department insists upon having
all the schoolhouses placed in the best
. sanitary condition.
''The Health Department in October last
condemned a number of the school
buildings on the ground that they
. were not in satisfactory condition, and
for time it seemed as if these
schools would be closed. The Board of
Education argued that the closing OF the
. SCHOOLS would work serious injury, and as
serted that it could not do the work de-
manded Tor the reason that it was short of
funds and that the Supervisors refused to
allow an APPROPRIATION tor the purpose.
THE Board of Health was insistent and
ordered the Longfellow and the Richmond
schools closed, but before any others were
closed truce was struck and the Health
Department decided to allow matters to
remain in abeyance for the time being.'
"Of course, said an attache of the
Health Departme ent Yesterday, 1.-THE School
Board pleads inability to do the work for
want OF funds, but the Health Department
would like to know what the School De-
.partment does with the $1,0O0,0C0 appro-
to show for IL outside the payment of
teachers salaries. 1t is true that the
School Board has put the Richmond
school in good sanitary condition and has
made temporary I'M provements at the
Long gfellow school; and to show the Wis
dom of the Board OF Health IN the prem
lses IT may be necessary TO state only that
the report OF the inspector of the district
shows that previous to the repairs at the
Longfellow school there was an average of
twenty cases of scarlatina and that since
j.. the repairs the number OF cases has come
: down TO an average Of two month. That,
. of course, speaks for itself.
"If there should at any time be the ap-
pearance of an epidemic at any of The
schools the Health Department would at
once order that school closed. The Health
-. Department will keep watch on the diff
ferent schools and see that they are put
and kept in hrsJ-class sanitary condition"
The Board OF Education" SAID Deputy
>" Stone, 'has done all that ii can in the
matter of placing the schoolhouses in
proper sanitary condition, but it cannot
% do more than it has DONE for the reason
that 1t has not the means TO do the work.
1t applied to the Supervisors for a special
appropriation for the purpose of putting
the schoolhouses in flrst-ciass condition,
as they ought to be, and an itemized state
ment was prepared. What did the Super
visors do? They called in F. a. Hyde as
an. expert, and he is a plausible talker.
g. What he said-glittering generalities-had
its influence and the request was denied.
There are fifty schoolhouses tina. have not
been painted in fifteen years; there are fifty
schoolhouses that have been without
proper plumbing ior fifteen years. and
there are fifty schoolhouses that have not
been whitewashed for fifteen years, vet
Mr.. Hyde stated that when he retired
from the board these were all in good con-
dition. But when asked if they had de-
fn1 fr,a -
that such extensive repairs had to be made
he was unable to give an answer.
1--WE have done all we couldf to comply
with the demands OF the Board of Health.
We have put the Richmond and Sutro
schools In good condition, We have made
repairs IN the LongfelIow School, in the
Rincon School and temporary repairs in
the R1ncon School to the satisfaction of
the Health Department, and bids are now
advertised for TO put the Bernal Heights
school building in good condition.
"There is one thing, however. The
Health Department does not treat the
School Board as it does citizens. Take.
for instance, the Irving School on Broad.
way, between Montgomery and Sansorne
streets. There the school has a sewer that
connects with the main sewer. A previous
board gave the privilege to owners of
houses that front on a small street in the
rear of the school to make connections
with the school sewer On that alIey
there are at least fifty tenants, some Of
whom make wine and others do | know
not what. The refuse of the winemakers
and all other refuse finds its way into the
school sewer, with the result that it be-
comes choked and bursts. and the refuse
finds its way into the schoolyard. Then
the Board of Health, instead of going
after those who create the nuisance and
render the schoolyard unsanitary, go for
the Board of Education.
''The board went after Joe King, the
Supervisor who represents that district,
and urged upon him the necessity of max
ing some other provisions for carrying off
the sewerage which is forced into the
school sewer, but he would not do any
thing. Why? Well, there are some indi-
viduals in that alley who control votes
and King would not offend that class.
"Ihere was one proposition and that
to build cement wall at the rear end of
the school lot ana in that way shut off
communication with the sewer, but that
was not acted upon and what is the result?
Why the Board of Education has to share
Ia ma n hot e.