The record-union., 1897-01-09
FINDS MUCH TO REMEDY.
Committee Report on Sanitary Condition
Of the Schools.
It Indicates to the Board of Health
How Reforms Should be
Effected.

The special committee appointed by
the City Board of Health to investigate
the sanitary condition Of THE public
schools of this city has concluded its
labors and formulated its report, which
rs as follows:
Your committee, as already Indicated,
has spent sufficient time to thoroughly
fa1niliarize itself with the sanitary con-
dftion of the public schools of this city.
1t finds much to remedy and a great
deal that is susceptible of Improvement.
The more pronounced defects, such as
were calculated to be Immediately in
5urious to health, have been noted and
reported TO the Board of Education.
These, in the main, consisted of cases
In which the plumbing or ventilation
did not conform to the city ordinances.
In addition to the inspection by your
committee an independent examination
was made by the Sanitary Inspector
and by the Plumbing Inspector
Inc committee has accumulated a
considerable amount of material which
VIII be of value at any future time. 1t
believes, however, that at present 1t will
be futile to do more than indicate the
direction in which reforms should be
erected. These reforms must neces-
sa1aly be comprehensive, and it will now
rest with the Board of Education to give
erect ito the recommendations that this
board may offer. The report has been
segregated under three heads: %
Plumbing and Drainage; (2) Yards and
Easements; CD Ventilation. It should
be taken up for action in that order.
The committee takes this opportunity
to state that whenever the Board of
Educaton takes steps to execute this
much needed reformation the Board of
Health and its officers will be more
imam willing to assist in the work
PLUMBING AND DRAINAGE.
The exact condition of the plumbing
drainage and fixtures at the various
schools is set forth in the accompany
ing reports. The closet accommodation
Is OF three types:
Fmst-Water closets in yards or in the
mafn buildings.
Second-Latrines in yards
Thtrd-Pr1vies with very large vaults
The closets for the use of scholars In
every case are placed In the yards, fire.
quenHy at a considerable distance from
the school building. In all but one
school-Tfwenty- first and L streets-the
seats are arranged in one large apart
ment, there being but one entrance and
no provision for privacy. In all but one
of the schools-Twenty-s seventh and j.
no provision has been made for Light, SO
that when the door is closed the only
source of Illumination Is through the
lattice under the cave of the building
In several of the schools the ur-tnals
are in the same building as the closets
nothing being provided for this purpose
beyond a shallow groove in the cement
floor. This maintains these closets in
foul condition, which is incr eased by
the absence of light. In some of the
schools complaint Is made by the jand-
tors of the difficulty of keeping the boys
closets clean, owing to the intentional
or careless conduct Of the scholars. The
committee believes that this is mainly
due to the condition of the closets them
selves, which are decidedly repugnant
and to the presence of the urinal in the
same compartment, with the absence
Of sufficient light. AS factor in this
uncleanlfneSs may be included the alb
semce of special accommodation for the
children of the kindergarten Glasses, as
that intended for larger Is wholly un-
fitted for smaller children.
AIT some of the schools the ordinary
closet seats have been removed leaving
only a large square aperture of un-
comfortable dimensions. Janitors OF
experience state that this is the only
means of maintaining cleanliness, but
the committee feels that 1t Is directly
provocative of the unsanttary condition
Ait one school-Sixteenth and N-the
apertures already mentioned are dan