The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-06-14
COMMITTEE LOOKING
OYER THE SCHOOLS
Several Buildings Need Repair
ing and Painting.
FURNACES AT PAUL HAYNE
Are Inadequate for Heating Purposes
Location of Negro Schools Should
be Divided in Different
Parts of the City.

A committee consisting of Mayor Dren-
men, Dr. Phillips, Sheriff O'Brien, Alderman
Meighan and Engineer Hendricks visited all
the public school buildings yesterday after
noon. 1t had been reported that the build
ings were badly in need of repair and the
committee made the investigation to see
what was necessary to be done.
The school houses were found to be in
fairly good condition except those built of
wood which are suffering for want of paint
The interior of the rooms in all the build
ings will have to be kalsomined and in
many of them it will be necessary to put
in new black boards, blinds, etc. In the
Paul Hayne building two or three stoves
had to be erected as the heat from the
furnaces was insufficient to keep the rooms
warm during the cold weather The janitor
at this school said that the furnaces never
had worked successfully Notwithstanding
the fact that the contractor who put them
up had almost to rebuild them. This is
the largest of the three school buildings
for white children In the city. The COM
mitttee found that as no play ground has
been provided for the children they are
forced to run about in the streets and there
months of street car accidents. 1t was
suggested by one of the committee that a
spot be bought back of the school for the
children to play on. No definite action will
be taken on this subject until the report
is filed with the city council.
Badly in Need of Paint
The three negro school buildings, the
Lane Cameron and Slater, which are built
of wood ara badly in need of paint on the
exterior. Mr. Meghan, who conducted the
investigation, said that if this was not
done in the next two years the houses
would begin to rot. The fact that all of
the negro schools are located west of
Twentieth street caused considerable COM
ment from the members of the investgat-
ing board The Cameron and Lane schools
are virtually in the same district. As
result of their close proximity to each
other the Lane school is overcrowded, hav-
ing over five hundred pupils in attendance,
while the Cameron school has only $50,
with room for $50. The entire second floor
of the Cameron school house is unused.
Dr. Philips suggested that the Lane school,
which is now located at Avenue D and
Eighteenth street, should be moved across
Twenty street. This would give the
negroes in the eastern part of the city a
school and those who had formerly attend
ed the Lane school could be sent to the
Cameron school. Dr. Phillips stated fur
Their that the negroes in the eastern part
of Birmingham had never had a school
since the old Thomas school house, which
was located at Tenth avenue and Twenty
fourth street, burned down several years
ago.
Alderman Meighan kept a close tab on
all the repairs that were necessary, and
when the last school had been visited it
was the general opinion of the committee
that the work could not be done for less
than $4,000, on a rough estimate. report
will be made at the next session of the
city council when the matter will be acted
upon.