Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-08

number of cases Of whooping cough in the
Eeighborhood, and there have been twelve
cases of scarlet fever and three of diph-
liberia among the pupils of the school. Most
of these cases have occurred. explained the
committee, among the pupils of the north
west room on the second floor, which from
its position cannot receive the morning sun,
and from which the afternoon sun is cx-
cluded by the old frame building adjacent
The normal membership Of the school, it
was stated, is about 600. Forty or fifty
pupils have been withdrawn and certified
to other schools, and others have been de-
tanned at home, on account of the preva-
lence of the diseases named the committee
being informed that the number in attend
apce is only about one-half
The committee recommends that the all
thorities be asked to construct pavements
fill the well, build an areaway, enlarge the
basement entrances change the heating
side the building. To provide room for the
, closets the committee suggested that the
present frame building should be removed
and another constructed
Resolutions Adopted.
A series of resolutions accompanied the
committees report, in which it was stated
that an unusual number of cases of zy-
motto diseases exist among the pupils in
attendance upon the johnson school, such
diseases having been prevalent for a long
period of time in the neisht5orhood, and
the records of the health department Of
the District of Columbia; that the District
officials have taken no. action in the prem
iSeS save the occasional and Ineffective FIJI
migation of the building: that committee
or seven representative citizens should be
appointed to call upon the District Com
m1ssioners and present the report of the
committee which investigated the school
building, and demand that the Johnson
school be closed until all the evils COM
plained of are removed or remedied and
the building made safe for the return of
the pupils. and declaring that it is the COL
lective opinion of the individuals attending
this meeting and of the people throughout
Mt. Pleasant and Columbia Heights that
the johnson school was not properly built
and has never been in good sanitary con-
dition since its first occupancy and that to
permit the continuance of the present con-
ditions would be in culpable disregard of
the rights of our citizens G
Expression of Opinions.
The investigating committees report and
the resolution submitted with it were re-
oeived with enthusiastically expressed
marks of approval but before they were
adopted, as they were by, an unanimous
vote, number of those present expressed
themselves in no uncertain terms. Imme-
diately after the report and resolutions
had been read tho chairman referred to the
presence of one of the public school trls-
tees, Gen. Ellis Speare, anq of DIR. Lynch
them to speak, stating that the meeting
would be glad TO hear anything they had
to say Neither accepted the invitation
however and Mr.. Leo Simmons expressed
the opinion that the meeting had better
proceed slowly in adopting the reported
resolutions in their entirety, for it Seemed
to him too much was being asked of the
Commissioners.
Speeches in support of the report and
resolutions were made by Mr.. NJ. F. ODon-
oghue. Mr.. L. S. Emery. Mr.. /. r. Hit, jr.,
and others, and the report and resolutions
were then unanimously adopted. The COM
mittee of seven provided in the resolution
was then appointed as follows: DR.. B. F.
Gibbs and Messrs. w. H. Robson. Frank
L. Harvey. NJ. F. O'Donoghue, ]. W. Som
erville. Chas. A. Hamilton and C. NJ. Camp
bell The chairman and secretary of the
meeting were added to the committee, and
vote of thanks was extended to the in
vestigating committee and to the chairman
of the meeting.
Upon the motion, it was resolved that the
Interchange of text books among the pu-
pills is highly pernicious practice and
dangerous. causing. in the meetings be-
lief, the spread of infectious diseases, and
1t should be discontinued