Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-01
Their Criticisms of Public School
Buildings Discussed.
LETTER FROM THE COMMISSIONERS
The Difficulties Under Which
District Authorities Operate.
s Nj \ LII APPROPRIATED

The District Commissioners today for
warded to the board of public school trus-
tees their answer to report made last
March to them by the school board COM
mttee on buildings and repairs. 1t will be
recalled that the school, committee, of
which Trustee George H. Harries is chair
man, invited the attention of the Commits
siOnefs to the dilapidated condition of the
Western High School. the johnson school
Mt Mt. Pleasant and number of other
school buildings. which report occasioned
not a little surprise to those people of the
District who were not acquainted with the
condition of the buildings.
The Commissioners answer to the report
is az follows:
The Commissioners believing that the
pubic are interested in the statement:
made before the school trustees March Is.
1899 alleging certain defects in school
buildings. make the following statement
concerning the matter for the information
THAT minor defects exist in school build
fngs they are fully aware. These defects
are both of construction and deteriora ton.
but the Commissioners feel that many are
chargeable to the law governing the con-
struction of buildings
The law requires that the work shall be
done by contract and that the contract
shall be awarded to the lowest responsible
bidder 1t also requires that buildings
shall be constructed. complete, with GER
tain limited appropriation, which in some
cases. owing to peculiar local conditions, is
not sufficient to erect them of the size re
auired by law, with the best materials and
workmanship. The school buildings have
been constructed at prices varying from
&c. To 9.Sc. per cubic foot, with the eXcep-
ton of the Western High School building
which cost 11.5c. per cubic foot; this cost,
however, was more on account of the fix
lures added than the construction of the
building itself.
The Difficulties Encountered.
The amounts allowed should be larger
The low costs quoted will show the diff
Guilty under which the Commissioners have
labOred. and although they believe that
much better results have been secured in
the last few years than were formerly at
tanned, they hope to make still further
gains in this respect. They have endeav-
ored to obtain from Congress authority to
construct buildings by day labor. where
deemed advisable, and they have also rec
commended that appropriations for buildings
be made in a lump sum for each class
based upon the amounts named in the eSti-
7 ates for each house authorized. similar to
the method now followed in making appro-
priations for the paving Of streets, but so
far these desired changes have not been au-
thorized.
Concerning the specific items mentioned
before the trustees. the Commissioners
would state an examination shows that
are incOrrect-perhaps due to misstate-
ments by janitOrs-and many of the defects
referred TO are not due TO original con-
struction. but to lack Of repairs. The list
of repairs is prepared under the direction
of the board of school trustees and submit
ted to the Commissioners at the beginning
OF the fiscal year for approval. and it Is
believed that all requests for repairs have
been given attention as far the appro-
pTiatiOnS permitted
Assured of Absolute Safety,
''The Commissioners can assure the par
ents of children attending the public
schools that the children Will be as safe
in the school buildings in their own
homes, so far as structural conditions are
concerned; they also believe that the con-
dition of the school buildings is as good
II not better. than most of the other build
ings In the city used by the public and
that with the experience gained in the past
they will secure still better results in the
future"