Evening star., 1899-03-15

Hamliu would have scorned. mean but little
more than hilarity, extravaganza and dis
slpation. They do not Indicate progress.
propriety, or gratitude. but bring TO the
surface the worst elements of the race and
the worst possible results. In fact. the
history of emancipation parades has been
that of progressive farce. expressing less
and less of the motive and sentiment which
originally characterized them. They are
carcature upon the Intelligence. sobriety
and progressiveness of the colored people
and furnish the unserupulous with pIausi-
bic mean of exploiting in the generosity of
| the white as well the colored people. IL
emancipation celebrations can be of any
service to us a race. they become
only IN proportion they teach the lesson
or broad humanity. the advancement of
civilization the beneficence Of consistent
exercise of the right of civil. political and
religious liberty and afford Opportunity for
the display of adaptation TO our
virOnment and the achievements and pos
sibiEties of a race once degraded and de-
spised.
But street parades can be of no practi-
cal service whatsoever. Hence to close the
schools and thus give countenance and
| moral support TO a street parade, which is
at best of questionable utility. considered
from moral or educational standpoint.
would be to entail an unnecessary loss of
much needed time, encourage street stroll
ing. invite vice and cultivate false notion
in the minds of our children as to the
proper method of concentrating an i'm
portant historical event. If. however, il Il
desirable to celebrate the event 1t should
be done in halls. churches and in our
schools. where men of ability and charac-
tie" may speak appropriately, where funds
may be raised to support charitable insti-
tutions among us and where We may give
thanks to Providence, whose wisdom and
goodness moved CONGRESS to take the initial
toward emancipation and who ordain d that
soon thereafter every American, Of what
ever hue, should be free from the shackles
of physical, moral and intellectual bond
age
Mrs. Terrell also spoke briefly in advo-
| cacy of the resolutions. They were second
ed by Mr.. Spear. and. being put to a vote.
We're unanimously adopted.
Defects i'm High school Building.
Mr.. Harries. from the committee on build
ings and grounds. made "A report of the
results of visits of himself and Mr.. Bond.
superintendent of repairs. to the Western
High School, and other buildings, reported
to be in need of extensive repairs. In
gard to the Western High School he sub
mitted report made by Director Lane,
showing many serious defects in the con-
struction of the building. DIR. Lane re-
ported that none of the floors is effectively
deadened, causing amount of disturb
ance throughout the building that renders
instruction in laboratories or class rooms
frequently an impOssibility. The gymnastic
work of ten girls i'll light rubber-soled shoes
in the gymnasium, he says, produces in the
study hall below the effect of a troop of
cavalry. The passage of one or two stu
dents along the second floor corridors
makes it necessary to interrupt lecture
work or devotional exercises in the assem-
bly, hall below. These cases are cited as
Illustrative of the general condition.
Throughout the building, says DIR.
Lane. there are evidences of bad work
manship in the laying of floors. In the
gymnasium the joists supporting the floor
have sagged. leaving the floor in three
uEdulating waves. Along the line of The
iron girders the boards have raised and
hGpn hr-,l ,lzaya In its Sgrot g
| floor is dangerous to students using he
gymnasium.
The boilers have been strained to their
utmost capacity, yet it has been impoSst-
BILE to maintain proper temperature in many
of the rooms in severe weather. 1t is sus-
pected that this is due rather to the open
ness of the building than to the made
quacy of the engines and boilers. As
basis for this conclusion, during windy
weather there is a very percepuble draft
about all the windows. and during the
storm of February IL snow was lodged In
piles on the inside of every window ledge
and heaped about the opening of every
cold air exit. In the study hall there was a
drift fifty-four feet long and averaging lla
feet deep. In the mezanne toilet rooms
much snow drifted through the skylights.
Three hundred tons of coal have been con-
sumed since the beginning of school. l
have the authority Of the janitor for the
statement that this is more coal than Is
consumed in the same time at the Tenley
town power house.
Faulty Woodwork.
"Much Of the woodwork in the building
is shrinking and warping. resulting in open
ings in the wainscoting and about the base
boards, Here and there it is possible to
| look out of doors through such gaps.
THE fiat roof over the wings gave seri-
Gus trouble during the recent storms. Pre-
sumably the roofs are too fiat to drain
effectually. and the coping about the edges
hn
February IL vast quantities of snow ac-
cumulated on the roof. Although the men
attempted to remove the snow prior to the
10th, serious trouble resulted through the
thaw and heavy rains. The down spouts
Were frozen and the water stood over one
foot deep on the roof percolatng through
the crimped seams and coming down
through the building in torrents. 1t is esti-
mated by the janitor that 2.01 gallons
of water came through the roof at that
time.
Mr.. Harries made running comments on
this report. which the committee had ac-
cepted as its own, and Indicated what was
necessary for the immediate repair of the
building. In the discussion which followed
general surprise was expressed at the de-
plorable condition of the Western High
School, in view Of the fact that the building
has only been occupied about year, and
was supposed to be in perfect condition.
Mr.. Harries explained that under the pres
ent system all the work of inspecting school
buildings while in progress of erection
comes directly under the inspector of build
ings of the District, a subordinate of the
District Commissioners, and the school
trustees have only to do with subsequent
repairs. He did not know how such defec-
tive work as had been found on the West
ern High School had passed inspection, but
the fact that it did satisfied him that a
reform in the methods of inspection was
necessary to the proper construction of
their school houses.
Other buildings.
In regard to other buildings in bad condi-
ton the committee reported as follows:
Chevy Chase School-The roof of this
building is in very bad condition. Numer-
Gus seams have burst on account of insuffi-
cient soldering. The paint is of very poor
quality and is coming off in many places
Owing to the construction of the ornamental
baIuStrades on the roof ii is impossible to
get TO the cutters in some places in order
to repair same without taking down a Dor
ton of the balustrades. There are no means
o. draining areaways. The flashing over all
the windows is very bad water beating
through and staining the wall every time it