The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-13
A TEXT BOOK DENOUNCED
Northeast Citizens Condemn the
Third Reader in Use.
r. IT. Foster Insists That u Is Too Far
Advanced for she Little Children
A Proposed Amendment Adopted
to the SENATE Grndc Crossing Bill
Little Business of Importance.

At a meeting last night of the Northeast
Washington Citizens Association the third
reader now being used in the public
schools of this city and written by Super
intendent of Schools W b. Powell and
Emma Todd, was denounced by +. /.
Foster as being altogether too Tar ad-
yanced for the minds OF the little children
who are daily compelled to study it, A
copy OF the reader, which it is claimed as
a usual thing, is not allowed TO be taken
from the schoohouse, had been procured,
and as an argument against the book sew
eral passages were read, which, in their
complicated sentences and technical words,
were a great surprise to the members OF
the association.
Just think of the inexcusable folly of
thrusting such passage as this before
an infant in the third grade" said mem
Der who read the following from the mid
die pages of the book:
The flower Of the rose is larger than
that of the syringa. The corolla OF the
rose has FIVE or more petals, that OF The
syringa has four or five. The calax has
five sepals, whereas that of the syringa
may nave Tour OF lNt.
There was no action taken by the asso-
ciation however, on the matter.
The first matter brought to the ltten-
tion of the meeting last night was con-
corning the bill providing for the abolish
ment of grade crossings on the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad and for the arrangement
of terminal facilities.
The report of special committee which
had been appointed to investigate the OBJ
jections and merits of the bill recon-
mended that an amendment should be
made TO the bill increasing the width Oh
C Street from New Jersey Avenue 10 First
street at least forty feet The closing Of
+ Street is opposed. There is but little
objection 10 the rest of the bill.
There was much discussion over the re-
port, in which several members took part
Mr.. L. L. Chapel took exception TO the
proposed compromise in the closing OF +
Street.
Several citizens living in F Street or
in that vicinity. entered into lengthy
discussion with Mr.. Chapel, claiming That
the closing of Street would be worse
state of affairs than those which now exist
on the grade crossings
For my part" said Mr. II. II. Martin,
Il should rather there would be no bill at
all than have by il a great number of peo-
pie ruined, while only a few are benefited.
To close F Street. as proposed in the bill,
would be a detriment TO hundreds and
thousands of citizens of this section, while
IT is only matter of dollars and cents to
the railroad company"
Speaking of the Northeastern parks,
which the Baltimore and Ohio proposes TO
absorb. Mr. Martin said
What common council in any other city
of the United States would vote TO donate
ftr ratthlir razqryatinpg In crashing
greedy. corporation that is trying 20 gobble
up the little breathing spaces in the city?
/ trust that the amendments as suggested
by the committee will be adopted"
The discussion followed along these lines
for considerable length Of time, when a
vote was called for, which resulted in the
adoption of the proposed amendments.