Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-13
THE BOARD OF TRADE
CONTINUED from Eleventh Page.)

Adjunct to Public Schools.
Hope is expressed that the public library
under proper arrangements, will become a
| valuable adjunct to the public schools
| The loaning of books to the teachers and
| scholars, 1t is believed, will be of great ad-
| vantage to the scholars of the District
| While the High Schools have libraries of
| good size with librarians in charge, the
| lower grades have little no library priv
| ileges. Mr.. A. T. Stuart, superintendent
| of schools, in a letter to the committee. APP
proves, in the highest terms, the PROPOSE
| ton.
He feels sure it will result In great bene-
fit to the public schools.
The National Education Associa ton has
| declared Itself as earnestly in favor of the
| largest possible use of the public libraries
| by the pupils of the public schools, and
gives at length sound reasons for such a
policy.
! The committee is of the opinion that, upon
| the completion of the public library, it will
| be practicable and desirable to establish
| branch libraries in East and West Wash
ington. and. when necessary, In other parts
| of the District. The committee quote in
| their report the views of Mr.. Putnam, the
librarian of the Congressional Library,
which he ably and forcibly expressed in
respect to the proper needs and necessities
OF the city library. The public library, he
says, should not depend upon individual do
new, clean. popular books; several copies of
volumes in demand; of some books as many
as fifteen to twenty-five COPIES including
| special books to be used in schools. The
! only criticism he would make on the eSti-
| mates for the library would be that they
| are far below what will be required for the
| residents of the District, if they are to en-
| JOY library facilities, equal to those sup
| piled in other cities of the United States of
| equal population. Mr.. Putnam forsees
| upon the opening of the library in the new
library building sudden enlargement Of
| its usefulness and the necessity for an i'm
| mediate exhaustion of jtS
The establishing and opening of this mag
nificent circulating public library, to be en-
Joyed for all time to come, will mark an
Important and memorable epoch in the his
tory of Washington.
Public Order.
The committee on public order has given
considerable attention to the condition and
needs of the police force of the District of
Columbia. They refer to the recommen-
| dation in the annual report of the major
OF police for increase of force of all grades
making part of the employees sergeants:
that the contingent fund be increased to
$4,000, or $4,000 more than appropriated
Tor the current year, to enable the depart
ment to purchase necessary equipments and
accommoda tons. A new station house in
East Washington. and a substation at Ten
ieytown are approved They state that
the new house OF detention for prisoners of
tender years and for women, which has
been established. has proved q success
Further appropriation is asked for its MAIN
tenance.
The proposed civil service examinations
of applicants and candidates for promo
ton in the police force is approved
The committee also urges that receipts
from dog licenses be applied to the police
pension fund, which is used for those who
may be injured or die in the line of duty
and those dependent on them
The committee will ask the board of
trade to recommend that the Commission
ers be empowered TO authorize the string
ing of burglar and alarm wires in outlying
districts, which IS necessary because of
| inadequate police protection. The force is
| overtaXed and consequently its work i'm
| paired. The adoption of the recommends
tons and suggestions of the committee will
secure a higher standard of police eff
cheney and better protection in the Dis
trict of Columbia.
The Public Schools.
The committee on public schools refer in
their report to the important change that
has taken place in the public school system
during the past year, substituting the board
| of education, composed of seven members
| with powers clearly defined by statute, in
| place of board of trustees of eleven mem
| bers, with authority deemed insufficient
over the management of school affairs.
The new board Of education invested thus
with definite powers, becomes entirely re-
spCnSible for the proper admins tra ton of
school matters, and should have the cor
dial support of the board of trade and of
the people of the District of Columbia The
committee correctly state that a public
school system should fit a child for active
life. There may be diverse reasons as to
the means; there cannot be any as to the
desired results. The board of education,
DESTROYS of fitting our children for active
life. will undoubtedly lend all their en-
ergies to SO mold our system that the best
results may be attained.
Liberal appropriations for the schools are
recommended, particularly in the way of
school accommodations and for salaries of
teachers in the lower grades. 1t Is also
urged that all children of school age should
have whole days sitting in adequate school
houses instead of fractional parts of days
and be taught by competent teachers. The
committee calls the attention of the board
of trade to the subject of additional school
houses and more complete accomnoda-
tons; to the desirability of play grounds;
commends the manual training school sys-
| tenn and expresses satisfaction that by the
| efforts of the board of trade ample and
! suitable buildings are soon to be erected
| for this branch of public school work. The
| kindergarten part Of the public school sys-
| tenn is earnestly approved, and better facili-
| ties and accommodations urged for the
Business High School.
After making some further recommended
| tens and comments upon the efficiency of
| the teachers in all grades, the report con-
cludes by urging Upon the Washington
board of trade unity OF effort with the
| school authorities for the betterment of
| our schools and hearty cooperation in OBJ
| tanning liberal appropriations, together with
| earnest and solicitous regard for the public
| schools and the efforts of the school au-
| thorities in thejr behalf"
Rivers and Harbors.
The committee on rivers and harbors re-
ports that after several years Of delay in
| dredging the Virginia channel above Long
| bridge new contracts have been entered
| into and the work IS progressing satisfac-
| torily. 1t is expected that by the end of
| the present fiscal year vessels drawing
| twenty feet Of water can reach the harbor
| Of Georgetown.
| On the Washington side of the channel,
| east of the Potomac fats, the wharves are
| in dilapidated condition for the most part,
many of them having little water. not ad-
| Knitting in the slips vessels of over ten feet
| draft except at extraordinary high tides
| The land on this water front has been de-
| cided by the Supreme Court of the United
| States to be the property of the govern
ment, to be taken possession of after fair
| compensation Is allowed and paid No ac-
ton has been taken by the United States
| district attorney under this decision. In
| the opinion of the committee proceedings
| should be instituted to recover this prop
| erty TO be followed with suitable improve
ments for placing it in good condition.
| II Is recommended that aDDrOpriatiOns he