The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-04-27
new BUILDING
A NECESSITY,
Gladstone Avenue School HOUSE
Unfit for Pupils.
Is SMALL AND UNSANITARY.
Cantats Street Amer 10 Old Voting Room
Is Pronounced 10 Be q Per.
feet Disgrace.

II all that is said about the Gladstone
avenue school house is fact. and the
story does not appear 70 be denied Il
is indeed time that something should be
done to remedy the existing evil.
This schoolhouse, which was a gram
mar school in the town OF North Provi-
dence 80 years ago, is located ON Chalk
stone avenue. between Candace street
and Douglas avenue. and contains only
four rooms. which are badly ventilated
and, in fact, is an altogether unsanitary
structure
The toilet arrangements are OF the
most primitive kind. and thoroughly in
adequate, the rooms are small and poorly
lighted and altogether the building Is
far too small for the large attendance OF
children in the neighborhood, who are
OF primary school age.
II is for this reason that the members
OF the school committee of the Third
ward are 50 dcsirous OF having the pres
ent structure torn down, ana an eight
room primary school house built on the
same location, and IL is stated that it
would be economy for the city TO pursue
this course
oDoRS ARE OFFENSIVE.
According to the teachers at the Chalk
stone avenue school the school attend
ance is made UP of children OF many
nationalities. and unfortunately many OF
them are not kept AS clean as they
might be by their parents.
These teachers say that on wet days
when the children come into the school
Ia damp garments, the odors I'm the
rooms are very offensive, and the build
ing is so constructed that IL cannot bo
properly ventilated.
IL windows are opened the children will
catch colds and probably contract serious
Illness, and all of these things have
been fully Investigated by the commit
tee OF the ward.
The present proposition is for the city
70 buy strip OF land adjoining the pres
ent school lot. and this can be done at
a small cost IL it Is done without delay,
and this would give ample room for a
modern eight-room school house
The matter is now In the hands of the
committee on relations to the city conu-
Gil OF the school committee, and their re-
port viii probably be made at the next
meeting OF the committee In May.
II is A DISGRACE.
Bad. however, as the Gladstone ave
nue. school house is, IL Is a model OF ele-
ganee and comfort as compared with the
Candace street annex, which takes the
overflow OF the Chslkstone avenue school
This annex IL held i'm the old voting
room in the fire station at the junction
OF Smith and Orms, and is a disgrace 20
any city that aspires to common decency
and progress.
In spite of the fact that from IS TO 90
pupils, boys and girls are quartered in
fs hIlf mn oil Ar
and those who have visiteu the place say
that IL is an outrage to allow this ar
10 exist any longer.
The ceiling OF the room is broken away
in many places. and everytime there is a
heavy rain the water comes down into
the room and the pupils have to be shift
cd from place TO place TO keep them from
getting wet.
This is a state OF things that anybody
who visits this Candace street annex can
see for themselves. and yet it has been
allowed TO go on for some time.
THE CLASSES INTERFERE.
But there are also other bad features
at this annex which should call for inn
mediate remedy, and IL Is thought strange
that the committee on school houses OF
the school committee has not already
seen the necessity for aCrtOU-
There are two classes in this room.
which mas no partitions, and TWO teach
ers. and the result il that the children
are compelled to speak I'm very subdued
tones. otherwise the class woould great
~ annoy the other, and studies would be
Impossible
Then the heating OF the room Is bad
This heating is done by big stove placed
near the centre OF the room. and the re-
suit is that some of the children are al
most roasted, while others sit and shiv-
or.
These are some OF the worst features,
but they seem 10 be sufficient i'm them
selves to show that a new school house
has become a matter OF urgent necessity.