The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-02
FOR ANOTHER SCHOOL
COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY AUX
Hilary EDUCATIONAL BOARD.
WAITED ON GRAND JURY
ASKED APPROPRIATION BE IN
CREASED TO 100000.

Committee Claimed That This Could
Be Done without Increasing the
Tax Rate-1,3 300 COIOred Children
Turned Away From Schools From
Lack of AccOmmOd atiOns, Said the
COmmittee-Submi That no Ne
gro Graduate From Public Schools
Had Ever Been Convicted of Crime.
At the meeting of the grand jury yes
terday a petition was filed by a COM
mittee appointed by the auxiliary edu-
cational board for the purpose of secur-
ing more school accommodations for
the colored children of the city. J. j.
Durham and A. L. Tucker, colored, ap-
peared in behalf of the committee and
presented their appeal
In Supt. Ashmore's report 1t was es-
timated that $37 900 would be required
to build a negro school in the south
western section of the city. The mem
bers of the committee said they would
be glad to get such an appropriation,
but that they considered $4,000 suff1-
Gent, and ask that the grand jury en-
nance the school appropriation from
$50, 900 to 100000
One Of the most striking facts pre-
sented by the petition is that no negro
graduated from the public schools has
ever been convicted of crime in Chat
ham county. Numerous plans were sug-
gested in the appeal read to the jurors
by Rev. Denham, which will be con-
sidered by them in determining whether
to make a recommendation for an in
creased educational appropriation. The
principal facts are set out in the pa
per prepared by the committee, which
follows:
I'VE, the undersigned committee APP
pointed by the auxiliary educational
board of Chatham county, to wait
upon your honorable body for the pur-
pose of securing. il possible, more
school accommodations for the colored
children of the city, beg leave to call
your attention to the following facts:
First. That the four schools now
providing for colored children are in
very crowded condition, some of them
having more pupils than seating ca
pacity.
Second. That so far as we are able
to ascertain by inquiry and observa-
ton, about thirteen hundred Q,3OO) of
those who made application for admit
lance into school this year have been
turned away for lack of room, and
many others that desired to enter
school did not make application be-
cause their parents thought it useless
on account of the limited accommoda-
tons.
Third. That many of those now in
school have to walk long distances.
For instance, some of the pupils in
Fair Lawn School, East Broad street,
come from Brownsville and the ex-
IRENE southwestern part of the city,
and some of those in West Broad
Street School come from the extreme
southern and southeastern part of the
city, and so with the other schools.
Fourth. That, notwithstanding the
long distances many of the pupils
come, and notwithstanding the crowd
ed condition of the four schools now
provided for colored children, yet
there are only about 1880 of them ac-
commodated out of a school popuia-
ton of 1854, according to the census
of 1898, thus leaving 1854 still unpro-
vided for by your honorable body.
Fifth. That the moral effect of
common school education upon our boys
and girls is shown by the fact that SO
far as we have been able to ascertain,
not one of those, who have graduated
from the public schools has ever been
convicted of crime.
sixth. That in view of the above
mentioned facts. and in view of the
fact that by the exercise of economy
and great wisdom, your honorable body
is now able to provide school accom-
modations for every white child in the
city of school age--upon the accom-
plishment of which we do most hearth
ly congratulate you; and in view of the
fact that there are some 1854 colored
children in the city still unprovided for
by your board:
Therefore, your humble petitioners
do most respectfully and earnestly pray
that another school be provided some
where, if possible in the southwestern
part of the city, for the accommodation
of colored children. that at least some
of them may be saved from ignorance
and crime, and made good and useful
citizens"