Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-02
FAVOR NIGHT SCHOOLS.
East Washington Citizens
Record Their Views.
CROSS-TOWN RAILWAY
EFFORT TO BE MADE TO INDUCE
CONGRESS TO PROVIDE.
Review of Conditions as Presented to
Commissioners Respecting Route
of Proposed Road.
CROSS-TOWN RAILWAY

| n
sented In the East Washington Citizens As
ISOLATION. have determined to secure an in
creased appropriation for the night schools.
In order that they might learn something of
| the manner in which the schools are con-.
| Quoted and get an idea of what is needed.
they invited Mr.. Elliott Kramer, director of
| the night schools. to address them last
night.
| The director accepted the invitation and
his remarks were listened to attentively by
those who were present at last nights
monthly meeting of the association Fol-
| lowing the address Mr.. NJ. l. Weller sug-
gested that the Commissioners should make
an effort to expend on the night schools
| about five times the amount that is now
| being expended.
Mr.. Kramer said the amount of the APP
| preparation this year for the night schools
| is $500, and Mr.. Weller suggested that
$4,000 should be appropriated. The director
| of the schools said that an effort is being
| made to piece out the school work in order
to make the season last longer. Early clos
ing of the season, he stated, causes pupils
| to lose interest and keep some OF them
from returning the next year.
Mr.. Kramer stated that he had been en-
| gagged in the night school work for about
sixteen years. and he fully realizes its i'm
| portance. In a way he thought the night
work was of more Importance than that
| done in the day.
| "For the day schools" he stated good
| teachers are necessary, but much better
ones, in many particulars, are needed for
| the night schools"
| He explained that there are seven night
1 schools in this city at present, four white !.
| schools and three for colored pupils The
white schools are In the Franklin, Jener-
| son, Gales and Business High School build
! ings, while the coored schools are In the
| Stevens, Randall and Armstrong Manual
Training School buildings. These schools.
| he stated, are practically completely
equipped. He told of the work that Is
done in the carpenter shop. cooking and
sewing schools, and was particularly en-
thusiastic over the work that Is done In
the Armstrong building. There is a COM
plete boiler and electric plant in the build
| ing. and colored men are given instruc-
| tions and fitted to accept and properly NIL
janitors' places in fats and apartment
| houses.
| Schools Made Practical.
First of all, said Mr.. Kramer, ii is neces-
sary to make these schools practical. and
| this has been done. 1t is a mistake to. at
| tempt to spread out the appropriation and
| have to put people of too many classes to-
| gether. There are two classes to deal with
| One is the class composed of people who
| have no education whatever, and the
| other is the class composed of the careless
| ones. This latter class. he pointed out, Is
composed of those who became restless at
| about the age of thirteen or fourteen years
and yielded to the tempting offer of sit
| uation with a small salary attached The
stores are filled with just such boys. Later
| on the boy realizes that he needs add-
| tional instruction and goes to night
school If such boy is put next to man
| who cannot read he is likely to lose inter-
Speaking of the ability of the teacher Mr.
Kramer said pupils in the day schools have
| the parents behind them These pupils are
IN..r Tod hat
| night pupils are not. There is therefore, a
| strong moral responsibility attached to the
| work of the teachers of the night schools.
When a teacher of = day school starts out
with forty pupils at the beginning of the
| term. he or she is likely to have thirty-fve
at the end of the season. The teacher OF a
night school who makes a much poorer
showing has done a wonder, and accom-
plished it wholly by the force of her in
tellect
The night schools need constant looking
| after Two years ago, Mr. Kramer stated,
the appropriation was cut but this year 1t
| was restored to what ii was prior to the
reduction. He said an additional white
school is needed in East Washington and
GEORGETOWN, and a colored school In the
Garnet building The keeping of SO many
of these people off the streets at night the
director stated. is quite factor in the mat
| ter of fighting crime. Director Kramer
! told of an interesting work that was inau-
gurated this year at the Franklin building.
This work. he stated, is being done among
II
of them attending the school. These people
represent ten languages. double obstacle
| is presented by some of these pupils, as
they have received no education In their
own language.
Here there is a group of Italians. he
said, land there a group of Greeks Then
you will find a group of Russians who are
| using lettered blocks in learning to spell.
| Upon conclusion of his remarks the men,
bers of the association rendered him vote
| of thanks and elected him a member of the
| association.
Cross-Town Railway.
One of the topics announced for discus
| sion at last nights meeting was the matter
| of a cross-town street railway for East
| Washington. Mr.. w. Mosby Williams.
chairman of the street railway committee.
presented a report of his committee. He
stated that the residents of East Washing
| ton are extremely anxious to have such
| line They are not willing, however, to
sacrifice certain principles laid down by the
| association. He then read his report on the
question, which reviewed the work OF the
association the past year in behalf of the
project.
Public Comfort Stations.
Mr.. Coldren spoke encouragingly of the
prospects of getting two public comfort sta
tons in the city in the near future. He
said the Commissioners would ask for an
appropriation for their erection and main
tenance and he~felt certain that Congress
will make the appropriation.
Mr. Weller asked the chairman of the
| committee if any definite plan concerning
the nature of the stations had been reach
ed. Mr.. Coldren said he thought the sentf-
ment favored the erection of an under
| ground station in front of the new munic-
ipal building and one above the surface
at the southwest corner of Pennsylvania
| avenue and It'll street. The health officer
| and inspector of plumbing, he said, are In
| terested in the question. No provision for
| charging fees, he stated, is contained In the
bill as presented, and the question or
| charging a fee has hardly been discussed.
| Mr. Girourard said he was opposed to the
| establishment of such places with the idea
| that fee Is to be charged.
| Mr. Coldren called attention to the efforts
that are being made to increase the number
| of Fairgrounds and the association voted
| to lend helping hand in the matter.
Mr.. Girouard chairman of the street
| committee, read a lengthy report on the
| different materials used I'm street pave
| nents A synopsis OF his report appears
in another column of The Star.
Mr.. Weller's Query.
| u-bx he ricfd unf