Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-11
Provision for Guarding Schools
Against Fire Recommendations
tension of Manual Training.


will soon reduce the number of halliday
schools for the present school population
to proper proportions; while the additional
aid extended to the excellent kindergarten
system has been q matter of general con-
graduation"
The board urges the necessity Of adopting
the scale of increased salaries which has
been included in the Commissioners esti-
mates to Congress for the next year, ana IL
also urges the need of several new school
buildings in the rapidly growing suburbs Of
Petworth, Brightwood Park. Chevy Chase
and Tenleytown. The board states that II
regrets that the estimates for new buildings
in these sections have not been allowed to
go forward to Congress.
Prefers a Request.
In this connection the school authorities
in their report say:
I'm submitting its estimates the board,
by unanimous vote, requested that in COM
pliance with the plain provisions Of the
law establishing the board of education its
estimates might go to Congress in the form
In which they were submitted without elm
nation, but, of course, with such recon-
mendations as the Commissioners might see
fit to make. This would comply with the
evident intent of the law to annually afford
Congress information of what the board Of
which by law has exclusive juris-
dction of the administration of the schools,
believes the best interests of the schools re-
Quire."
With reference to this comment in the
board of education's report the Commits
sioners today made the following state
ment:
THE Commissioners have included in
their estimates the recommendations of the
board of education, but those which the
Commissioners thought could be deferred,
in view of the other demands upon the
rtaff ion, Fl hyy fhn nj i'm
of the District were placed in the notes,
so that Congress might see what the board
of education had recommended. The Com
missioners could not recommend all that
were proposed by the board of education
without swelling too largely the total, and
therefore they included in their own recon-
only those which were repre-
scented to them to be of the most pressing
necessity. deferring those which might be
deferred
Safeguards Recommended.
The report points out the necessity of
making the school buildings safe against
possible accidents from fire. and the pur-
chase of additional land surrounding the
schools. to be used as Fairgrounds for the
pupils is advocated. A very important adj
vance has been accomplished during the
year in high school work. according to the
board. in the arrangements made for adding
the city.
The purchase of a square of land as
site for a new normal school in the north
ern suburbs Is strongly urged by the board
In Its report. With reference to the pro-
posed enlargement Of the Mckinley Man
ual Training School the board says:
One of the most pressing needs of the
school system Is the extension of the Nc
Kinley Manual Training School. 1t has
been crowded beyond its capacity since its
first year and at present cannot accommo-
date nearly all who desire to enter. The in
crease In the number of those desiring the
practical education OF both colored and
white manual training schools Is phenome-
raj. 1t can only be met by a prompt ex-
tension of present accommodations. and
this the board most earnestly recommends
TO Congress as most urgent need"
superintendent Stuart's Report.
The report OF Superintendent A. T.
Stuart of the public schools is submitted
to the Commissioners along with the re-
port of the board of education. From this
report 1t is ascertained that the entire en-
rollment for the year was 49,7S9 an in
crease of LOLA, or 214 per cent over the
preceding year. The whole number of
teachers provided in the appropriation act
was 1,425-965 white, $50 colored.
This number includes IS kindergarten
teachers-52 white and % colored-whose
salaries were not scheduled in the appropri-
alton act, but were included in the gross
amount allowed for kindergarten instruc-
ton.
/, The number Of male teachers, including
supervising principals and directors. was
176. and the number of female teachers
], 249. There can be no material increase
in the number of men teachers" says the
until better pay is Of
fered. AS it Is now, there is no inducement
for talented young man to turn to the
profession Of teaching for livelihood in
Washington.
The schools were In session ISL days
The night schools enrolled 1 500 pupils and
continued "A nights. or the entire enroll
ment Of the schools, 1888, or $50 per cent,
were in the Kindergarten; 43,973, or sell
per cent. were in the first eight grades;
2. 769. or 5.56 per cent in the high schools;
946 or 1.9O per cent, in the manual train
ing schools. and 1853 or .s3 per cent. in the
normal schools.
The following school buildings were dedi-
Gated and coupled for school purposes dur
Ing the year: James B. Edmonds, Samuel
e. Wheatley. Edwin L. Stanton, Abby s.
Reno and additions to the Brookland
Cranch and Takoma schools were also occu-
pied. With an average of Is pupils to
room these buildings add 207O to the seat
ing capacity of the schools. Early in the
school year 1904-5 1t Is expected that two
new eight-room buildings will be occupied
the Nathaniel Parker Gage and the Will
lam Ludlow, affording accommodations for
Fork Of Medical Inspectors.
Superintendent Stuart praises the work
of the medical inspectors in the schools.
and declares that the results accomplished
have been highly satisfactory. Great i'm
provement In the appearance of the school
yards. it Is stated, has been made by rea-
son of the placing of waste paper recep-
tacles in each school building.
With reference to school gardening Su-
Stuart says:
"A new and valuable feature of the school
garden movement was the effort to interest
the individual pupil In the cultivation OF
plants and flowers at home. To this end
sixty thousand packages OF flower and veg
etable seeds were distributed among the
school children with simple suggestions as
to planting and cultivating them. The re-
ports received by the teachers from pupils
and parents showed a widespread interest
in the project. and the products of these
miniature gardens were abundant enough
during June and September to have made
a creditable flower show In every school
house. I have reason to believe that the
beneficial results of this work among the
children are generally felt In the homes Of
the city and will be more largely felt next
year when the planting of home gardens Is
again undertaken. No one doubts the edu-