Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-05
the William Ludlow. affordng accommo-
dations for about 780 pupils.

the congestion on Columbia Heights, and
the Henry T.. Blow, an eight-room build
Ing In the sixth division. which will relieve
the Pierce and Webb schools, will be oc-
oupied early in the next school year while
appropriations have been made for the
erection of new eight-room building in the
NTH division, the Anthony Hyde. and one
in the thirteenth. division, the Francis L..
Cardozo. The latter buildings will be ready
Tor occupancy in the fall of 1905,
The new Business High School building
VIII probably be finished before January
|, 1906.
The crowded condition Of the class rooms
IN the Mckinley Manual Training School
building, which still necessitates the use
OF two school rooms in the Henry building
and one in the Central High School build
Ing, makes it imperative that an extension
OF TINS building contemplated in the orig
inal plans should be built at the earliest
possible day
The land needed for future extension of
the armstrong Manual Training School
snould also be purchased. These. with the
other more pressing needs, were recon-
mended in their estimate by the Commits
sloners. who also transmit all the recon-
menuations of the board Of education for
additional buildings.
Inc necessity Of providing a suitable
nome for the Washington Normal School,
NO. l, grows more serious in the esti-
iuduoi or the board of education every
year. 1t has been found necessary in order
70 supply our local demand for trained
teachers to increase the membership of
.ns schoo!. Owing to the discontinuance
OF the Hearst kindergarten Training
school, whence our chief supply OF trained
hinoergarteners has heretofore been drawn.
the BOARD of education has thought it best
70 organize kindergarten department In
tue normal school. which has still further
Increased the enrolment, and as the new
department OF Normal School No. / could
~, Us accommodated in the Franklin build
Zig. ,ara,,,, ~ was necessary to occupy rented
premises in the neighborhood
for THESE reasons 1t becomes mora fropor
thAl each year to secure q site for a per-
mahent home for this school, as has here
tolore peen recommended, with ground
enough TOT normal school building such
practlce schools rs are needed and grounds
ior school gardening. Such a site NAV be
Iound IN the lots adjoining the John w.
ross school on the east, extending to
Eieventh street. and southwark on Eleventh
street to Princeton street It is hoped that
favorable action will be obtained from
congress at Its next session looking to the
purchase of this ground
IN spite OF the increase in the school en-
roiiment, the provision for new buildings
which has been made during the last few
years, VIII cause a marked reduction in the
NUMBER or halliday schools above the sec
ond grade
Notwithstanding the steady Increase In
the number of graduates from our high
schoois and manual training schools the
number of girls entering the normal school
NO. to be trained as teachers is much
smaller than formerly, and for the last two
years no boys have applied for admission
Meanwhile the demand for trained teachers
increases, and during the year just closed
the losses caused by the frequent changes
IN the teaching corps exhausted the entire
ilst OF ellg1b!es of the normal school and
1t was found necessary to repIenish our
teaching force as vacancies occurred by the
selection of such graduates of approved
norman schools elsewhere as could be in
nYv,n 70 yUorl Il
every instance these were persons who had
relatives or friends living here. which In
part oVercame the objection to the small
remuneration offered. A better scale of
salaries, particularly In the higher grades
and principalships, would induce more of
our own graduates to choose the profess
sion OF teaching and would attract some
young men to- the normal school. 49,
We are now suffering, on the one hand,
from the loss of experienced teachers who
go elsewhere to get better living salaries.
and, on the other hand, from q diminished
output or trained normal school graduates
In arranging a permanent scale of sal
aries for teachers and school officers 1t
should be kept in mind that It is not the
salary paid to the beginner that deter
mines the character of the pay schedule.
but the assurance that continued and eff
cient service will be rewarded by a sub
stanttal increase Of pay
The initial salary in Washington Is not
much below that paid to teachers in cities
A weak
our method of paying teachers, in the judg-
ment of the superintendent of schools, lies
In the absence of any definite annual or
periodical advance after reasonable term
of effective service. If this is corrected
the outflow Of seasoned teachers from
which we have suffered for number OF
years, will be checked. 1t will also serve
as an inducement to the graduates Of our
high schools to choose teaching as a per-
manent occupation.
Public Fairgrounds.
Congress, at the last session. in conse-
quence of the recommendation by the Com
missioners. made provision for public play
grounds to the extent of appropriatins
$3.50 for those connected with the public
schools, and $1,000 for those not so con-
nected, the former appropriation to be ap-
piled TO equipment. the latter to equipment
and maintenance These were understood
to be experimental appropriations, made
in view of the successful efforts of the COM
mittee Of citizens to maintain public play
grounds through private contributions. The
appropriations were expended in co-opera-
ton with the citizens committee which
raised $1,350 from the citizens to supple
ment the amount of the appropriation, and
such good work was done in nineteen play
grounds that the Commissioners felt war
ranted, in the interest of the children of
the community, in recommending an esti-
ground site selected by the citizens COM
mittee as the one that should be first pur-
chased. and also S12, 800 for the equipment
and maintenance of general and public
school Fairgrounds.
Large expenditures for this form of pop
ular education have been made in num-
Der Of the large cities OF the country with
such satisfactory results that the practice
of making such appropriations has been
we'll established and with general approval
The Public Library.
The report of the trustees OF the Public
Library of the District Of Columbia shows
that the year was one of forward move
ment in every department in the library's
activities.
There were 1892 volumes added to the
book collections and the net strength of
the library at the end of the year was
73O45 volumes. There was an increase of
II per cent in the number of registered Dor
rowers, Of whom there were S,779 at the
end of the year. The total home circula-
ton of books was 353, 483, an increase of
rs ,3OS volumes. gain of Fl per cent
over the previous year. The daily circula-
ton Increased from sos, the figures OF last
year. to 1,146. With this great increase In
circulation there was a decrease Of - per
cent In the proportion of fiction circulated
In the juvenile department the increase in
circulation was SO per cent over last year,
accompanied by a reduction in the proper
ton of fiction circulation Of 16 per cent.
The attendance in the reference reading