Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-22
AT THE MOTT SCHOOL
EXISTENCE OF INsANITARY
CONDITIONS DENIED.
Board of Education Mseting-Dates
for Commencement Exercises
Of High Schools.

The condition of the Mott school building
was discussed by the board of education
last evening. Rev. ID. &c. wiseman and
Mrs A NJ. Curtis appeared before the
board and reiterated their statements re-
garding the condition of the building.
DIR, kingsman, chairman OF the commit
tee on sanitation, denied, on behalf of the
board that the health of the children Is
Jeopardized by the sanitary conditions Of
the Mott school or that their eyesisht can
be impaired by the light in the rooms.
The specifications made by DR.. Wiseman
and Mrs. Curtis were taken up In turn and
a denial made that the actual conditions
are such as set forth. DIR. Kingsman sad:
IF the health of the children attending
the Mott or any other school was endan-
gered by the insanitary conditions / am
sure this board would close up the school
and permit the children to remain st home
before assuming the responsibility for caus-
ing the spread of disease"
Concerning the condition of the Mott
School. Mrs. Curtis said today: After
reading my paper last evening before the
board of education as to the actual condt-
lions that I found to exist at the Mott
School Dr. Kingsman acknowledge that
at the time of my speech at the Capitol
three weeks or more ago. there haA
been four or five inches of water In the
basement of the said school He claimed
that upon investigating it he found that
the sewer had backed UP and was flowing
into the Mott School basement. This he
said he had Immediately renedied, and
that now there was no water. He also ac-
knowledged that the girls yard was in
just the condition l had stated, that water
collects there early In November and does
not disappear until April or May. He said
that he had recommended it to be filed
II stated that it did not take physician
to tell the people that a damp. wet condi-
ton of yards is hotbed for germs. and
/ still believe that yard to which no
sun can enter to dry up these conditions
is insanitary
las to the discarded we'll he claimed
that the boards on top were firm and
strong, but that the bricks and dirt on the
sides had been washed away. but that he
felt it was safe.
penter shop of the 18th division, he stated
that he found there burning the gas spoken
of by me. and had told the teacher that
dim daylight and gas mixed together was
not good for any childs eyes"
Views of Health Office
In support of his statement that the
Mott School is sanitary, DR.. ,Kingsman sub
mitted a letter addressed to him by Health
officer Woodward, setting forth: Il have
just examined the Mott School building. in
company with DIR. Murray Gait Motter
chief inspector and deputy health officer
Your position, as stated In our converse
ton this morning, is. | believe, correct
The building is old and should be replaced
by a modern structure, but with proper
care on the part of the teachers and the
janitor it cannot be regarded as jeopardiz-
ing the health of the pupils.
THE methods of heating and of ven
tilating are not such as would be installed
in a new building, and require more than
ordinary care to obtain the best results
from them. The lighting taken whole,
is not bad In some rooms it is all that
could be desired, and In others not so sat
isfactory. Certainly no normal eyes were
ever made blind by working in such light
as this but ding affords and if defective
eyes were injured it must have been due
to failure on the part OF the teacher to use
reasonable care in manipulating window
shades and in seating the pupils under her
care"
High School Commandments.