Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-04

TOT number Of new school buildings
Modern Buildings Needed.
The Morgan School lying on the edge
OF Washington Heights. and practically
the only school convenient thereto. is
should be given to both this school and
the group Of schools On Columbia Heights.
by the erection Of large building on or
near the line of 18th street extended.
The Mott. Abbot and GARFIELD and the
High Street School in Georgetown. all of
should be replaced by modern buildings.
The territory east of the Wailach School
and north of the Buchanan, being that
part Ct {. Capitol Hin situated south Of Lin,
be provided in the near future with an adj
ditional school house.
"Gymnasiums- should be built In connec-
ton with the Central, Eastern and N
Street High schools. and extensive i'm
provements should be made at once In the
| basement Of the Central High School
1.-THE ground east Of and adjoining the
| Armstrong Manual Training School. which
presents at this time the best opportunity
for extending that building, should be pur-
chased without further delay.
There Is demand on the part OF the
citizens living on Grant road for the con-
struction of a school house on the site Tor
merly occupied by co!ored school on that
| road just west Of Connecticut avenue. me
cOlored schools were removed from TINS site
two years ago to occupy new and MOD
ern building at Fort Reno.
"a normal school building for colored
pupils should also be provided. The Miner
known, rented building, which Goes not
afford sufficient accommodations for the
pupils, and Is in neighborhood winch
does not provide pupils for the practlce
IN Toi
THE rapid growth Of Bloomingdale has
already tested the capacity Of the Gage
School to its utmost, and as this is one OF
the buildings originally planned for extern
sion, four-room addition should be built
at an early date Many of our manual
training, cooking and sewing schools are
located in rented quarters. Both for rea-
sons of economy and good administration
buildings should be constructed at conven-
lent points to take the place of rented quar-
tiers or by annexes to existing buildings,
they should be made part of the school
buildings in their respective neighborhoods.
School Centenary.
|. 1.-THE centenary of the establishment of
the public school system was appropriately
celebrated in December. 1905. The Presi-
dent of the United States honored the &C.
casion by receiving on the afternoon Of
December 10, 1905. in the east room Of the
White House, the Commissioners and for
IIleE COMMISSIONERS the DlStTlct Oh CO.
lumbia; the members of the board of edu-
cation; members of former school boards;
the superintendent of schools and others:
and by a brief address expressing his in
tereSt and pride in the public schools. On
the evening of that day a public meeting
was held In the First CONGREGATIONAL
church, at which addresses were made by
MI. William H. Taft Secretary Of War;
the Board of Commissioners. and Mr. J.
Holdsworth Gordon, the president of the
board Of education. Exhibits of the work
Of the public schools were made on the
the new Business High School and the
Mckinley Manual Training School, for the
white schools. and at the M Street School
and the Armstrong Manual Training
School, Tor the colored schools"
Public Fairgrounds.
The Commissioners are asking in their
annual estimates for provision for the f1-
ture OF the pubic Fairgrounds by the ac-
QUESTION of permanent sites. Experience
has shown that public Fairgrounds are
needed and are successful here, and the
experimental stage having passed it is nee
essary to provide permanent places for
them. During the past summer two Of the
temporary public Fairgrounds were taken by
the owners for other purposes one of them
alter II mad been fitted up for the summers
work. 1t Is obvious economy to buy the nee
esSary sites as quickly as possible and
upon the recommendation of the citizens
committee which has made inquiry as to
sites and prices. the Commissioners have
recommended an appropriation Of $1OO 600
for this purpose for the next fiscal year.
together with $4,000 for the preparation Of
sites that may be acquired. 1t is believed
tnat these amounts will provide several ex-
cellent sites where most needed in different
sections of the District. Very much larger
expenditures for this form of popular ed,I-
cation have been and are being made in
witt g.
and 1t Is believed that Washington should
not be behind in this important matter.
ihe Commissioners desire to acknowledge
the volunteer services of many good citi-
zens and their large contributions in money
winch nave demonstrated the necessity and
the value OF public Fairgrounds In the Dis
trict of Columbia.
The Public Library.
The report Of the trustees of the puhI,c
Library OF the District of Columbia with
which Is included the report of the librar-
ian) Indicates that the library in the in
creased quantity and quality of its service
to the public during the past year has
matched the record Of forward movement
shown by Its report Of year ago. In spite
OF serious drawbacks that hamper adequate
development Of its work the library is un-
questionabiy an important factor In the
public educational system of the District.
The book collection was increased from
to,O4o VOiumeS TO ~, 66S volumes. The regis
tered borrowers numbered SO. 800 at the end
Of the year. The total home circulation was
433, O98. an increase of 1900. or a gain of
% per cent over the previous year. The
average daily circulation increased from
1, 146 the figures of the previous year. to
1859 During the past year the library has
circulated into the homes of Washington
1855 GOO more books than 1t did two years
ago CTS. 1856 In 1903-4). The report for 19O4-5
showed decrease OF IL per cent in the pro-
portion of fiction circulated. The past years
report shows a further decrease of 4 per
cent Of fiction circulated, so that the pro-
portion of fiction to the totai circulation
has now been reduced to 68 per cent.
comparison shows that out Of the gain in
circulation Of 1856, 200 volumes in two years
600 volumes were books other than nc
ton. The circulation Of books from the
childrens room increased from 1888 to
81, $40, and the percentage of fiction fell off
5 per cent, so that it now stands at 90 per
cent.
The record of reading room attendance
and use also shows that the library is pro-
gressively better meeting the requirements
Of those who use 1t as place for study
In two years the attendance has increased
from 43, TOO In 1904 to 1926 in 1915 and
to ia, 42S in 49O5-6. The latter figures in
clude 1906 Sunday visitors The attendance
has, therefore, increased "a per cent during
the past year and 281 per cent in two years.
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