The Washington times., 1906-09-14
FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER II. 1906.
A Rare Opportunity.


the District, the President had Sec
retary Loeb write that he would
''be glad for any comments the
board may care to make" The
Times thinks this presents a fine
opportunity for the Board of Edu-
cation TO strike for better school
buildings while the iron is flaming
hot. The Presidents purpose is
plain enough The very beginning
of Mr.. Loeb's letter-"As it is pos
sible the President may wish to re-
fer TO educational matters in the
District of Columbia in his annual
message 10 Congress''-means and
can mean nothing else than that
Theodore Roosevelt has IA keen per-
sonaI interest in the condition of
our schools and intends to keep
Congress alive TO their needs.
The Reynolds report dealt mainly
with two phases OF the local school
situation. 1t assumed that its pro-
fessional needs were met by the
new school law. 1t noted that
the night school and public lee
ture systems had accomplished ex-
cellent results and should be ex-
tended. But it emphasized, first
the need for an industrial training
in the lower grades which would
enable the child who cannot under
take a high school course to go to
work from the grammar school with
the advantage of some industrial
training. The second point was
that the physical development Of
the child should be furthered by
abundant playground space, gymna-
sium equipment, and shower baths.
Everyone who has followed the
course of our school system for the
past ten years must have been i'm
pressed with the need for upbuild-
ing the graded schools. The new
superintendent had hardly looked
over the field before he felt justified
in saying, The District is well
enough off for high school and spe-
cial courses. What it reeds is more
strength in the grammar and pri-
mary departments" This general
reinforcement OF the first eight
years in the schools can easily carry
with it an expansion OF the inter-
mediate courses in manual training
and domestic science, and it ought
to do so.
Replying TO that portion Of the
report win be a simple matter. But
the special opportunity lies in the
direction of Mr.. Reynolds other
recommendation.
Of course, the schools should safe
guard the physical strength of the
children. Of course, Fairgrounds
and gymnasium appliances are es-
sential to that development. Equal
", Of course, our schools are now
woefully lacking in equipment for
that work.
But this is not the Districts fault
and the District is powerIess to
remedy the shortcoming-aIone.
Congress must help, and no one can
advise Congress of the necessity for
its help with so much effect as
Theodore Roosevelt. If the board
Is awake to the chance offered by
this letter it viii not fail to tell
him plainly, directly, and as force
fully as may be:
That there is not a single school
in the District of Columbia with a
playground decently equipped, ex-
cepting the two or three which have
been developed through the semi
private enterprise of a citizens
Fairgrounds committee.
That shower baths and gymna-
sium appliances are wholly lacking.
That instead of fighting for such
extras, the District has had to con-
tend for ordinary, unadorned, cheap
desk room.
That the $4,000 school children of
the District are now in quarters
some of them brand-new-which do
not compare tavorably with those
Of many a city of only $4,000 popu-
lation.
That even of such quarters as
these the District has not enough,
and spent last year S15,136 renting
private houses, lofts. rookeries of
every description, for the holding
of ordinary, everyday sessions.
That at last there is hope TO bet
ter these conditions through the
which Congress created
by the new school law.
And that it is TO be hoped the
President viii see his way to urge /
upon Congress the advisability of |
favorably the recommends