The Washington times., 1907-11-03

AlAt AAlGNLNNAA u A%NtaNAAA6H We-3 ~
Formed;
THAT the toilet rooms. recently torn
mp 10 make Connections with the new
portion of the building which you are
Erecting, have not been restored TO their
tprOper condition. This undoubtedly Il a
.menace to the health OF the children in
that building. and should be corrected
immediately, The 1anitor OF the Pei
worth school says that the contractor
t<oes not propose TO finish up this base
iment until he has completes the addi-
3Tion to the building. / do not see why
this work should not be done at once,
land request that you take immediate
steps TO secure such action
Inspectors Reply.
'.The Inspector Of Buildings makes
Ehis reply:
In regard to the Petworth school. l
would say that the toilet facilities in
tthe present building have not been IN
tterfered WITH and the rOughingln IOr me
Eew work has been completed. The IN
|oector of Plumbing has approved the
work. but viii send out Monday 10 see
that there IS no work LETT diminished
that will be IN any way menace 10 the
pupils. The setting-up or Cne nXtures Is
IA matter that can nave no DeafiHS on
hae sanitary conditions, and in order 70
tavoid Interference with the school viii
probably be attended TO during the
"Tbis letter was dated October %.
Two DAYS later. the Assistant SupeTlh-
1endent wrote the Inspector or BullulhsS
at my direction;
Concerning your statement In
regard to the PetWOTth School, per-
nit me to say that l think your
information is not satisfactory. /
visited that school Friday afternoon.
and was surprised to find the con-
ditiOns as they are. The slate FIX
lures have been taken down, and
the trough in the floor is left par
TALLY filled with mud, and very Of
fensiYe because of the OdOT arising
zherefrOm.
"'This condition would not exist
If the fixtures were in condition to
turn on the water and keep II
flushed. 1t is simply unfit for use,
and / am sure, if you saw 1t, yOu
would not tolerate the condition for
a moment. / realize that the
lrOughing-in for the new work has
been completed. / think that the
work should be completed in the
toilet room being used by the pu-
pills. To leave that room in any
such state as it is at present Is
to invite very serious consequences.
sAs said before, l do not think you
can be aware of the condition in
the PetWOrth basement, or COrrec-
tion of the condition would be made
at once
No Repy Received.
'eThe board has received no reply to
Ahis last letter.
whether the plumbing Is connected
or not, whether the Inspector OF Build
.dngs and the Inspector OF Plumbing
,fhiuk the situation dangerous or not, We
have the testimony Of our own senses
that the basement of the Petworth
FSchOol is unhygienic and the formal re-
perth Of the Health officer that the
rooms Of that basement are UNIT Tor
school uses and the use OF them snouid
he discontinued without delay
II do not regard the answer OF the
Inspector Of Buildings as sufficient when
he SAYS. IN a letter. dated october =
(and submitted heTeWith);
q. The reports OF the Health Onicer
are rather in the form Of criticism and
diuOns. and consequently are not to be
depended upon without further inNesJi-
CATION They are also unnecessarily
alarming and should not be given any
more publicity than possible
Health Officers Duty.
"The Health officer. under the law, is
charged with determining whether or
not school buildings can be occupied
10y the children without danger TO the
health What the Inspector of Build
sings and the Inspector of Plumbing may
think it does not relieve us Of our de-
pendence upon the judgment Of the
Health officer.
''In two of the three cases indicated,
and as 10 one room OF still another build
ing where the defect is due to the de-
sign of the building and not 10 its
sanitary equipment It Is clearly his
Judgment that the buildings cannot be
so used without danger TO the occu-
pants. The third. the Berret, is in a
situation corresponding in all material
respects to that of the Emery and the
Petworth.
1.-The question then is:
shall the children be continued in
eFhese three buildings while their sani-
Iary conditions remain as they are?
The law charges this board with the
responsibility Of answering that ques-
ton. Though we cannot order the re-
pairs we are accountable for the vel
fare OF the children for whom the re-
pairs are needed.
"The parents look to US to con-
slider this problem seriously, and
cOurageOusIy. / think there need
be no thought of summary action
as to these schools until after the
reasonable period required to cor
rect the evil. That, as l read the
letters from the Health Officer, is
the Judgment of the Acting Health
Officer.
But for the exposure ~ the chill
dren to the least danger unnecessarily
] feel that the board would be directly
blamewOrthy. Were one child TO con-
tract disease through conditions such
as now prevail in the Emery, BerTet
and PetwOrth Schools and were il
shown that this board had held that
child subject TO those conditions a single
day longer than need be. / feel that
the fault would undeniably &c ours.
Correction Easy.
"Aft/ the repairs required 10 correct
these condiffans could pqSifv he made