The Washington herald., 1908-04-03
SAFETY COMES FIRST
Commissioners Take Issue
with the Board.
MINOR REPAIRS INADEQUATE
Inconvenience TO Pupils and Teach
ers Not to Be Considered in Com
parisOn with What Might Happen.
Chief Engineers Recommendation
Could Not BE Carried Out.

''The Commissioners regret they can
not agree with the board Of education in
its suggestion of minor changes in the
Mccormick and Potomac school buildings
as a means OF continuing all the schools
held in those buildings"
In answer TO the letter from the board
Of education received by the Commits
sioners on Wednesday. the Commissioners
replied in the above manner TO which
they added:
THE Commissioners cannot take the
responsibility Of disregarding the recon-
mendations OF the chief engineer Of the
fire department. which he stated TO be
urgent. and which. therefore. the Com
missioners Immediately transmitted to the
board Of education for appropriate ac-
ton"
PatchinE-up Not Enough.
Recommendation were made by the
board that the two school buildings should
be patched up. and suggestions were made
for certain temporary repairs and addi-
tions. TO be undertaken at once from the
appropriations for repairs 10 school build
ngs. In reply TO this Commissioner Mac
farland said the Mccormick and Potomac
school buildings will have 10 be closed
partly or wholly. and the pupils provided
for elsewhere.
In case OF FIRE al either OF these school
buildings" the Commissioners wrote in
yesterdays letter. the consequences
might be OF the most serious character
The Commissioners cannot agree that the
Inconvenience that might be caused 10
pupils and teachers by partly or wholly
closing the school buildings in question
can be seriously considered in comparison
with what might happen TO the pupils and
teachers If they are continued in build
ings, OF such dangerous character.
No Funds Available.
Nothing less than the execution Of the
chief engineers recommendations will sat
isfy the Commissioners or the community
that these buildings are safe. II is. Of
course. impossible 70 make the changes
recommended by the chief engineer out
OF the repair fund. The fund was never
intended for any such purpose, and the
balance remaining would not suffice for
this purpose. even if # were all taken.
and no repair made to any other school
buildings for the rest Of the fiscal year.
The appropriations asked for by the
Commissioners upon the new estimates
for fire protection improvements. pre-
pared al their request by the board OF
education, has not been made as yet. and.
IL made. may not be available az an
early day
Moreover. since tie new Mccormick
School building is expected 70 be ready
for occupancy when the public schools
open in the fall II is questionable
whether any extensive reconstruction
should be made
The Commissioners regret in the case
OF the Potomac School building that the
board of education did not submit in its
estimates of former years an estimate
for a new building FOR this school. one Of
the oldest and poorest now in use. The
Commissioners approved the estimate
submitted by the board Of education in
October last for the purchase Of a site
for new building for the Potomac
Scnool, and shall approve the estimate
just received from the board Of educa-
ton for a new building for that school"