The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-06-02
OUR SCHOOL CONDITION.
1Seed Better Facilities-Lack Of Them
Set Out Strongly Should Have
Attention.

S' sN''i 'Ho CouNltlOH OIL tie
schools i'll Newberry had been con-
siderably discussed in the civic as
soclation; i'll fact, it went to such an
extent that u communication was
. sent to the board of trustees. callino
their attention to existing conditions.
and asking for improvements along
certain lines if possible.
The program committee of this club
thought that since some Of our MEM
@bers had not come into touch with this
discussion III the civic association il
would be we'll to bring subject of
such vital Importance to the atten-
ton OF the Woman's Club, ask the
emembcrs to enter into Il full and free
discussion, thereby, perhaps, accom-
pllsllhg some good III the end.
The remarks in this paper will be
confined entirely to the Boundary
street school. Since the West End
building belongs to corporation and
IS supported entirely by that cor
poratlon, it would seem prcsumptuous
to take them to task in this way for
any dcreliction on their part.
On the other hand the Boundary
~strcet school building is owned bv the
taxpayers of the town, the teachers
are employed by board of trustees
elected by the people: and, since pub
nc office is public trust, they arc
Irresponsible to the taxpayers for the
{Eood management or the mismanaoc
kNnent of affairs
AS we all know this building is
dcally located, on high and com
&nandlng rmincncc, and as convenient
10 all parts Of the town as is possi
Die when everything else is taken in
, to consideration. At the time il was
t'llt there was no more up-to-datc
chool building in the State, and it
Was then entirely adequate for all
necessary purposes.
That day has passed, however, and
the crowded condition Of some of the
rooms with the poor accommodations
provided in others, calls in no un-
certain tones for the taxpayers ia get
Saogethcr and do something The mat
s#er has been discussed with the trus-
ysecs and they show clearly that they
gre powerlcss to make improvements
except t" very limited degree.
Public spirited citizens met last
Year to discuss the situation, and il
committee was appointed To draft Il
bill to be presented to the lcgisla-
turc mcreasin" the school facilities.
AS all of us know the bill failed to
become Il law, and who was to
blame? Echo answers who? How any
Same person can go into some Of those
i'oomS. see the crowded conditions
there, and then use his influence to
keep these conditions, or not use his
. influence TO remove them, let the poll
tical cost be what it may, passes un-
dcrstanding.
:. Let me give you few figures. The
second grade is hcrdcd in room
30x2l approximately with a ceiling
eight feet high. Think Of it-sixty
children in a basement room of these
dimensions! Necessarily the windows
are very small. the light exceedingly
poor, and besides it is heated bv a
stove giving off its noxious gases to
further poison the lungs of the lit
tie creatures already dull from the
foul air they are compelled to breathe
and rebreathe. Surely the mothers Of
Ncwbcrry do not realize it!
DR.. Billings. who is authority on
the subject of ventilation. says that
school buildings should be so con-
Structcd as to provide 100 cubic feet
of air per hour for each person. Make
the calculation-cach of these child
ren on cold day will have about 81
cubic feet instead Of the 1900 neccs-
Sary.
Are the conditions in the first
grade any Improvement The ceiling
lis higher, it is true. being about 10
1-2 feet, but not window can be
lowered from the top. The desks are
crowded right up to the windows, so
that on II cold winter day, the win
dows cannot be raised without en-
danGcring the lives Of the children
sitting near them. Consequently the
air is brcathcd and rcbrcathed.
Among those IS children are found
representatives from homes Of all de-
grccs Of refinement Of lack of it.
GcrmS Of diSraSr haNc 4 fcriiln soil