Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-25
ATTACK ON SCHOOLS
New York Magazine Excited
About District Affairs.
CALLS BUILDINGS UNSAFE
Statements Exposed as Misleading
by Board Members.
MINOR MATTERS TAKEN UP
New Sites Considered and PERMITS
sion for Entertainments Granted.
Appointments, Promotions
and Transfers.
CALLS BUILDINGS UNSAFE
MINOR MATTERS TAKEN UP

There is . New York magazine which
In its April number has story dealing
with Washington schools. and which, if
il follows the insinuations of a fiaring
poster issued by the publishers, is GER
tainly a fearful arraignment of some of
the school buildings here. The board of
education had the poster brought TO its
attention yesterday at the close of the
semi-monthly meeting. Supt. Stuart pro-
duced 1t just after the gavel fell for adj
journment.
just so no one will be scared about il,
to quote Capt. James +. Oyster, presi-
dent of the board. the magazine has writ
ten . more or less undertaking article
about conditions in Washington schools
certain buildings. that is-whfch every
one In the school system from Capt. Oys-
ter down is aware of, has been aware of
for long time and which are being
remedied just fast as the law will al
low. The poster is printed in red and
black letters displaying such words as
Death Traps and Disgrace to the Ma
ton and gives photographs of what 1t
considers comes under these heads and
other startling headlines.
Fixed Long Ago.
For instance. death trap No. 1, as per
the poster, is the Potomac School.
Something about the exit appealed to the
magazine writer as being particularly
dangerous. but the exit has been fixed
long ago, and new building will be
seen there before long. Death trap No.
= is the building at 1O1S 10Th street north
west. and a photographer arranged a
group of school children SO as to be
crowded upon a rickety-lookins wooden
outside stairway. From a Photographic
standpoint the children have huddled fine
ly. and if they stood on the staircase
while it was burning some of them
might be injured-but the odd part of it
is that the writer did not discover that
the fearful stairway is never used by
the children-except when being photo
graphed-and the school is entirely lin
ited to the first floor.
Death trap number three is one Of the
numerous exits of the Gage School, Built
at a time when there was not so much
knowledge on the subject of school ar
chitecture as there is today, 1t is not sur
prisng to the school officials that some
criticism is made of some of the features
OF the Gage Schooi-even the school board
and Mr.. Stuart are perfectly frank TO
tell any one that, but the maya zine writer
evidently was unaware of the splendid
new building going up, which will hold
the pupils of the present Gage death
trap And death trap number four
strikes some Of the school experts as very
funny. The poster shows a photograph of
single child standing In basement door
of building recognized by Mr.. Stuart as
the new Gage School. Under the picture
are scathing words, such as '1oathsome."
The hest authorities in Washington say
that basement entrances and exits are
features of all the new schoolhouses In
the country.
Thought It Black Hand Plot.
The poster has caused some excitement
among school children. At the Gage
school the imaginations of the pupils were
Tired by the sight of the flaming thing,
until large proportion Of the boys were
fully convinced that the thing was a
Black Hand scheme, and two youngsters
said that they had seen two rakish-look-
ing men cruising about in the vicinity of
the school, locking blackly toward the
DuiidinS and wearing large false
The routine of the board was confined
10 many small matters Permission was
gwen several schools 10 hold entertain
ments for the benefit of athletic funds.
and other purposes allied with school life
The permission carried with 1t the pro-
Vlso that the school work would nof be
interfered with. Miss NJ. E. Gibbs was
thanked by vote of the board for her con-
Scientious work as substitute for j. c.
Maize during his suspension from the
schools Miss Ruth Doing. a music in
schools There was much talk of school
sites. Capt. Oyster has several letters
from the Commissioners relating to the
purchase OF sites. Some of them he read
TO the board Capt. Oyster said the
commissioners would cooperate with the
board on matters relating TO the equip
ment or Fairgrounds, and Mrs Mussey
made a brief report of the meeting held
TUESDAY to devise ways Of raising money
10 keep the school Fairgrounds going this
summer 1t was decided at that meeting
10 raise money in the schools by an en-
velope collection: and If this is done the
school mana cement will have the biggest
hnger In the school playground pie The
OF those Fairgrounds will probably fall
entirely under the school authorities.
No School Boxing Lessons.
There'll be no boxing lessons from Mr..
SiAsrnith. Mr.. Stuarts official report on
the subject was heard yesterday. MIR.
Stuart told a reporter for The Star that
other instructors-of different caliber
from Mr.. Sixsmith-had wanted to teach
boxing in the schools. One Of them an.
preached Mr. Stuart with movement of
the shoulders common to the gentlemen
of the ring and after putting the PROPOSE
tion to teach boxing said:
How many people you got on the
board Of education?''
Mr. Stuart gravely replied Nine
well. say; can knock EN- all out in
six minutes
Even this paragon did not receive an
appointment
There will be swelling of the chests
among certain members of Company A
Of the cadet regiment. because the hard
recognized TO the extent of being pro-
NOTED. First Lieut.. J. n. Peale has re-
signed. His shoulder straps will here
after be worn by Second Lieut.. l. A. Pelz-