Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-06
NEEDS OF SCHOOLS
William V. Cox Defends EsU-
mates of Board of Education.
AIMING AT EFFICIENCY.
Following Recommendations Of the
Schoolhouse Commission.
EXTRAvAGANCE IS DENIED
Address Made to the Columbia
Lack Of Support Charged.

William v. Cox. vice president Of the
board Of education. delivered an interest
ing address before the Columbia Heights
Citizens Association last night on the
work Of the board, which the Peters bill
recently Endorsed by the District Com
missioners proposed to legislate out Of
existence. He was followed by Capt.
James r. Oyster, president of the board,
in five-minute talk, who charged the
District Commissioners with having ne
elected the schools Tor thirty years.
Mr.. Cox said that he proposed to make
clear to the residents of Washington the
excellent work which the board of edu-
cation is doing for them. He aleo de-
clared that at all tiroes the board has the
interests Of the people at heart.
Motives Actuating the Board.
"A word as to the board" he said. The
present board was not appointed because
they were pedagogues and theorists, but
because they were successful men and
women familiar With affairs. The board
saw to it that ther, was a clear division
drawn and observed between the business
and professional administration of the
| schools. 1t has handled the school affairs
on the same lines that the members handle
| their own affairs, /. e.. for every collar
expended dollar o. value should be re-
ceived, though we are dreadfully ham,
pered by lack of proper facilities and
| sufficient Office force.
We have insisted that appointments
and promotions of teachers shall be &C
cording to certain recognized standards
and the law. The result has been that
there no longer exists among the ca
pable teachers and employees the feel
In LIANT In th
We have thrown a lot of WORKOUT ideas
and practices in school business on the
dump. For this and for other duties
willed. and contentious fanatics with
one idea: perhaps We are, but our. &C
tons and our criticisms have not been
structive to the service. but have been
distinctively constructive and for the
has been for the sole benent OF the
schools a and CHILDREN. When we have
piled or suggested 9 remedy.
preme Court, we have. I think. shown
and have courageously met every issue,
great or small. often to our personal dis
advantage.
No Favors to Ask.
no axes to grind. We have no enemies
to punish and no relatives or friends to
reward. With US the thankless task Of
looking after the welfare Of more than
1,70O teachers and $1,000 children, future
American men and women, is solemn
| duty.
.As for myself am prepared to rec
ommend as business proposition ap-
enough schoolhouses to care for the 5000
| children now homeless and make reason
| ably freproof and sanitary those build
| vide Fairgrounds for the school children
elsewhere than in the dangerous streets.
! II the citizens do not want these things
there is no longer need for the present
board OF education. 1t is up to the citi-
sens Of the District Of Columbia. Re-
member that ad grave danger turks on the
Almost one-half Of the entire estimates
Of the board Of education for the year
ending 1911. or $2.263. 130. was for school
buildings and grounds. made necessary
by the neglect OF the pa st and the natural
increase in the enrolment Of pupils.
Money Needed for Betterments.
THE board Of education does not claim
that the additional school buildings and
grounds asked for in it's estimates are
called for only to meet the increased en-
rollment Of pupils. On the contrary it
| dChuOWIcOEoS tHdC inc natural CROWN OF
the schools could probably be provided
for by an annual appropriation of $780,
GOO for buildings, as stated by the Engi
neer Commissioner. All the money asked
| for over and above such an amount is in
| tended to be applied to betterments and
| to the protection of the pupils from
| danger from fire, to charging buildings
| which are already inadequate to accom-
| modate their present enrolment, to get
| ting rid OF 126 halliday schools above the
second grade, and replacing eighteen
| portable schoolhouses with modern
structures. and to make 1t possible to
| give up eighty-four rented rooms now
| occupied which are insanitary and totally
unfit for school purposes.
| Under the head Of betterments should
be included practically all of the recon-
| menda tons OF the schoolhouse commits
| sion. whose report was made February
| 25, 1908, and submitted to Congress Feb
ruary %. 1903. The schoolhouse COM
mission was appointed by Congress under
the provisions Of the act Of June %, 1906
| for the express purpose of submitting to
Congress a general plan for the CONSOLE
dalton Of the public schools in the Dis
J trict. Of Columbia. and the abandonment
| of such buildings as may be necessary
posed Of Engineer comnaissioner Mai.
1 Trsssury. and pr. W. 3. Chancellor nss.
| superintendent Of schools.
New Buildings to Replace Old.
This commission recommended the
! abandonment Of twenty-four school