Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-21

| too many teachers employed? II so.
which are the superf1uous ones and who
| is responsible for the existence OF these
teachershipsr Are the teachers paid too
careful comparison with conditions else
where, readjusted and increased the
| meager and Inadequate salaries. Is too
| much money expended for additional
| school buildings? No Owing to past
| failures to provide seasonably necessary
buildings. the District is still in arrears
under this head. and much money must
be spent annually in the public Interest
to make up these arrearages. Are our
school buildings too snowy and costly?
No. Our school buildings. and especially
our high schools, do not compare to
our credit with those OF much smaller
and less conspicuous cities. II the schools
are extrayagant in any item let 1t be
pointed out in order that the board OF
education and the Commissioners may
recommend and Congress may enact Its
correction.
IF there is extravaganza in the public
school system, until It's character Is dis
tinctly disclosed 1t cannot be known
whether the board of education or the
Commissioners or Congress is responsible
for 1t. Every proposed appropriation for
the schools must run the gauntlet OF the
Commissioners. the congressional commit
tees and Congress itself. If too large
school appropriation has ever successfully
run this gauntlet. is 1t possible to hold the
board of education. which has no control
Of appropriations, solely blamable, to be
on this account shamed and abolished?
The fact apparently is that the local
schools do not absorb an undue percent
age OF the money needed for the whole
District: but If they did. this fact alone
might not be discreditable. 1t would
be censurable only II the money were not
properly spent and no adequate return
received for it. IL in paying more for
schools. better schools were not secured.
In discussing the proposal to remove the
schools from the supervision OF board
OF citizens and to place them under the
board of Commissioners or the Engineer
Commissioner on the ground that they
are now costing 10 per cent more than
they ought The Star has said that this
would involve a command to the new
school despot to reduce by one-thrd
present school expenditures by discharg-
ing teachers, cutting down salaries and
emitting to erect new buildings This
consideration throws a wet blanket upon
the enthusiasm for this immediate change
on the part of those OF US who have
heretofore favored as logical and broad
ly beneficial the restoration to the Com
missioners of the power OF appointing to
the school board. For there can hardly
be a Washingtonian who believes that
teacherships. salaries and new school
buildings can be cut down one-third with
out vital injury to the local schools"
1t is a strong point which the school
committee of the Board of Trade makes
in answer to the charge that the board
of education asks too much money for
the education OF the children Of the Dis
trict of Columbia. The committee shows
that nearly one-half. or s. 263, 100 Of the
estimate of $4,677,721. was FOR school
buildings and grounds made necessary
by the neglect Of the past and the nat
ural increase in enrolment" the school
board never having claimed that the
whole Of Its estimates were called for
on account of increase in school attendance.
One Of the needs OF the Washington
schools is peace and 1t Is a hope "of
many that the current reply OF the Board
of Trades school committee to the cry
Of extravaganza will set at rest the minds
of the critics and restore state Of
peace.