The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-02-17
At Request of Health Officer
Davis, DR.. King, an Expert,
Will Visit the Schools of
the City.
TO GIVE OPINIONS
AS TO CONDITIONS
Mrs. Ben Bartel in Public
Letter Replies to the State
ment Made Yesterday by
Supt. T. A. Mott.

ed by Mrs. Ben Bartel on behalf of
the Women's Collegiate club, regard
ing the ventilation of school rooms
and sanitary conditions of toilets, in
the grade schools of the city, DR.. T.
Henry Davis, city health officer and
member of the state board of health,
held at indianapolis yesterday, that
the boards expert in these matters
be sent to Richmond to make a thor
ough investigation of prevailing con-
ditiones. The request was readily ac-
ceded to. and DR.. King, who is regard
ed as one of the foremost experts in
the country on the subjects of ventila-
ton and sanitation, especially in re-
gard to schools, will make a thorough
inspection of the Richmond schools
this week.
Employed by State.
Dr. King is in the employ of the
state board of health for the express
purpose of investigation of such mat
ters as these, and his views concern
ing the local situation, which will be
embodied in a report to the city health
officer. will be accepted as authoria-
tive, permanently settling in the
minds of the parents of the city the
question whether their children are
receiving instruction under conditions
favorable or unfavorable to their
health and general welfare.
Dr. Davis has interested himsel1
greatly in this question which recent
iy has arisen and which has demand
of its Importance to the city at large
and he presented the matter in full
| to the state board. The board mem
bers likewise took keen interest IL
the matter and it was with unanimou.
consent that DR.. King was instructed
to make an inspection of the schools
! Mrs. Ben Bartel, who was instru
mental in starting the agitation, to
day sent a communication to the Pal
ladium in answer to the statement
of Superintendent Mott printed yes
terday. Her communication follows
Mrs. sarteI's Reply.
To the readers of the Palladium:
| In Mr.. Motifs defense of the sani
tary conditions of our city schools h
says that the ventilation is good. l
that be true why should the teacher
have anything to say to the contrary
If the heating system with it's fresl
and foul air ducts is adequate-wh.
is there an odor? If it is not ade
quate-why aren't the teachers allow
ed to raise the windows? When
visited one teacher in her home an
asked her how she liked the mechani
cal ventilating system in our schools
she smiled, saying, well, l suppos
the windows" A member of her fam
ly Immediately said why don't yo
speak out-you know your roor
stinks.''
If the teachers think the system in
adequate why don't they say so to tn
authorities? l sincerely believe ever
teacher has the interest of the Chi
dren at heart-but the matter of goo
or poor ventilation does not seem t
rest in their hands. The electric fan
in the easements for tanning in fres
air are kept going-that l know-bu
of what use are they if the fresh al
which they fan does not come int
the duct-in other words-if the due
be closed? Or what good do the fan
accomplish if the foul air ducts in tn
rooms are not open continually? VIII
did one teacher say she thought tn
janitor sometimes forgot" in refer
ence to the fresh air duct.
Made No Measurements.
! | did not personally measure tn
number of cubic feet of air each pl
Epul receives per minute-but one nee
only to take along his nose tand tha
organ need not have an unusuall
keen sense of SMELLY to prove the fal
lacy of the theory that the air in tn
rooms is fresh. If the foul air is n
placed every ten minutes by fresh ali
the room should not have a stale. O
fensive odor, should it? Did the S,
perintendent measure the number {
cubic feet of fresh air for each chil
in a room where there were fifty chi
cren or in room containing ht
lthirty-five?
/ Mr. Mott mentions more than one
in his article the expense OF instaliin
these heating plants. There would b
small expense attached to raising th
windows-perhaps an increased Coz
bill but l am sure the improvement
lin the air would more than pay fo
that The windows should be raise
before the morning and afternoon Sc.
sions. at recesses and at any othe
itime the teacher may see fit. OF wha
! fCnuffnued IN pA1a Ei9hfl