Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-21
SCHOOL AFFAIRS UP|
important Matters Considered
by Senate Subcommittee.
PAY FOR OUTSIDE PUPILS
Claims of Maryland and Virginia
Suburbanites for Free Tuition
Set Forth.

! Appropriations and estimates for the Dis
trict public schools were under consider
alton today by the subcommittee of the
| Senate committee on appropriations which
is in charge of the District aIpropria-
| ton bill.
Protests by residents of Virginia and
Maryland against the House provision
| for tuition charges for pupils who do
not live in the District. but whose parents
make their livelihood in the District
other than by working for the govern
ment, and the raising of the question as
| to the comparative cost of the school
system of the District as against school
systems in other cities enlivened the hear
| ing.
Much of the time was taken up with a
consideration of the items of the esti-
| mates made by the board of education
| and not provided for by the H,use The
BOARD OF education's representatives spoke
| In behalf of all the omitted items.
The tuition question was raised early in
| the hearing. Representing Chevy Chase
Thomas E. Robertson and c. w. Daw-
son appeared before the committee, and
william Terrell was present for the resi-
dents of kensington. In the same cause,
there were also present Representative
Carlin of Virginia, Representative Lewis
OF Maryland and Gist Blair.
4eTmS OF present Law.
Since the present school law became
efective nonresident pupils have been
allowed to attend the schools of the
Dlstr1ct free If their parents paid taxes
| in the District were engaged in the
public service in the District or were
engaged In business in the District.
But the House, without the recommen-
dation of the board of education and
fC nyxyp init tot
sion in the bill which will have the eff
feet of compelling the child, en- of those
VINO are engaged in business other
| than the public service in the District
to pay tuition.
If these children or their parents dc
pay taxes the amount of the tax must
equal the tuition charge or tuition must
! tween the tax and the full tuition charge
1t was contended that it is unfair and
| unjust to charge tuition against people
who are engaged in business in the Dis
who spend it here and it was held that
| to all intents and purposes the sections
lying on the outskirts of the District
from which children come to the Dis
| trlct schools are part of the District
| 1t was also held that such a radical
change should not be made at once, with
out notice to the persons affected, it be-
ing pointed out that many of the resi-
moved out from the District believing
that the present school law regulating
tuition charges would be continued.
Davidson Not Ready to Answer.
William NJ. Davidson superintendent of
public schools, was asked by members of
the subcommittee regarding the charges
that the school system is topheavy with
supervision and that it costs too much
as compared with other cities The find
ing of the answer to those queries, Mr.
| Davidson said, was the first important
problem which the board OF education
take charge of the local school system
He has spent six months in collecting
! figures and data and in making many
lines of investigations. he explained, but
he Is not yet prepared to make answer
either denying or affirming the charge
Henry P. Blair, chairman of the ways
and means committee of the board of
education, and DR.. Davidson urged the
committee to put into the bill those items
in the estimates which the House omit
ted: and the reason for each estimate was
outlined.
Gage School Addition.
Rev. Hugh Stevenson, pastor Of the
Bethany Baptist Church. urged the COM
mittee to make provision in the bill for
a four-room addition to the Gage School
on I'd street near U street He told the
committee that the present building OF
twelve rooms houses 576 pupils in fifteen
classes; that two of the classes have only
halliday sessions, and that one class
meets in the basement. where it's men,
| bers get the dust Of coal and ashes and
are subjected to other insanitary condi-
| tions.