Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-15
Commissioners Recommend
Only Part of ST, 200, 900 Be
Used for New Central.
REMAINDER FOR SITE
IN EASTERN SECTION
Communication Favoring Change Is
Forwarded to Senate-Bids
Opened Today.

on the eve of the opening of bids this
afternoon for the construction of Wash
: ington's new Central High School. at 18th
and Clifton streets northwest authorized
= TO cost s1.c00.OOo, the District Commits
sioners this morning sent TO the Senate
a communication favoring utilization OF
nearly half of the appropriation in the
acquiring of a site for high school In
the eastern section of the city.
The eleventh hour change recommended
: is the result of the passage by the Sem
ate last month of a resolution calling
upon the District heads for their opinion
as to whether the appropriation should
be applied to the construction of two high
school buildings instead of only one. and
requesting certain other information con-
corning the local school situation.
( Signed by all three members of the
board. the Commissioners report an
awers at length the inquiries contained in
: the Senate resolution. The District
: officials recommend that only S125.OOO of
the s1.2o0.O00 appropriation authorized be
expended upon the Central High School
project They say that, in their judg-
ment the present high school facilities OF
Washington are inadequate. chiefly be-
: cause of their location, and that new
high school in the eastern section or the
city is needed.
Work on Plans to Be Sacrificed.
Should Congress decide to utilize the
appropriation, as recommended by the
Commissioners. nearly a years work In
the preparation of plans would be sacri-
feed while approximately $4,000 spent
for this purpose also would be lost
In the event new specifications are
called for, it is expected that the two
wings provided for in the present plans
and the athletic stadium will be elimi-
mated.
Opening of bids for the construction OF
the central high school building, as pro-
vided for on the basis of the S1,20O.OOO ap-
preparation. began at o'clock this after
noon. Specifications were issued to fifty
: prospective bidders.
Would Divide Appropriation.
4 Taking up the inquiry in the resolution
as to whether it would be advisable to
divide the appropriation authorized for
the Central High School and apply it to |
the construction of two buildings, the |
Commissioners in their report, say: |
Replying to the first request OF the |!
above resolution. in the Judgment of the
board of Commissioners Of the District
all OF the available appropriation in the |
erection Of a new Central High School at |
the corner of 18th and Clifton streets |
northwest. but that $725,OOO thereof be |
expended for the construction Of a new
Central High School on the site obtained
for that purpose at 18th and Clifton |
streets northwest, the building to be In |
conformity with the recommendations and |
estimates originally made by the board |
Of education and the District Commits
sioners, and that the balance of the ap-
preparation be applied for the acquisition |
eastern section Of the District, for the |
preparation of plans for such high school |
and for beginning the construction of |
such high school.
THE second inquiry was as follows: |
Is the site at the corner of 18th and |
Clifton streets centrally located as rel
CARDS the population
The center of population of the Dis |
trict of Columbia, according to the federal |
census of 1910. is Ill feet east of the
center line of 9Th street northwest, and
159 feet south of the center line of K
street northwest, or, approximately, 927
9Th street northwest. According to a re-
Columbia the site of the proposed new
Contra High School, at the corner Of 18th
and Clifton streets, is 1890 feet from the
center Of population.
City's High School Population.
THE third inquiry in the resolution was
as follows: What is the high school pop
ulation OF the various sections of the city
OF Washington?
According to information furnished nv
the secretary of the board of education
the high school population Cthe place of
residence of the high school p,1D;lsl re